Cleaning/unclogging boxed metal gutters on a metal roof.

Hello all,

I am an exterior cleaning contractor in East Texas. I recently got a call from a homeowner who was having trouble with her gutters.

I went out to do an estimate & I am a bit perplexed. The homeowner tells me that the gutters overflow along the middle of the back of the house & on one corner.

I could see where they overflowed & messed up her flower beds.

I will attach pictures but they are boxed gutters with a very small opening, I want to say maybe a inch.

When I got on the ladder to take a look, I noticed that there was not much debris. Maybe a handful of pine needles at most.

I used a water hose to test out the down spouts on the corner of the house. I want to say there is a leak because the water was dripping slowly through the down spout with the water hose running directly over that area.

But here is what worries me, I noticed later on that the thhere was condensation on the eaves directly under where I was using the water hose.,

The homeowner tells me that a exterior light is getting wet which is in the same corner but completely covered.

Also she told me that she had water leak through a set of of windows in the back, in the same area where she told me the gutters leak & where I saw the ruined flower beds.

Here is my question?

While I think there is a leak, I suspect there might be something else going on?

My plan is to remove a bout a 5 foot piece of gutter in the corner to see whats going on.

I plan on using sewet jetter to clean & unclog the insides of the house.

Basically if there is a clog anywhere, I am sure I will get it.

However, I am not sure if that would resolve the homeowners problems?

As I mentioned the gutters from the outside are dirty but not too bad, just a handful of debris at most.

I've removed several 5 gallon buckets from homes smaller then hers.

While it's possible there is a clog & I think there is, I'm not sure.

She told me she hired someone else to do it last year, so i am thinking it was a bad contractor who did not even bother to check the downspouts?

Definitely post up some pictures when you can. Sounds like you might have to put on your detective's hat to sort through this one.

I did a bit more reading and I am thinking that she for sure needs to get the eaves ventilated.

I am thinking I am going to walk away from this job but I would like to recommend a good contractor to the homeowner. So if anybody is in East Texas or knows of someone in the Tyler TX area let me know.

The homeowner is a older lady & while I think their might be a clog I cant confirm it & it might just be the gutters malfunctioning.

I know she is on a budget, so I don't want to charge her for the gutters & it not resolve her problems.

It's not letting me post pictures, I emailed them to the support address provided on here. If someone else could post them for me please let me know & I can email then to you

Carlos,

Email the pictures to Todd Miller here:

[email protected]

Done.

+1.

I would remove that detail, install a traditional drip and eave closure, and install a normal K-style gutter.