Gutter repair

[szeik]

I have an elbow joint that fell off from my gutter on the side of our house . It's a pretty large piece. Maybe about 2.5 feet long. I don't know how they fasten these things when they install them. I looked at a piece that is still together and it looks like a rivet.

I tried using a screw but it only stayed together for a couple of weeks and it has fallen down again. All the screw did was create some pressure agai nst the side of the piece it connected to. There is a little hole on the e lbow joint where there used to be a rivet that held it

What can I use to hold that piece onto the cylinder shaped piece that it at taches to? I realize some pictures would be helpful but hopefully someone will know a way to repair this.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Vic Smith]

Use sheet metal screws made for gutters. You can get them in colors. Predrill the holes. I think 3/16" bit, but check. Alternatively you can buy a pop riveter. They're not expensive.

[dpb]

On 01-Nov-17 2:03 PM, [e-mail] wrote: ...

They make (or you can fabricate) washers to add bearing surface for pop rivets to both cover the existing hole(s) and add strength so won't rip through again.

Must be some other pressure -- maybe wind or the like; ensure there's sufficient strapping.

[Frank]

I fixed one with my pop riveter, a tool that all homeowners should have.

[clare]

The screw (or rivet) needs to go through BOTH parts.

[TimR]

Mine are all held together with sheet metal self tappers.

I have a pop riveter and it is indeed very useful. It would work for this, but consider that occasionally you have to disassemble a gutter to clear a jam, and a screw is a lot easier to get out than a rivet.

[szeik]

Thanks for all the replies! The key was getting that screw into both parts. It is holding pretty good now.

[trader_4]

+1

As someone pointed out, you can get painted sheet metal screws at HD, etc.

[clare]

My experience is the screw extending into the downspout CAUSES most jams - and since I instulled gutter-guards there is nothing to jam them any more - and I don't need to climb up and clean the gutters any more. Just finisged installing 30 ft of it on my shed half an hour ago.

[ItsJoanNotJoann]

I've had the gutter guards on my gutters for about 8 years and haven't had a clogged and overflowing gutter since. I highly recommend them.