\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUpdated:<\/p>
2.3.2026<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Share on:<\/h4><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>O<\/span><\/strong>kay, let\u2019s be honest \u2014 telling your friends that you\u2019ve just updated your guttering and spouting systems isn\u2019t <\/span>as glamorous <\/i><\/span>as say, a kitchen or bathroom reno.<\/span><\/p>\nBut guttering and spouting systems go right to the heart of a home’s health and they play an integral part of a building\u2019s waterproofing; together, they catch and channel water away from your home.<\/p>\n
The thing is, when that system no longer functions properly, you\u2019re likely to encounter issues ranging from overflows, leaks and water ingress through to serious structural damage.<\/p>\n
So, how can you prevent that from happening?<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve provided some common warning signs to help you spot and prevent damage to your home. After this, you\u2019ll know what to look for when doing inspections and maintenance for your guttering and spouting.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/i><\/div>In this article we'll cover..
<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n\n- How bad could it get?<\/li>\n
- Inspections you can do anytime<\/li>\n
- Inspections you can do when it\u2019s raining<\/li>\n
- Warning signs of water ingress<\/li>\n
- Getting a tradie to do an inspection from roof-level<\/li>\n
- DIY vs Professional maintenance<\/li>\n
- Tradies that can maintain and repair your guttering and spouting<\/li>\n
- What to expect with repairs to guttering and spouting<\/li>\n
- Key takeaways<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![\"Small](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Small-bathroom-renovation-12-1.jpg\" "\\"Small")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Related: Julian and Lexie uncovered damage from water ingress during their bathroom reno<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>How bad could it get?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>Gareth Samuel from Makara Valley Roofing in Wellington has seen perished gutters create catastrophic trouble.<\/p>\n
\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\u201cThe worst example was guttering that had rusted so badly it broke off into power lines, causing massive headaches for the owner and power companies, not to mention the neighbourhood without power!\u201d Gareth says.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
But most guttering issues aren\u2019t quite so spectacular.<\/span><\/p>\nThe biggest risk is water ingress into your home:<\/b><\/p>\n\n- If caught quickly this may only result in superficial damage<\/li>\n
- However, long term water ingress causes major structural damage along with dampness and essentially an unhealthy home.<\/li>\n
- In worst-case scenarios, large sections of a home can be completely destroyed, as we\u2019ve seen with the widespread issue of leaky homes<\/a> in NZ.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Inspections you can do anytime<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>A simple inspection can be undertaken at any time for homes with common external guttering. The warning signs that indicate your guttering needs attention include:<\/p>\n
\n- A buildup of debris:<\/strong> In gutters or in the drains that your spouting flows into<\/li>\n
- Sagging or uneven guttering:<\/strong> Guttering should be straight, or have a slight angle towards downpipes. Look for bulges, sagging areas or dips<\/li>\n
- Gaps in any guttering joins:<\/strong> Most guttering systems are assembled with expansion joints and over time these can work themselves loose<\/li>\n
- Damaged or misaligned spouting:<\/strong> This is typically an issue that arises at the top or bottom of the spouting pipes, however spouting can also be damaged if struck<\/li>\n
- Detached clips or other guttering fixings:<\/strong> This is usually coupled with guttering that sags near where the clips are detached<\/li>\n
- Any deterioration of guttering or spouting materials:<\/strong> Typically only applicable for steel guttering systems<\/li>\n
- Overhanging trees:<\/strong> Generally speaking, having trees overhanging your home will result in a faster rate of debris buildup and should be avoided.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div>
Rule of thumb<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\nCheck your gutters at the end of summer, every couple of months in winter, and every few weeks during Autumn.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/cleaning-gutter-orange-hand_1200x800.png\" "\\"cleaning")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Overhanging trees should be avoided as they cause a faster rate of debris buildup.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>Inspections you can do when it\u2019s raining <\/strong><\/h3><\/div>Even if your guttering and spouting looks fine in the dry, a further inspection during rain can give more certainty that everything is working as expected.<\/p>\n
Key indicators to look out for include:<\/p>\n
\n- Overflowing from your guttering<\/li>\n
- Streaming from any point under your guttering<\/li>\n
- Streaming down the side of any part of your home<\/li>\n
- Overflowing from any drains around your home<\/li>\n
- Large puddles around your home which may be an indication there is running water feeding them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
O<\/span><\/strong>kay, let\u2019s be honest \u2014 telling your friends that you\u2019ve just updated your guttering and spouting systems isn\u2019t <\/span>as glamorous <\/i><\/span>as say, a kitchen or bathroom reno.<\/span><\/p>\n But guttering and spouting systems go right to the heart of a home’s health and they play an integral part of a building\u2019s waterproofing; together, they catch and channel water away from your home.<\/p>\n The thing is, when that system no longer functions properly, you\u2019re likely to encounter issues ranging from overflows, leaks and water ingress through to serious structural damage.<\/p>\n So, how can you prevent that from happening?<\/p>\n We\u2019ve provided some common warning signs to help you spot and prevent damage to your home. After this, you\u2019ll know what to look for when doing inspections and maintenance for your guttering and spouting.<\/p>\n<\/div> Related: Julian and Lexie uncovered damage from water ingress during their bathroom reno<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div> Gareth Samuel from Makara Valley Roofing in Wellington has seen perished gutters create catastrophic trouble.<\/p>\n \u201cThe worst example was guttering that had rusted so badly it broke off into power lines, causing massive headaches for the owner and power companies, not to mention the neighbourhood without power!\u201d Gareth says.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div> The biggest risk is water ingress into your home:<\/b><\/p>\n A simple inspection can be undertaken at any time for homes with common external guttering. The warning signs that indicate your guttering needs attention include:<\/p>\n Check your gutters at the end of summer, every couple of months in winter, and every few weeks during Autumn.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Overhanging trees should be avoided as they cause a faster rate of debris buildup.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> Even if your guttering and spouting looks fine in the dry, a further inspection during rain can give more certainty that everything is working as expected.<\/p>\n Key indicators to look out for include:<\/p>\nIn this article we'll cover..
<\/h2><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>How bad could it get?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
But most guttering issues aren\u2019t quite so spectacular.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Inspections you can do anytime<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
\n
Rule of thumb<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Inspections you can do when it\u2019s raining <\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
\n
![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/cleaning-gutters-_3-2.png\" "\\"cleaning")
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