Eavestrough repair in Burlington is usually a small job that prevents a much bigger one, and Fixall Roofing, a Burlington roofing contractor, treats it that way. A dripping corner or a sagging run can rot fascia, wash out garden beds, push water toward the basement and feed ice along the eaves all winter.
We reseal leaking seams, rehang and re-pitch sagging sections, repair and clear downspouts, and clean and flush troughs on homes across the city, from the mature-tree streets of Roseland and Aldershot to newer subdivisions in Alton Village. Homeowners call us for gutter repair after storms, before listing a house for sale and when a trough overflows in every heavy rain.
Because we are roofers first, we also check the shingle edge and drip edge above your eavestroughs. That is often where the real problem starts, and a trough repair on its own will not stop it.
Most eavestrough problems come down to water escaping where it should not, or not moving where it should. Our repair visits cover the full system from the roof edge down to the splash pad.
Downspouts get as much attention as troughs. Elbows crushed by lawnmowers, sections that have slipped apart and straps torn off the brick all send water straight at the foundation, and they are quick, inexpensive fixes.
Most repairs use standard aluminum K-style parts, so many are finished in a single visit. Eavestrough checks can also be added to a regular roof maintenance visit, so small faults get caught in spring and fall.
Each problem has a typical cause and a telltale sign you can spot from the ground. Here is how we diagnose and repair them.
Sealant at joints and corners dries, shrinks and cracks after years of sun and freeze-thaw cycles. You see drips or streaks on the siding below a corner, or a dark line on the fascia.
Spikes work loose, fascia rots behind the trough or ice weight bends the hangers. The trough tilts outward, separates from the fascia or dips in the middle of a run, and wind storms finish the job as part of wider storm damage.
Leaves and maple keys plug the outlet, the run has lost its slope or the trough is simply too small for the roof above it. Water spills over the front edge in heavy rain, often at the same spot every time.
Ice dams and solid ice inside the trough can weigh hundreds of pounds per run, bending troughs and snapping hangers by March. Lower sections can also be crushed by snow sliding off upper roofs.
Replacing bent troughs without asking why the ice formed means paying for the same repair next spring. Heavy eave ice nearly always points to warm air leaking into the attic, so we check for it before recommending new sections.
Eavestroughs lose their slope over time as hangers loosen, fascia boards shrink and winter ice pushes runs out of line. The result is water that sits in the trough for hours after a storm, breeds mosquitoes, freezes in winter and spills over in the next downpour.
We check slope with a level and a hose test, watching where water stops moving. Small dips can be corrected by adjusting a few hangers, while a run that has flattened end to end is unfastened and reset to a steady fall toward the outlet.
Sometimes the honest fix is adding a downspout rather than more slope. Very long runs pitched to one corner can need a drop that looks crooked from the street, and splitting the run to two outlets solves the drainage without hurting the look.
A common shortcut is to re-pitch a trough without moving its outlet, which leaves a low spot just past the downspout. We make sure the lowest point of each run sits directly over its outlet before we finish.
Our eavestrough cleaning removes debris by hand into bags, not onto your lawn, then flushes every run and downspout with water to confirm it drains. While we are on the ladder, we note loose hangers, open seams and shingle granules collecting in the troughs.
Burlington's older neighbourhoods have large silver maples, Norway maples and oaks that drop seeds in late spring and leaves through November. On those streets, gutter cleaning in Burlington usually needs to happen at least twice a year, after the spring seed drop and after the last leaves fall.
If you are cleaning three or more times a year, gutter guards are worth pricing. They cut the cleaning schedule, though they do not remove it entirely.
Heavy granule build-up in the troughs is worth a mention too. A handful after a new roof is normal, but steady drifts of granules on an older roof usually mean the shingles are wearing out, and we will tell you if we see it.
Repair is the right answer for most eavestrough calls, but there is a point where patching costs more over a few years than new troughs would. This table shows how we make the call.
| Factor | Repair Makes Sense | Replace Makes Sense |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Under about 15 years | Over 20 years with repeated failures |
| Leaking joints | One to three | Leaks at most seams and corners |
| Sagging | Isolated sections, sound fascia | Most runs sagging or fascia rotted |
| System type | Seamless aluminum in good shape | Sectional vinyl or rusting steel |
| Physical damage | A few dents or one bent section | Crushed runs on several walls |
When replacement wins, we quote seamless eavestrough installation sized for the roof, so the new system fixes the overflow problems the old one had. If only one wall is failing, replacing that single run is often the middle ground.
Repair pricing depends on the number of storeys, ladder access over decks or landscaping, how many feet of trough are affected and whether fascia needs work. Your written quote lists each repair separately so you can prioritize.
The usual causes are a clogged outlet or downspout, a run that has lost its slope, troughs too small for the roof area, or too few downspouts. A hose test and a look at the roof above tell us which one applies to your home.
At least twice a year, in late spring and again in late fall. Homes under mature maples and oaks often need a third cleaning, or guards, to keep downspouts flowing.
Some repairs, yes: rehanging fallen sections, clearing ice from downspouts and replacing damaged runs can be done on suitable days. Sealant repairs need dry, above-freezing conditions to bond, so seam resealing is often a temporary fix in winter and a permanent one in spring.
Describe the symptom, from a dripping corner to a run pulling off the fascia or a sheet of water spilling over the front. We will inspect the troughs and roof edge, explain the cause and give you a written price before any work starts.
We are open 24/7 for troughs that have come down in a storm, and all repairs carry Fixall's 1-year labour warranty.
Phones answered 24/7, including emergencies.