Leaking Between Gutter & Roof

Flashing

• Around the edge of your roof, known as the fascia, is a metal tab that separates from the edge of the roof and extends down about one inch. This is referred to as the drip edge flashing. When the gutters are installed, the drip edge flashing is supposed to go on the inside of the gutters to make sure that water build up in the gutters does not get inside your home. If this flashing is not properly installed, the rainwater will leak down between the gutters and the roof.

Shingles

• If you observe a well-built roof, you will notice that the shingles overlap the end of the roof just enough to create a direct path to the gutters. Without this direct path, the rain water will fall short of the gutters and start to leak down the side of your house. The only remedy to this is to finish the installation of your roof shingles by putting in the final row that leads to the gutters.

Roof Deck

• Poor roof construction can lead to what looks like leaking between the roof and the gutter, but is actually leaking through the soffit. In some poorly constructed roofs, the wooden roof deck does not extend all the way down to the fascia board. This gap allows water to drip down through the roof and out the soffit. When you look at the leak, it can look like it is happening between the fascia and the gutters. This sort of construction issue needs is resolved by replacing the decking.

Damage

• The primary concern with water leaking between the gutters and the roof is mold inside the home. It can sometimes take a while before a homeowner notices leaking near the fascia of the roof because the water can rot the roof and edges of the ceiling where it may not be noticeable. Over time, the roof decking rots along with the ceiling. Under the right conditions, mold can form that needs to be removed immediately.