Gutters overflowing in the rain
Tools: sturdy ladder with a stabiliser, work gloves, gutter scoop or trowel, bucket with a hook, garden hose, spirit level · Materials: gutter sealant, gutter hangers or screws if a section sags
Steps
- Work from a ladder on firm ground with someone at the base; never lean over the gutter, move the ladder instead.
- Scoop out leaves and sludge into a bucket, working from the downspout outward, and clear the downspout opening by hand.
- Flush the gutter with a hose from the far end: water should run steadily to the downspout without pooling.
- If water pools, hold a level along the gutter — it should fall about 1 cm per 3 m (¼ inch per 10 feet) toward the downspout; re-hang a sagging section on new hangers.
- Flush the downspout from the top; a blocked one gurgles or backs up, and a plumber's snake from the bottom usually clears it.
- Seal any dripping seams or end caps with gutter sealant on a dry day, and check the overflow again in the next rain.
Stop and call a pro if
- the roof is more than one storey or the ground slopes so the ladder cannot stand square
- fascia boards are soft or the gutter pulls away with its screws
- the gutter is undersized for the roof — it overflows even when clean in ordinary rain
- overhead power lines run near the roof edge
Rules in the Netherlands: Many gemeenten offer a subsidy for disconnecting downspouts from the sewer into a rain barrel or infiltration crate; check the gemeente's afkoppelen page before rerouting.
Rules in the US: Overflow that ponds against the foundation is the leading cause of wet basements; extend downspouts at least 1.5 m (5 feet) from the wall.
What a pro does that you can't
A gutter specialist re-pitches long runs, adds downspouts where a run is too long for one outlet, resizes undersized gutters, and fits guards that suit your tree cover.
DIY cost: $0–25 in sealant and hangers