Why are my new gutters leaking from behind?
Water overshoots the gap or leaks behind the gutter because of improper flashing, drip edge installation, or clogged foam guards, which prevents proper drainage off the roof. This runoff ultimately causes expensive water damage to the soffit that requires separate repairs.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Pulling out the foam gutter inserts
- 2Cleaning out the accumulated silt and debris from the gutters
- 3Replacing the foam with open metal mesh guards or installing proper drip edges
- 4slide a little aluminum under the shingle to extend it
- 5put a splash guard on the gutter
- 6paint, stain, or wrap the rake board to protect it
- 7Looking for a waterproof barrier to install on their own side of the roof to block the water flow
- 8Testing gutters with a garden hose
- 9Inspecting gutter pitch, downspout capacity, and angles
- 10Contacting the installation company to fix the physical gutter issue
- 11installing leaf screens
- 12cleaning gutters manually while on a ladder
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Seems pretty far out and gutters are leaking from behind.”source ↗
“Was. Past tense. Now known as a debris collector.”source ↗
“It’s called leafdefier and was not cheap at all. 😭 We paid over $5k for gutters a few years ago and now having issues and the company who did them is not wanting to help.”source ↗
“His also seems to be bowed in the middle and after repeated rain it not only looks like a swimming pool but then overflows onto my roof with the result that rain comes off so quick it's bypassing my gutter and running down my window.”source ↗
“Rather than get into a legal debate with him, is there anything I could put on my side of the roof which is waterproof and would prevent his water flowing onto my roof?”source ↗
“This past week it rained a ton and I found water under the carpet in my basement. I pull up the carpet to find a saturated foam and rot under the wall.”source ↗
“The water just leaks right around the gutter protecting the side of the house. In the rain it’s basically a waterfall off that ledge.”source ↗
“I’m wondering if I can push them to help me with the basement repair. I’ve never been the type of guy to yell and scream, but this seems like it was installed wrong and I want them to take responsibility and cover the basement repair.”source ↗
“When it rains, the water does not fully flow off of the roof into the gutter, half of it falls into the gap of the gutter.”source ↗
“This is causing water damage to the soffit that I will also need to fix.”source ↗
“the cap is blocking your gutter flow and leaf screens could help unless your good with cleaning them yourself”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to stop roof runoff from missing the gutter and hitting the deck
- 2Water leaking behind new gutters and soffits
- 4Tree roots growing inside drain pipes
- 20Sump pump dumping water back near the foundation
- 11Main sewer line backed up right after moving in
- 2How to connect a second story gutter to a first story gutter cleanly