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Overflow, sag and standing water at the roof edge

Gutter Repair in Lyndhurst, NJ

Gutter repair in Lyndhurst, NJ starts with water landing in the wrong place: a curtain spilling over the front in a downpour, a run sagging away from the fascia, a downspout emptying beside the foundation. Call (551) 209-3947 and say where the water ends up, and a local roofer can arrange a visit to the gutters and the roof edge above them.

Brown gutter with leaves along a gray roof edge

Looks from the ground

Each of these looks is made from the ground or at a window. A ladder, a wet slope or a steep pitch belongs to the roofer.

  • In steady rain, watch the roof edge from a porch or a window. Overflow at one corner, or water running behind the gutter, tells the roofer where to start.
  • On a dry day, sight along each run from the sidewalk. A dip in the line is a sag, and a gap at the fascia shows where a hanger let go.
  • Look at the ground under every downspout for pooling, a dug-out patch or a pile of dark grit.
  • Follow each downspout to its end and note where the water goes: onto a driveway, toward the foundation, across to the next yard.

Leave it and make the safety call if

  • A wire dangles at the roof edge or lies in the yard: keep away, and tell 911 or the PSE&G emergency number, 1-800-436-7734.
  • A gutter or downspout dangles by a doorway or a path: keep people clear of that spot, and call 911 only if it has fallen on someone.
  • Water is coming through a wall near a switch or outlet: leave the room, and call 911 at any spark or burning smell.
  • A ladder would have to stand in wet weather, on soft ground or near wires: leave it in the shed. Gutter work from a ladder is a roofer's job.

Overflowing gutters, one to ten

  1. 8 to 10

    water is coming into the house, a gutter is hanging over a door, or a wire is down. Take the safety step first. Call (551) 209-3947 after the area is clear.

  2. 4 to 7

    overflow every time it rains, or a downspout that soaks the foundation wall. Photograph it in the rain from under cover, and call (551) 209-3947 within a week or two.

  3. 1 to 3

    a sprouting seedling or a little grit at one downspout. Note it, and mention it when a roofer is already on site for another job.

Three questions about this job

Does gutter work need a permit application in New Jersey?
On the state's ordinary-maintenance list, exterior gutters and leaders appear alongside other routine work, whether the job is repair, replacement or a new installation. Work on that list can go ahead with no permit application and no notice to the construction official, though it is still expected to meet the code.
Where does a downspout need to send its water?
The U.S. EPA suggests redirecting downspouts to a landscaped area, a lawn or a rain barrel, so the water soaks in instead of running into the street. It also cautions that disconnecting a downspout can be wrong for some sites, and that local rules and the water's destination need checking first.
What is the small flashing at the bottom of a roof where it meets a wall?
That is a kick-out. The Building America Solution Center describes it as a piece of flashing at the bottom of a roof section next to a wall, sending runoff away from the wall and usually into a gutter. A gutter that overflows at that corner is worth showing a roofer.

Signs this is the job

  • A sheet of water coming off the gutter edge in heavy rain
  • A run that sags in the middle or pulls away from the fascia board
  • Seams that drip, or a downspout that spills at a joint
  • Leaves, seedlings or a bird's nest sitting in the trough
  • Stained siding under the roof edge, or a wet strip along the foundation
Flat black membrane roof over a brick and siding garage

Reseat a hanger, or hang a new run?

A loose hanger, a leaking seam or a single sagging section is a repair: the run is reset, resealed or patched. A run that has bent, split at several joints or pulled the fascia board with it is the other kind of job.

One practical note on the leaves. Secaucus's public works page schedules leaf pickup every Wednesday from 1 September to 31 December, with bags at the curb on Tuesday evening, while Lyndhurst's page lists seasonal pickup of leaves and yard waste. Gutter debris joins that stream. A roof edge that keeps clogging may call for a roof inspection of the shingles above it.

Call (551) 209-3947