September 8, 2010

Interior (Valley) Gutters

Valley gutters are a constant source of anxiety for building owners and facility managers for years. Leaves and debris can accumulate quickly, clog the downspouts and water rushes into the building. Seams frequently leak and replacement is very difficult and costly.

Interior Gutter DebrisLeft: Debris screens installed in this valley gutter should be dismantled. Although they do a good job of keeping leaves away from the downspouts, It creates a dam of leaves that raises the water level within the gutter. When the level rises above the sides of the gutter, 100% of the rainwater will go into the building.

What You Can Do

Keep the Water Flowing – Remove all debris screens installed around the drains. Install a full length valley gutter screen instead.

You can buy contractor-grade roof repair materials online from places like Fix All Roofs or EPDM Coatings. Give them a call now. They can help you on product selection or some valuable roof repair advice. Take pictures of your roof before you start the repair. It makes it easier to explain what you have done if you ever need help.

RV Roof Repair

A lot of RV’s, Travel Trailers or even Motorhomes use commercial roofing materials such as EPDM’s, TPO’s and PVC’s during manufacturing. TPO’s can be resealed with the same heating tool they use to install the roof. For EPDM, you can use EPDM cover tape, butyl seam tape or better yet, Eternabond® to seal rips and tears. When using seam tapes, the manufacturer usually recommends installing it on center. This is true for static roofs, not for RV’s that create their own 70mph wind driven rain. Personally, I’ve had greater success installing it slighly off center. On a 6″ wide tape, use 60% of the width of the tape towards the front, 40% towards the back. You need more tape surface area at the leading edge.