What causes your wood gutters to rot? First you need moisture. Of course gutters are supposed to get wet. Their main purpose is to carry water to a downspout and move the water away from your house. Ironically, the main reason for their existence is what helps accelerate their decay.
Once the moisture content and ambient temperatures are high enough wood decay spores that have settled on the wood gutter will begin to germinate into fungus. The fungus grows by consuming the wood fibers of your gutters causing the wood to become soft. Once the fungus has taken hold it can spread very rapidly if the conditions remain favorable – wet and warm. The result is failing wood gutters. The fungus is hardy and will survive the New England winters and go on to thrive in the spring and summer months.
Rot is a living organism and if left unchecked it may spread to other parts of your house. It’s common for us to remove a rotted gutter only to find that the fascia board behind the gutter is also rotted and in need of repair/replacement. In extreme cases we have seen the rot spread to the rafter tails, soffit, and rake boards. This may result in very costly repairs. If your wood gutters are showing signs of rot it’s best to have them replaced before other parts of your house are impacted.
Common Types of Rot Found On Wood Gutters
Brown-Rot Fungi actively decays wood. It is made apparent by the appearance of brown cube shaped splits (cubical fracturing) in the wood. In advanced cases of Brown Rot the wood will become powdery and will crumble. Brown Rot is common in the wood gutters made from Douglas fir, cedar and redwood.
White-Rot Fungi also actively decays wood. The wood takes on a whitish appearance and becomes soft, spongy, or stringy. White-Rot is more prevalent in hard woods.
Dry-Rot is not a fungi. What is referred to as dry rot is actually brown rot in a dry crumbly condition. It is a bit of a misnomer where there was once rot but the key element of moisture has been removed. Thus, leaving behind dry but damaged wood.
The Solution for Rotted Wood Gutters
Replacing your old gutters with new wood gutters is not really a viable solution anymore. It is a short term fix at best. When your house was built the wood was far more rot resistant, less susceptible to insect infiltration and was far more durable than softer new growth wood of today. We have found that today’s wood gutters made from new growth wood are often rotting in just 2 to 5 years after installation, even when properly maintained.
The fact that wood gutters rot is the number one reason we make, sell, and install wood replacement fiberglass gutters. Also, wood replacement fiberglass gutters requires zero maintenance except an occasional cleaning. You can even order them with an optional custom colored gelcoat shell. We can make the gutters to match the color of your trim exactly so you will never need to paint them.
Our wood replacement fiberglass gutters will never rot. They come with a gelcoat shell and require zero maintenance except for an occasional cleaning. They don’t ever need to be painted. You can even order them with an optional custom colored gelcoat shell to exactly match the color of your trim.
Our gutters are as aesthetically pleasing as the original wood gutters that were installed on your house when it was first built and have ~40% more capacity. Once installed you will find that our wood replacement fiberglass gutters are indistinguishable from wood gutters. They even have the genuine woodgrain look and feel.
Our installation crews consist of experienced carpenters that can address many other issues you may have associated with rotting gutters. These services include repairs/replacement to the fascia, soffit, rafter tails, and the rake boards.