Why Is My Eavestrough Leaking at the Corner?
Your gutter isn’t overflowing.
It is not obviously clogged.
But every time it rains, water drips from the exact same corner.
What’s happening?
Even a seamless eavestrough is not one continuous piece around your entire house.
Long straight runs may be seamless, but there are still connections at:
- Inside corners
- Outside corners
- End caps
- Downspout outlets
Those joints are common places for leaks to develop.
Why Are Corners More Vulnerable?
A gutter corner needs multiple pieces to join together while carrying flowing water.
Typical aluminum corner assemblies use:
- Mechanical fastening
- Sealant
- Overlapping metal
Installation guidance for aluminum gutters specifically calls for sealing gutter corners and joints to help prevent leakage.
Over time, that joint experiences:
- Rain
- Snow
- Ice
- Expansion
- Contraction
- Debris
Eventually the sealant can deteriorate.
Can a Seamless Gutter Still Leak?
Yes.
“Seamless” describes the long straight runs.
Corners still need joints.
This Old House notes that even seamless systems can develop leaks at connection points such as corners and downspout outlets.
What About End Caps?
An end cap closes the end of a gutter run.
If the:
- Sealant fails
- Cap becomes loose
- Aluminum is damaged
water can drip from the end.
This can look like an overflowing gutter even when the system is otherwise draining properly.
Can a Leaking Corner Be Repaired?
Sometimes.
A repair may involve:
- Cleaning the joint
- Removing failed material
- Resealing
- Refastening loose components
Canada’s current flood-prevention guidance even recommends sealing small cracks in eavestroughs and downspouts where appropriate.
However, continuously adding fresh sealant over:
- Dirty surfaces
- Failed old material
- Corroded joints
may only create another temporary patch.
When Is Replacement Better?
Consider broader work if the eavestrough also has:
- Multiple leaking joints
- Sagging
- Distortion
- Poor pitch
- Cracking
- Frequent repair history
At that point, repeatedly repairing one corner may not address the overall condition.
Envirotech installs and repairs custom seamless aluminum eavestrough systems across its Ontario service areas.
One Drip at the Corner Can Be a Small Joint Problem—or a Sign of an Aging Gutter System.
If the same eavestrough corner leaks every time it rains, Envirotech Exteriors can determine whether it needs proper resealing, component repair, or replacement.