Forum Discussion

CanuckCamper29's avatar
May 10, 2017

Gutter leak at joint - how to fix?

Good afternoon.

I've got a leak in my gutter right above my entry door on my trailer. It is where the two pieces of gutter join.

I've tried to stop the leak by removing the original "sealant" and replacing it with clear silicone sealant. My first attempt didn't work so I removed the sealant and re-applied using a bit more. This didn't stop the leak either.

I applied the sealant to the bottom and sides of the gutter.

I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a different sealant or any advice on what to seal. I haven't sealed along the "top of the gutter" that butts up against the trailer wall and wondering if that is my issue. Before I applied even more sealant I thought I would check and see if other had experienced something similar and had fixed their issue.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
  • I would try to meticulously clean off the silicone. All of it. Then carefully clean off all the residue with something like brake clean or perhaps lacquer thinner. Try those solvents in a small amount in an inconspicuous area to ensure they don't dissolve the plastic material.

    I would then seal with either dicor self leveling or proflex. Work it into any gap you can see with your finger.

    Report back on success or failure !
  • I have the same issue, and will get up there and clean out any/all old sealant and use dicor. Silicone has no use on the exterior of an rv and is challenging to get off once applied.
  • Yeah, silicone is the Devil!
    Seriously, it is a good sealant when in compression but a poor sealant when exposed to sun and weather. The other bad attribute is that applying any kind of sealant on top of even the film of it won't work.

    I'd suggest to find a curved piece of plastic. You probably have a cast off that you can cut up and seal that into the gutter joint. Proflex or one of the other Geocel sealants is what I'd use. If Proflex is hard for you to source, any urethane or polymer sealant will be heads above silicone. You will need to clean the silicone that's on there, completely off. There are caulk removers and 3M makes a good one.
    Good luck on the gutter.
  • CanuckCamper29 wrote:
    Good afternoon.

    I've got a leak in my gutter right above my entry door on my trailer. It is where the two pieces of gutter join.

    I've tried to stop the leak by removing the original "sealant" and replacing it with clear silicone sealant. My first attempt didn't work so I removed the sealant and re-applied using a bit more. This didn't stop the leak either.

    I applied the sealant to the bottom and sides of the gutter.

    I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a different sealant or any advice on what to seal. I haven't sealed along the "top of the gutter" that butts up against the trailer wall and wondering if that is my issue. Before I applied even more sealant I thought I would check and see if other had experienced something similar and had fixed their issue.

    Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

    I used JBWeld . Works great .
  • Thanks to all for your thoughts. I used dicor (not the self leveling kind) and it worked like a charm.
  • on my to do list, plan on using Dicor after thoroughly cleaning area.
  • I just did mine over the weekend. I have to do it about every 2 years. I use Dicor from inside the gutter. clean it out really good and press it down into the seam then spread it out evenly so there isn't a dam where the water will collect. mine is right above the kitchen window, when I leave the window cracked with the air on the condensation from the A/C will hit the partially open window and spray down on anything in the vicinity. even if its closed it still likes to hit the window and splash everywhere.
  • I purchased this and will soon install it in hopes of preventing those gutter leaks along with the black streaks.