Straight-line wind and the runs it peels back
Much of the worst summer wind here isn't a tornado. It's a straight-line gust racing out ahead of a line of storms, shoving everything one direction, and gutter gets caught at the ends. Wind gets under the front lip at a corner, pries the run outward, and the hangers nearest that end let go one after another.
What's left afterward is a run hanging off the house at one end and still fastened at the other, sometimes bent into a shallow S. That's more than ugly. Every rain until it's fixed pours behind the gutter onto the fascia and down the wall.
Rehanging depends on the metal. Aluminum that's been kinked hard won't lie straight again, and bending it back leaves a weak spot that cracks later. Newer subdivision homes, especially out in St. Charles County, are often hung with thin .019 builder-grade aluminum, and that gauge folds easily in a gust. Heavier .027 stands up far better.
Hail: dents that matter and dents that don't
Hail leaves a pattern. Small dimples across the face of the trough, dings along the top of the front lip, and dents in the downspouts, which are thin and mark easily. Seen from the yard, downspouts on the side the storm came from are usually the easiest place to spot it.
Not every dent is a problem. A gutter with cosmetic dimples that still holds its shape and drains is doing its job. A bent front lip is another matter, because it changes how water sits in the trough and where it spills. So is a crushed elbow at the bottom of a downspout, which chokes the flow.
Hail big enough to dent aluminum was probably big enough to be worth a look at the roof. We'd check both on one visit rather than send you two different people.
Limbs and what comes down with them
Silver maples are all over St. Louis yards, and their wood is brittle. In a summer blow, big limbs snap and land on the eave. One strike can flatten a section, rip hangers out of the fascia and crack the board behind it.
Get the limb down first, and safely. If it's large or tangled in a service line, that's a job for a tree crew or the utility, not a ladder and a handsaw. Once it's clear, the gutter and the wood behind it can be sized up. The damage is often local: a few feet of trough, a few feet of board.
The morning after
Walk the house from the ground. Look for runs that sag, gaps between gutter and fascia, downspouts knocked apart at the elbows, and water marks on siding or brick below the eave. Take photos, wide and close, with the date on them.
Stay off a wet roof, and never lean a ladder against a bent gutter. A damaged run won't carry a ladder's weight and can fold under it.
If water is heading where it shouldn't, into a window well or against a foundation wall, call. A person answers our line around the clock, and a quick temporary fix, such as pulling a loose section down or turning a downspout away, can hold until the permanent repair. For how claims tend to go, read our page on storm damage and insurance.
Storm repairs we handle
Rehang loose runs
Wind-lifted sections reset on new hangers where the metal is still straight.
Learn moreReplace kinked metal
Sections folded by wind or limbs swapped out in heavier aluminum.
Learn moreDownspouts reattached
Crushed elbows and knocked-loose drops rebuilt so water reaches the ground.
Learn more
What we won't do after a storm
Knock on doors. Crews showing up the morning after a storm offering to handle everything through your insurance are a St. Louis summer ritual, and some are gone by the time the leaves turn. We're a local, family-run company that's been here since 1947, and we'd rather you call us.
Write up wear as storm damage. A gutter that was already sagging from years of debris, or leaking at tired seams, didn't get that way last Tuesday. Filing it as storm damage burns your deductible and muddies a claim that might otherwise be legitimate.
Push a full replacement when a repair will do. If wind peeled back one run on the west wall, that's the job. The other walls stay. For the slow, non-storm version of a loose run, see why gutters sag over time.
Summer storm gutter questions
How soon after a storm should gutter damage be fixed?
A run hanging loose or spilling against the house should be dealt with within days, since every rain soaks the fascia and wall below it. Cosmetic dents on a gutter that drains normally can wait for a scheduled look.
Can bent aluminum gutter be straightened?
Minor bends, sometimes. A hard kink or crease usually can't be, because the metal is weakened at the fold and cracks later. We'd replace that section rather than hammer it flat.
Why did my neighbor's gutters make it through and mine didn't?
Gauge, hanger spacing and fasteners all play a part. Thin .019 aluminum on widely spaced hangers gives wind an easy target. Heavier metal on closer-spaced hidden hangers holds on much better.
Should I call my insurance company first or a gutter contractor?
Having a contractor document the damage first usually helps, so you know whether it's storm damage worth filing at all. We'll give you an honest read and photos. The decision to file stays with you.
Do you handle gutter emergencies at night?
Our phone is answered around the clock, so you'll reach a person. Most gutter emergencies can be made safe with a temporary fix and finished properly in daylight, when it's safe to be on a ladder.
More seasonal reading
Free storm damage estimate
Tell us when the storm hit and which side of the house took it. Photos help if you have them.
After the storm, a St. Louis gutter company that picks up
Family-run since 1947, BBB A+, and a Roofing Contractor Magazine Top 100 company. Free estimates and a live person on the line 24/7.