Taping Cracks
Flashing tape is excellent for patching cracks in gutters or at joints. It has an extremely strong self adhesive backing so it has no trouble sticking to the slippery surface of plastic guttering. However, this also means you have to be careful putting it on - once it's in contact with the guttering there'll be no moving it.
Assess the size of the crack or leaking joint and cut off a length of flashing
tape to cover it, allowing a generous margin all around
Make
sure the inside of the gutter is clean, dry and clear of debris. If not use an old rag to wipe it down. Peel away
the paper backing from the tape and stick the flashing tape in place, pressing it down firmly with your
fingertips.
The components that connect the gutter lengths together have rubber seals that are compressed to make a water tight joint when the gutter is clipped into place. The joint may leak if dirt gets trapped between gutter and seal, or the seal itself has perished.
To dismantle a joint, squeeze the sides of the gutter inwards to release the clips securing it to
the system component concerned (here, a stopend). Clean and reassemble the joint. If the seal has perished, peel it
away and replace it with a generous strip of non setting mastic. Then reassemble the joint.
Alternatively,
buy and fit a new component to replace the old one. different brands are not interchangable, so if you can't
identify yours from the markings on the component, take the old one to your guttering supplier and ask him to give
you an exact replacement.