What’s Behind Your Gutters? Fascia and Drip Edge
Clogged gutters rot the fascia and roof edge. Learn the warning signs and how The Great House repairs gutters, fascia and drip edge in Northern Virginia.
ROOFING
10/26/20263 min read
ASK MASON · ROOF
What’s Behind Your Gutters? How Clogs Rot the Roof Edge
Mason shows how clogged gutters rot the roof edge, the warning signs, and how we fix it.
Clogged gutters can rot the edge of your roof.
Watch Mason’s video, then read what’s behind your gutters, the warning signs, and how we fix it.
IN THIS GUIDE
01
What Mason Checks
How Water Leaves Your Roof
DRIP EDGE
Guides water off the shingles.
GUTTER
Carries it to the downspout.
DOWNSPOUT
Sends it away from your house.
At the edge of your roof, a metal drip edge guides water off the shingles and into the gutter.
The gutter carries it to the downspout, and the downspout sends it away from your house.
Leaves and debris build up, and the gutter clogs.
Mason’s diagram: a clear gutter vs. a clogged one
A clogged gutter doesn’t just overflow. It pushes water backward.
02
Warning Signs
Signs Your Gutters Are Causing Damage
OVERFLOWING
Water spilling over the gutters.
PEELING PAINT
Peeling paint on the fascia board.
PULLING AWAY
Gutters pulling away from the house.
Water spills over the front and backs up behind the gutter, against the fascia board. The fascia and the edge of the roof deck stay wet, and they rot.
The gutter pulls loose, and water pours down next to your foundation.
Check this today
Watch your gutters during a heavy rain. Water should flow to the downspouts, not over the front or behind the gutter.
03
How We Fix It
A Cleaning Now, or Roof and Foundation Repairs Later
We clean the gutters and check the wood behind them. We replace rotted fascia and roof edge, install drip edge, rehang the gutters with the right slope, and add guards if needed.
Caught early vs. caught late
Caught early, it’s a cleaning. Caught late, it’s fascia, roof and foundation repairs.
In Northern Virginia
The DC area averages about 42 inches of rain a year (NWS, 1991–2020), and wooded lots across McLean, Vienna and Great Falls fill gutters fast every fall. We fixed this on our White Birch project in Fairfax.
Planning a bigger project?
Getting a new roof? We replace drip edge and check the fascia before the gutters go back up. See prices and real projects on our roofing page.
The fix: new fascia and drip edge at the roof edge
ASK MASON · ROOF
Want to know another problem?
SPOTTED ONE OF THESE SIGNS?
We’ll check it before it turns into a big repair
Free in-home visit from a Class A licensed team. We check the problem, your roof and your attic, then give you a clear written plan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Great House team
Written by the team at The Great House LLC, a Class A licensed builder and remodeler in McLean, VA (License #2705197237). We have renovated 30+ Northern Virginia homes since 2022.
PLANNING A PROJECT?
Our roofing service
See prices, real photos and how we work: our roofing page. Real projects: our project gallery.
Serving McLean, Vienna, Great Falls, Fairfax, all of Northern Virginia.