Box Gutter Repair in Hudson, WI
Hudson Roofing Pros repairs leaking box gutters, the gutters built into the roof edge of many older houses, by fixing the lining and the wood around it before water gets into the walls. If your older Hudson home has stains on the ceiling or wall just inside the eaves, a box gutter is often the reason.
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- Since 2016
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What Is a Box Gutter on a Hudson Home?
A box gutter on a Hudson home is a gutter built into the roof edge, a wooden trough lined with metal or roofing membrane that sits inside the eave instead of hanging on the fascia. From the street it often looks like a plain cornice, which is why many owners do not know they have one.
Box gutters belong to older houses, and Hudson has many of those, from the Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne homes of the Sixth Street Historic District to the 1800s houses on Third Street. If your home dates from that era and has no gutter hanging on the fascia, it may well have a box gutter.
Because a box gutter is part of the house, a leak in its lining does not drip outside. The water runs into the eave, the wall and the ceiling below.
Check inside
Stains near the eaves
A water stain on a ceiling or upper wall close to an outside wall can come from a leaking box gutter.
Signs Your Hudson Box Gutter Is Leaking
A Hudson box gutter is leaking when you see stains inside near the eaves, peeling paint or rot on the cornice, or water dripping from the underside of the eave. Most leaks start where the lining has cracked, split at a seam or pulled away at the ends.
Stains Inside Near the Eaves
Water that gets past the lining shows up on ceilings and upper walls just inside the outside wall.
Peeling Paint on the Cornice
Paint that keeps blistering on the trim around the gutter means water is soaking the wood from inside.
Soft or Rotted Wood
Wood that gives under a screwdriver at the eave has been wet for a long time.
Drips Under the Eave
Water dripping from the soffit rather than the downspout is escaping through the lining.
Standing Water in the Trough
Water that sits after rain means the trough has sagged or the outlet is blocked.
Ice Along the Edge
Heavy ice in the gutter in winter puts weight on old wood and opens cracks in the lining.
Seeing stains near the eaves of your older home?
Tell us where the stain is and we will check the box gutter above it.
Should You Reline or Rebuild Your Hudson Box Gutter?
You should reline your Hudson box gutter when the wooden trough is still solid and only the lining has failed, and rebuild it when the wood underneath has rotted. A new lining on rotted wood will not hold.
Relining fits when
- The leak is in the lining, not the wood
- The trough is straight and holds its shape
- The wood is firm when we probe it
- The cornice below has no rot
Rebuilding fits when
- The trough has sagged or holds water
- The wood is soft or crumbling
- Rot has spread into the cornice or rafter ends
- Past patches have failed again and again
Some owners choose to close off a failed box gutter and hang a new gutter on the fascia instead, through our gutter installation work. On a historic house that changes the look of the roof edge, so we talk it through with you first.
Not sure if your box gutter can be relined?
We will open it up, check the wood and tell you which repair it needs.
How We Repair a Box Gutter
We repair a box gutter by clearing it, finding where the lining has failed, fixing any rotted wood and then sealing or relining the trough to the outlet. Cody Larson, our roofing specialist, handles roofing, flashing and related exterior repairs like this one, and owner Garrett Olson oversees every project.
- 1
Clear the Trough
We clear out the leaves and debris so we can see the whole lining and the outlet.
- 2
Find the Failure
We look for cracks, split seams and lifted edges, and probe the wood under and around the trough.
- 3
Fix the Wood
Rotted boards in the trough or cornice are cut out and replaced before any lining goes back in.
- 4
Seal or Reline
We repair the failed area or reline the trough, tying it into the roofing above and the outlet below.
- 5
Test the Repair
We run water through the gutter to the downspout, then clean up the job site.
How to Keep a Hudson Box Gutter From Leaking Again
A Hudson box gutter stays tight longest when it is kept clear of leaves and checked before winter. Debris holds water against the lining, and in a western Wisconsin winter that water freezes, expands and works at every seam.
Regular gutter cleaning each fall keeps the trough and its outlet open. If you also have hung gutters on other parts of the house, our gutter repair work covers those.
Box Gutter Repair FAQs
How Do I Know if My House Has Box Gutters?
Your house has box gutters if there is no gutter hanging on the fascia and the water instead drains from a trough built into the roof edge, often hidden behind a cornice. Older Hudson homes are the ones most likely to have them.
Why Does My Box Gutter Leak Inside the House?
A box gutter leaks inside the house because it is built into the eave, so water that gets through the lining runs into the wall and ceiling instead of dripping outside. Cracked linings, split seams and blocked outlets are the usual causes.
Can a Box Gutter Be Replaced With a Regular Gutter?
Yes, a box gutter can be closed off and replaced with a gutter hung on the fascia. It changes the look of an older roof edge, so we talk through relining and rebuilding first.
Do I Need to Clean Box Gutters?
Yes, box gutters need cleaning at least every fall, because leaves left in the trough hold water against the lining and block the outlet.
Get a box gutter repair estimate
Send us the form or call and tell us where you see the stains or drips. We will check the box gutter and tell you whether it needs relining or rebuilding.
Call now (651) 691-2168 Open 24 hours, 7 days a week