Stopping leaf build up in valley gutter

[Speed addicted]

We have an old farm house in NE Scotland surrounded by trees. One of the fun things I found out reasonably early on is that the gutter in the valley between two roof sections can block with leaves then water gets into the utility room.

I was on the roof on Friday night (in the wind and rain) night as I'd been leaving it until the worst of the leaves had fallen before going to clear it out again, and it got blocked and leaked into the house.

Is there anything apart from regular cleaning I can do with this? I wondered about some sort of netting to slow the leaf build-up but I'm not sure it would be effective and it would look odd. I have gutter hedgehog things in the other gutters but I don't think they'd work here either really.

It's not bad to access now we have a sunroom on one side but it is a regular job.

[reggie747]

I think you'd better sign up for the frequent cleaning option...

[v8notbrave]

Hard to see properly, I've similar roof and small holes appear in lead over time. Roofer did quick fix of external hardcore silicone that I check each year. So leaves you're gonna have to clear but irrespective of that the water is building to a level and not dispersing, why? Is the downpipe blocked? Then how is it seeping in?? Going over lead flashing seems unlikely

[Speed addicted]

The gutter is open ended onto a lower roof, seems to work fine as long as it’s clear so maybe there are small holes further up in the lead.
I take it the ideal option is replacing it completely?

[wolfracesonic]

It may be the lead (?) is in two or three pieces. There should be a small step where they over lap. If there isn't, the leaves may block the discharge end causing water to back up under the joins. If that's the case Google 'Lead T Pren' expansion joints.

[renmure]

We had pretty much exactly the same issue, again in NE Scotland. The wind seemed to perfectly blow the leaves around the whole house and settled them in a deep valley gutter which quickly choked when it rained. I never found anything better in the 26 years we were there than getting there and regularly cleaning it out by hand.

[Snow and Rocks]

Don't have much in the way of suggestions but assuming Aberdeenshire somewhere I'm quite surprised they built the roof like that - must be a bit of a pain for filling with snow and forming ice dams too.

I had a plan for a porch that created a similar situation and my old school joiner mate who was helping me build it was having none of it!

[Speed addicted]

It's surprisingly ok with the snow, it doesn't seem to swirl about as much as leaves so the buildup is more uniform. Or I've just been lucky. The low levels of insulation in that room may also help melt it.
But yes it's a poorly thought out roof!

Regular cleaning it is then.

[cliffords]

Speed addicted said:

It's surprisingly ok with the snow, it doesn't seem to swirl about as much as leaves so the buildup is more uniform. Or I've just been lucky. The low levels of insulation in that room may also help melt it.
But yes it's a poorly thought out roof!

Regular cleaning it is then.

How do you access that area, I assume you can't stand in that tiny valley. I looked at those pictures last night and I am bad at heights and roofs so I felt uncomfortable on your behalf.

Could you sit a long roll of chicken wire in the gap ?
May help with the leaves or chickens

[Tant]

could you put a velux window on that section of roof nearest where you are getting a build up?. You might not get much of a view or much light , with it facing the wall, but it might allow you to access the gutter by reaching through the open velux, rather than venturing onto the roof

[Speed addicted]

Here's another photo. Before we built the sunroom on the left I would go up a ladder onto the lower roof on the right then clamber up into the gutter area (fairly sketchy). Now I go onto the sunroom roof and over the smaller peak which feels a lot safer. It's wide enough to stand in if you're careful. I'm also scared of heights!

Funnily enough I'd been thinking about adding the velux in the roof, I think it's the most sensible way of accessing once we have the spare cash available. I also need to get rid of the older farm windows on the end of the roof so will do that at the same time.

Old houses are great fun.

[Peanut Gallery]

Is there a velux window or an openable window near the top-middle of the first photo?

- I had a guy come in with a skyvac to do my gutters - basically a henry hoover with a long tall hose that you can stick into the gutter while standing on the ground - if the window is openable you could make your own skyvac with some drainage pipe and a henry and reach the gulley that way?

[hidetheelephants]

As you can access from the adjacent flat roof a combination of compressed air to stir the leaves up and a leaf vac to collect could make the job as quick as possible. The "buy more tools, you fool!" thread is this way, sir.

[Blib]

I'd try hedgehogs first. Maybe 2 or 3.

[Speed addicted]

Peanut Gallery said:

Is there a velux window or an openable window near the top-middle of the first photo?

- I had a guy come in with a skyvac to do my gutters - basically a henry hoover with a long tall hose that you can stick into the gutter while standing on the ground - if the window is openable you could make your own skyvac with some drainage pipe and a henry and reach the gulley that way?

Sadly it's little and I'm big. I can get my head through it but that's about it. See the size comparison for a normal Velux to the left! It's getting replaced along with the one on the end of the small roof when spare cash coincides with an available roofer.

hidetheelephants said:

As you can access from the adjacent flat roof a combination of compressed air to stir the leaves up and a leaf vac to collect could make the job as quick as possible. The "buy more tools, you fool!" thread is this way, sir.

I've been considering adding an extension to the leaf blower to get in there from the peak of the small roof to save climbing in, but by the time I'm up there I might as well just do it by hand and get a good look around at the same time.

Blib said:

I'd try hedgehogs first. Maybe 2 or 3.

I did wonder if they would be effective, I have them in the rest of the gutters but wasn't sure it would work as the leaf's don't get blown off in this area.

Edited by Speed addicted on Thursday 29th October 17:13

[5 In a Row]

Peanut Gallery said:

- I had a guy come in with a skyvac to do my gutters - basically a henry hoover with a long tall hose that you can stick into the gutter while standing on the ground -

The guy who does our gutters has one of these.

He's with this lot https://www.bensgutters.com/
I think its a franchise.

(We're also in Scotland, on the East).

[P2KKA]

5 In a Row said:

I think its a franchise.

It must be because I've seen him locally and i live 500 miles away.

[biggiles]

It doesn't look easy to solve!

If you can get a ladder up against the end, then it should be reasonably easy with drain rods & a brush fitting to get most of them out? Make it as easy a job as possible e.g. put a little eyelet there to secure the ladder to, if it's high & off-putting.

I'd also make sure that downpipe has an angle/shoe on the end to get the water running out as smoothly as possible, or even change the pipe so it doesn't go into the leafy area at all.

[ukwill]

If the leaves are getting there from falling down into the valley, how about putting down some custom sized polycarbonate sheeting to provide a cover? Use fixings that would allow you to quickly remove it (leaf buildup). Leaves would still come down onto it, but more should be blown off than if they were to fall into the bottom of the valley. Also easier to quickly clear off the flat surface if leaves accumulated over time.




if it's really annoying you, I guess you could get a roofer to quote to remove the valley and reframe the apex (tying it into the right side apex)?

[RGG]

Probably worth trying - a contoured frame meshed with gauged wire to raise the leaf settlement , say 300-400mm

The theory being wind at a higher level may dislodge most or all of the leaves before they fully settle - a hedgehog on steroids