Maintaining flashings and gutters
Flashings and gutters do not need much, but they need it regularly. Two checks a year and clean gutters will extend their life more than a more expensive material.
- Sheet
- Maintenance
- Revision
- Sources
- 4 items
- Type
- advice article
Yearly plan
| When | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| spring | gutters, hoppers, downpipes – clean out; water test | after winter, gutters are full of leaves, needles and grit |
| spring | valleys, the back of the chimney | debris, snow damage |
| spring | sealant at the chimney and walls | frost tires the sealant |
| summer | paint: scratches, rust spots | repair them before corrosion spreads |
| autumn | gutters after the leaves have fallen | frozen water in a full gutter splits the joints |
| autumn | loose trims and pipe clips before the windy season | to stop them being torn off |
| after a storm | visual check from the ground | deformation, loose parts |
Cleaning
- gutters and hoppers by hand or with an extension tool; be careful with a pressure washer so as not to damage the paint and seals,
- flush downpipes from the top, and clear the access point at the bottom,
- wash painted surfaces with a mild detergent; harsh chemicals and wire brushes damage the paint,
- do not polish titanium-zinc and copper – the patina is their protection.
Repairing paint
In its warranty certificate, Ruukki states that scratches that go through the paint or the zinc must be repaired as soon as they occur, and rust spots cleaned and repainted as soon as possible. Use the sheet manufacturer’s touch-up paint.
Safety
Working on a roof and from a ladder is risky. You can do the inspection from the ground yourself; leave work at height to a firm with fall protection.
How to recognise damage: How to spot damaged flashing.
Technical sources
The sources this sheet draws on. We checked prices and values from standards on the date shown; for prices, whatever the source currently states always applies. Sources marked “in Slovak” or “in Czech” are only available in that language.
| Item | Source | Published by | Version / date | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ruukki warranty certificate – GreenCoat RWS Pro rainwater system 30 years; half the periods above 900 m above sea level (in Slovak) | Ruukki Slovakia s.r.o. | template 09/2026, for products sold after 1 September 2026 | 14 October 2026 |
| 02 | Lindab a.s. warranty certificate – conditions: min. gutter fall 5 mm/m, no contact with copper (in Slovak) | Lindab a.s. (Slovakia) | valid for products bought after 15 April 2019 | 14 October 2026 |
| 03 | RHEINZINK – Information material and processing (alloy to EN 988, electrolytic corrosion, effect of metals placed higher up) | RHEINZINK GmbH & Co. KG | RZ-INT-002-11-24 | 14 October 2026 |
| 04 | Installation guide – KJG half-round rainwater system 2025 (bracket fall, expansion joints, thermal expansion) (in Slovak) | KJG a.s. | 2025 | 14 October 2026 |
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