A trough that is pulling away from the house may only be carrying too much weight, or it may be hanging on rotten wood. This guide gives you two quick tests to tell them apart, a ladder of causes from simple to serious, and what to do while you decide.
In This Article
Why a trough pulls away
A trough is held to the house by hangers, and the hangers are held by screws or spikes in wood. Anything that overloads the hangers, or weakens the wood, lets the trough tip forward. Clogs add weight, ice adds far more, and water leaking behind the trough rots the board it hangs from.
The gap is a symptom, so the real question is what caused it. Some causes are cleared with a scoop and a screw. Others mean the wood, and sometimes part of the roof edge, needs repair.
Two quick tests: trough or wood?
The push test. From a well-set ladder at a single-storey eave, with a standoff and no wires within 3 metres, press gently on the fascia board near the gap. If the board moves with the trough, the board itself is loose. If the board stays firm and only the trough moves, the hangers are the problem.
The screwdriver test. Press the tip of a screwdriver into the fascia beside the hanger. Firm wood resists. Soft, crumbly or spongy wood gives way, and that wood cannot hold a fastener.
Also look for dark stains, peeling paint or mould on the fascia and the soffit below it, and check for gaps at the roof edge where water may have run behind the trough.
Timing gives clues as well. A gap that opened after a heavy snow or ice spell, and eased once the trough was emptied, points to weight. A gap that keeps widening over weeks points to rot or failing fasteners.
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A ladder of causes, from simple to serious
| Cause | Typical signs | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Weight from debris or ice | Trough full, gap easing after it is emptied | Clean, then re-fasten the hangers |
| Loose or missing hangers | Board firm, trough moves freely | Longer screws or new hangers, plus extra hangers |
| Stripped screw holes | Screws spin and will not grip | Move to new holes in solid wood, or fill and re-drill |
| Rotten fascia | Soft wood, stains, peeling paint | Replace the damaged board, then re-hang |
| Loose fascia board | The board moves with the trough | Re-fix the board to the rafter tails, and check for rot |
| Rotten rafter tails or roof-edge damage | Sagging roof edge, soft wood behind the fascia | Carpentry repair before any eavestrough work |
The first three are often within reach of a careful homeowner. The last three usually are not. The guide to fascia board replacement cost in Ontario explains what the wood repair involves.
What to do right now
- Keep people clear. A trough hanging by a few hangers can drop suddenly, especially when it holds water or ice. Keep the area beneath it clear of people, pets and vehicles.
- Photograph it from several angles with the date, including any stains.
- Stop water getting behind it. If it is safe, and only at a single-storey eave, clear the trough to remove weight. Do not lean on it or pull it.
- Do not stand a ladder against the trough. Use a standoff, and skip the job if a tall ladder is needed.
- Get a quote for the repair, and mention what you found in the tests.
If you can reach the attic safely, look at the roof sheathing near the eaves for dark stains or damp insulation. Either one shows that water has been getting past the roof edge for some time.
Stopgaps such as a strap or a block under the trough are only that. They do not fix rotten wood.
Repairs that hold, and repairs that fail
Repairs that hold: replacing rotten fascia with sound board, fixing into rafter tails, using corrosion-resistant fasteners matched to the trough metal, adding hangers so the load spreads, and correcting the cause of the leak.
Repairs that fail: driving a new screw into the same spinning hole, nailing or spiking again, caulking over the gap, or painting over soft wood. These look tidy for a season and then let go.
Read how clogged gutters damage fascia boards to see how the problem starts. D&D Home Services offers gutter cleaning and quotes eavestrough installation in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, with free quotes confirmed in writing before work begins.
Key Takeaways
- A trough pulls away when hangers are overloaded or the wood holding them is weak, so find the cause before fixing the gap.
- The push test and the screwdriver test tell you whether the problem is the hangers or the fascia board.
- Weight and loose hangers are often DIY, while rotten fascia, loose boards and damaged rafter tails need a carpenter or a crew.
- Keep people away from a hanging trough, and never caulk, nail or paint over a problem.
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