After a windstorm, look at your eavestroughs in the right order: safety first, then a ground-level walk, then a closer look only if it is safe. This guide covers each stage, the damage wind actually causes, and which repairs cannot wait.
In This Article
Make the yard safe first
Do nothing at the eave until the ground around the house is safe.
- Downed or sagging wires. The Electrical Safety Authority says downed powerlines may be live, and to stay back about the length of a school bus, roughly 10 metres. Call 9-1-1 and your electrical utility, and do not begin yard clean-up until the lines are repaired or the power is off, because wires can hide under branches.
- The service mast. Look at the pipe that carries wires into the house. If it is bent, pulled from the wall or hanging from the meter, or if wires sag, call a Licensed Electrical Contractor. Do not touch it.
- Broken limbs still in the trees. Half-detached branches can drop without warning. Stay out from under them and call an arborist.
- Broken glass and metal. Wear sturdy shoes and gloves. Storm debris hides sharp pieces.
Never move a branch that rests on or near a wire. Report it to the utility.
Stage one: a walk-around from the ground
Wait until the wind has dropped and the roof edge is dry. Check the Environment Canada forecast for lingering gusts. Then walk the full perimeter, slowly, and look up.
- Sight along each run for a new dip, a run pulling away from the wall or a gap along the fascia.
- Check the downspouts for pieces that have come loose, bent or fallen off at the elbows.
- Scan the lawn and beds for missing sections, end caps, hangers or shingle pieces.
- Look at the roof edge for lifted or missing shingles next to the trough.
- Note leaves, twigs and branches piled on the roof, which will end up in the trough.
- Photograph each problem with a wide shot and a close one. Add the date.
A phone with a zoom lens or binoculars shows more from the ground than you would think. Compare against any earlier photos of your house, since a small change is easy to miss without them.
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Stage two: a closer look, only if it is safe
Climb only if the wind is calm, the roof is dry, no wire is near the ladder and the eave is at single-storey height. Otherwise stop here and call for help. Up close, check for the damage below.
| Damage | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Loose or pulled hangers | Fasteners lifted, gaps at the fascia, a run that moves when nudged | Note it and avoid leaning on the trough. Re-hang or replace before the next rain |
| Sprung seams and end caps | Open joints, popped caps, dark trails below them | Reseal on a dry day, following the sealant label |
| Branch strike | Dents, a creased front lip, a crushed section | Photograph it. A crushed section usually needs replacing |
| Storm debris | Twigs, leaves and grit packing the trough and outlets | Scoop out and flush, then confirm each downspout runs freely |
| Fascia damage | Cracked, split or torn boards behind the trough | Get it repaired, since new fasteners need solid wood |
What wind does to an eavestrough
Wind rarely damages a healthy, well-fastened trough. It finds the ones already weakened by loose fasteners, ice damage or rot. Gusts flex long unsupported runs, twigs and branches strike the front lip, and the leaves and needles stripped from nearby trees land on your roof and wash into the trough. A trough already full of debris is heavier to hold up. So a storm often reveals how well the gutters were maintained, not just how hard the wind blew.
That is why the walk-around matters even when nothing looks wrong. How to spot gutter damage lists the slower signs that a storm can speed up.
What cannot wait, and what can
- Urgent: a trough hanging loose over a walkway or door, water entering the house, roof damage beside the eave, and anything near a wire.
- Soon, before the next steady rain: sagging runs, popped end caps, detached downspouts and packed outlets.
- Can wait for a dry spell: dents, scratched finish and minor bends that still drain.
If you plan an insurance claim, photograph everything before you change it, and keep receipts for any temporary repair. D&D Home Services can clear storm debris as part of its gutter cleaning, from $125 for a typical Kitchener-Waterloo home, and its crew members are Working at Heights certified. Torn-off runs and damaged roofs need a roofer or eavestrough installer.
Key Takeaways
- Stay about 10 metres from downed powerlines, call 9-1-1 and the utility, and check the service mast before anything else.
- Inspect from the ground first with a slow walk, photos and binoculars, and climb only if it is calm, dry and clear of wires.
- Look for loose hangers, sprung seams, branch dents, packed debris and cracked fascia.
- A hanging trough, water inside the house or damage near a wire is urgent. Dents and finish damage can wait.
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