Why Do Steel Gutters Rust

How to treat rust spots on your gutters.

Why do steel gutters rust.

This is due in part to the fact that the steel is coated in a thin layer of zinc to prevent rusting. Although they probably won t rust aluminum can be punctured more easily than steel gutters. Why does steel rust. However aluminum resists it slightly better than galvanized steel.

This zinc is easily scratched off and the scratches are difficult to see. Most commonly rust forms in gutters when water pools inside them either due to improper installation improper slope over time or a clog inside the gutters that allows water to stand rather than flow freely. While both materials can be customized to form seamless gutters aluminium is slightly easier to work with. Both aluminum and steel gutters resist rust.

The protective zinc coating does eventually begin to wear away exposing the bare metal. Because steel is made almost entirely of iron it is the most highly manufactured man made material that is subject to rust. You can use the same process for repairing holes in both steel and aluminum gutters. Adding a layer of acrylic latex paint or oil based paint adds helps metallic objects like rain gutters from rusting.

Sometimes rust corrosion can eat all the way through galvanized steel gutters. Gutters made of galvanized steel are strong and durable but they re no longer as popular as they once were because of their susceptibility to rust after a few years. Luckily rusted gutter repair isn t too difficult. Any material made with iron that is exposed to both oxygen and water will rust.

Installation is fairly easy because aluminium is lighter than galvanized steel.