How to repair gutter drain pipe?

[Lemming]

Hi, I have recently purchased a house and one of the gutter drain pipes is leaking.  It appears to have previously been repaired with a lot of silicone.  I am thinking I should purchase an angle grinder to cut out the previously repaired section, and silicone in a small piece of aluminum.

Just chasing advice as to whether this is the correct way to make a somewhat long lasting repair.  If it would be better to pop-rivet up the aluminum so it is more structurally sound I am happy to take that direction also.

I am new to the world of DIY so will have to buy all the tools from scratch including the angle grinder, so if there is a more efficient way of making this repair I am all ears.  Having said that, I'm happy to buy some tools to expand my toolkit for future repairs.

Current list of things I think I will need to buy:

Angle grinder	https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-one-18v-115mm-cordless-angle-grinder-tool-only_p6210440
Silicon	https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-310g-translucent-roof-and-gutter-silicone-sealant_p1234919
Glue (?)	https://www.bunnings.com.au/gorilla-59ml-glue-bottle_p1662678
Small piece of aluminum	TBA

Thanks in advance!

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Lemming. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing a downpipe.

Instead of creating this patch, I think you'd be better off purchasing a length of downpipe and making the pie cuts to re-create the section entirely. That wouldn't be much more difficult than creating the patch, and I'd like to keep you off a ladder while using an angle grinder for the first time. I wouldn't recommend you do so as they are quite unwieldy and take time to learn how to operate safely.

You'll need gutter silicone for the joints and a pop-rivet gun to hold the sections together.

Let me mention @Nailbag to get their thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Lemming]

Thanks @MitchellMc, that makes a lot of sense mate, a new section of downpipe sounds like the way to go.  Do you have another recommended way of cutting this section out without using an angle grinder?  Is there a small steel saw or similar you would recommend?

[MitchellMc]

Typically, you'd use aviation snips @Lemming. Just drill a hole where you want to start so you can get the blades in there.

Mitchell

[Nailbag]

Hi @Lemming Lemming. I'm with @MitchellMc on his recommendations to repair the down pipe. I would remove the entire section and use that as a template. Any rivets can be drilled out using a 2.5mm drill bit. You only need to drill enough to take out the head of each rivet as you don't won't to drill through the sections being kept. This will allow you to err-pop rivet those sections back together.

Making the cuts will be tricky, but you could practice on cardboard first to get your angles and overlaps right. It doesn't have to be plumber perfect as any imperfections will be concealed with the gutter sealant.

Be aware that aviation (plumber) cutters come in 3 types, right and left cutting and straight. Each type is much easier to perform those types of cuts over the other two. I would buy just the straight cutting ones, which will simply mean any other directional cuts will be a little more difficult. But its not economical for a one of job to by the right sides ones.

You can buy matching colour bond spray paint to finalise the section.

Its going to be a challenging first off DIY project, but doable all the same. Look forward to the final photos.

[Lemming]

Thanks @MitchellMc & @Nailbag!

Took two attempts but I got it done.

First attempt was painted perfectly but buckled significantly as I tried to push it in, then was jammed at the bottom so I had to cut it in half to get it out.

Second attempt I skipped the painting, and it still buckled slightly, but all in all I think it looks great and is definitely functional (fixed the dripping noise on the tin pergola roof.

On to the next project!

[Nailbag]

Nice work mate a difficult project!

[MitchellMc]

That is superb work @Lemming! As @Nailbag mentioned, this was quite a difficult project; your results speak to your D.I.Y. prowess. As someone new to the world of D.I.Y., you might have found your calling!

Well done, and many thanks for sharing your results with us.

Mitchell