Spring Eavestrough Check in Toronto: What to Inspect Now

BuildersLTD
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:59:21 +0000
Ontario

Every April I get the same calls. A homeowner notices water pooling by the foundation, or paint peeling along the soffit line, or black streaks running down the fascia. Nine times out of ten the fix is simple — if it had been caught in February or March. By April it has already done some damage.

Eavestroughs are one of the most overlooked maintenance items on a Toronto home. They are up high, they work invisibly when they are working, and nobody thinks about them until something goes wrong. After 50 years of exterior work in the GTA, I have seen what neglected gutters can do — and it is almost never limited to just the trough itself.

Why spring is the critical window

Toronto’s freeze-thaw cycle is hard on aluminum. Every time water freezes inside a partially clogged trough, it expands. Do that 25-35 times over a winter — which is typical in the GTA — and you are putting real stress on the hangers, the seams, and the fascia board behind the trough. Spring is when that damage becomes visible, and it is also when you still have time to fix things before summer rain season hits.

The other spring factor is debris. Fall leaves pack into eavestroughs and downspouts, then freeze in place over winter. Once the thaw comes, that wet mat of leaves starts decomposing and can block water flow entirely. A blocked downspout in a heavy spring rain can send hundreds of gallons of water against your foundation in a single afternoon.

What to actually check

Walk around your house during or right after a rainfall — that is the best time to spot problems.

Overflow along the trough length. If water is spilling over the front edge rather than flowing to the downspout, you have a blockage, a low point, or a hanger that has pulled away from the fascia. All fixable, but you need to find which one.

Water staining on the soffit or fascia. Light tan or dark streaking along the wood behind and below the trough means water is getting behind it. That is often a failed end cap or a seam that opened up over the winter.

Downspout discharge. Check where your downspouts terminate. The extension should put water at least six feet from the foundation. If the splash block has shifted or the extension is missing, you are watering your foundation wall every time it rains.

Hanger spacing and pitch. Eavestroughs should have a slight slope toward the downspout — roughly a quarter inch of drop per ten feet of run. You can eyeball this from the ground. If the trough sags in the middle, it is holding standing water, which accelerates rust in older steel troughs and algae buildup in aluminum.

When to DIY vs call someone

Clearing a trough of leaf debris: most homeowners can handle this with a ladder and gloves. Just use a standoff so you are not leaning the ladder against the trough itself — you will bend it.

Rehanging a sagging section, replacing an end cap, re-pitching a run: these are half-day jobs for someone comfortable on a ladder. Most hardware stores in the GTA carry standard K-style eavestrough components in white and brown.

Replacing a full run, or dealing with damaged fascia behind the trough: this is where I would recommend a professional. You are often looking at rotted wood that needs to be addressed before new aluminum goes on. Putting new eavestroughs on soft fascia just kicks the problem to next spring.

The Toronto-specific note on aluminum

Most GTA homes built after the 1970s have aluminum eavestroughs. They are durable — a well-maintained aluminum run can last 20-30 years — but they are not maintenance-free. The biggest enemy is not age, it is standing water and debris. Clean them twice a year (late November after leaves fall, and now in April) and address hanger issues promptly.

Older homes in the east end and mid-town often still have steel troughs. Steel can rust through at the seams and is largely not worth repairing in sections — if one section is rusting, the rest usually is not far behind. If your home has original steel eavestroughs, spring is a good time to get a quote for a full aluminum replacement.

Has anyone else been dealing with eavestrough issues this spring? Curious what you are seeing across different parts of the GTA — the east end tends to have more mature tree canopy so leaf blockage is more common, while newer subdivisions often have longer runs with more hanger issues. Drop your questions or what you found on your own spring walkthrough.

— LF Builders, serving the GTA for 50+ years | home.renovation.reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I clean eavestroughs in Toronto?
Twice a year — late November after the leaves fall, and again in April before spring rain season. Homes with mature tree canopy may need an additional mid-summer pass.

How long do aluminum eavestroughs last in Toronto?
A well-maintained aluminum run can last 20–30 years. The main enemies are standing water from debris blockages and hanger failures that allow water to pool. Address both promptly and you will rarely need full replacement before the 20-year mark.

When should I replace eavestroughs instead of repairing them?
If you have original steel troughs with rust at the seams, or if more than 30% of a run needs rehinging or reseaming, replacement is typically better value. Putting new aluminum on rotted fascia is a common mistake — address the fascia first.

LF Builders has been inspecting and replacing eavestroughs across the GTA for over 50 years — get a quote at lfbuilders.ca. The team also supports Samm Simon’s 251 km charity run for cancer research — raising funds for cancer research one kilometre at a time.

For more renovation guides and how-tos, visit the LF Builders renovation blog.

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