Milled wood gutters even in disrepair are a beautiful architectural detail that should be kept on the house at all cost. Besides being beautifully crafted, they add to the value of your home. The inside surface of a gutter is usually what needs repair. Rot or checking in the wood is a big problem with wood gutters. Maintain wood gutters regularly to avoid paying the price down the line for costly and time-consuming repairs.

Instructions.Things You'll Need:
•Ladder
•5-in-1 tool
•Wood putty
•Caulk, 50-year elastic
•Caulk gun
•Brush
•Shingle oil
•Paint scraper
•Exterior primer
•Exterior paint
Rot and Checking
Step
1Climb up a ladder and brush away any dirt and debris from the inside of the gutters. Inspect the condition of the inside of the wood gutters. Look for rot and checking.

Step
2If there's rot and the gutter has never been painted, it means the oil originally applied to the inside of the gutter has broken down. Dig out the rotted area with a 5-in-1 tool--a tool that looks like a putty knife but has various shapes cut into the blade's edges--and then fill in the cavity with wood putty. Smooth it so it's even with the surrounding wood surface.

Step
3Brush on shingle oil. Shingle oil is a non-drying oil that protects the wood from absorbing water.

Step
4If there is checking on the inside surface of the gutter, rehydrate the wood with a coat of shingle oil. Checking is cracks in the wood due to fast drying after it has rained or snowed.

Caulking
Step
1Look for miter joints that have opened up in the gutters. Miter joints are 45-degree angle cuts at the gutter's corners.

Step
2Load a tube of adhesive caulk and seal the open crack in the miter joints.

Step
3Smooth the caulk with a putty knife so it's even with the surrounding wood surface. This will insure the water flows unimpeded down the gutter

Painting
Step
1Scrape back peeling paint if the gutters are painted.

Step
2Prime the unpainted surfaces with exterior primer. Oil-based paint provides a tougher coat than latex.

Step
3Paint a cover coat of exterior oil paint.