How to Remove Rivets From Gutters
The gutters on your home are constructed of several pieces of corrugated steel. They are riveted together. A rivet is a metal pin with a small head on it. A rivet gun secures the metal rivet into a pre-drilled hole. There are very few ways to remove a rivet once installed.
The gutters on your home are constructed of several pieces of corrugated steel. They are riveted together. A rivet is a metal pin with a small head on it. A rivet gun secures the metal rivet into a pre-drilled hole. There are very few ways to remove a rivet once installed. However, it is possible to do so with a hand drill without causing damage to the gutter.
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Secure a drill bit to your hand drill that measures slightly larger than the hole in the center of the rivet.
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Center the tip of the drill bit over the hole on the center of the rivet.
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Drill straight through the rivet. The drill bit will remove the center wall of the rivet.
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Pull the remaining piece of the rivet out of the hole with a pair of needle noise pliers.
Things You Will Need
- Hand drill
- Drill bit set
- Needle nose pliers
- File
Tip
If the drill bit bounces on the top of the rivet, file the top of the rivet flat with a hand file. This will reduce kickback from the drill bit.