Downspouts are designed to direct water away from your home, particularly its foundation and basement. These areas should always be kept dry so as to avoid damage or other structural issues. If you think that your downspouts have not been able to do their job, you should call a roofer or gutter expert and have them check your downspouts.
Below are some of the most common downspout problems that your contractor may find during the inspection.
Clogging can cause water to spill over the edges of the gutters instead of being carried through the downspouts. It is often caused by the buildup of organic debris such as leaves and twigs. That said, it’s important to ensure your gutters and downspouts are cleaned regularly so as to prevent dirt and debris from blocking the passageway. If water continues to spill over your gutters, it might find its way into your basement and cause damage to your foundation.
During the installation of your gutters and downspouts, your gutter or roofing contractor would need to determine the appropriate size of downspouts for your home. This is to ensure that your downspouts would have enough capacity to carry a sufficient volume of water and discharge them away from your home at a steady rate. If your downspouts are too small, this could increase their risk of clogging. You will likely have to replace your existing downspouts if this is the issue. Meanwhile, if the downspouts are too short, water could end up close to your basement or home’s foundation. In this case, your contractor can add extensions to adjust the downspouts to their proper length.
You should also have enough downspouts to ensure that they can handle the runoff efficiently. When your downspouts are too few, this could cause your gutters to overflow.
Adams Roofing Professionals, Inc. is a family-owned and -operated company with several years of experience in the roofing industry. We provide a range of services including roof repair, roof replacement, storm damage repair and more. Call us at (847) 354-4312 or fill out our contact form to request an appointment.
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