What Is Causing Your Downspout Problems?
Downspouts play a significant role in the effectiveness of your roofing and gutter systems. When it rains, you want your home to be dry indoors, and that’s the point of having functional roofing and gutter systems. The entire envelope formed by your roof, siding, and even your new wood window replacement depends on all of its components keeping you warm and dry during rainy and snowy days.
When downspouts clog, however, all of those components might be compromised, as you might find your basement flooded, your siding damaged and a host of other problems. To determine what’s causing your downspouts to underperform, here is a list of things to check:
Are Your Downspouts Clogged?
Downspouts divert water runoff from your roof and gutters away from your home to protect it from water damage and flooding. Over time, leaves, branches, bird nests, pine needles and other debris can form a clog and prevent your downspouts from doing their job. You can clean your downspouts on your own if you have the tools and knowledge, but you can also hire a professional to do it.
Are Your Downspouts Too Small?
For whatever reason, you might have downspouts that are too small to do the job they were meant for. The bigger the downspouts, the better. Small downspouts often get clogged as debris has less room to move when driven by water.
Are Your Downspouts Too Short?
Downspouts that end just next to your home are virtually useless. They’re supposed to direct water away from your home. You can have a professional install permanent extensions, or extensions with hinge kickers if you’re worried they would be in the way when you’re cleaning your yard. Some downspouts end at underground drainpipes, which helps prevent soil erosion around your home. Extending your downspouts is a good project that can coincide with other projects, such as wood window replacement.
Are There Enough Downspouts?
Even big downspouts can get overwhelmed in a downpour if there aren’t enough downspouts to share the load. Make sure you have the right number of downspouts for the size of your home.
If you have any concerns about your home improvement and maintenance projects, call Kroll Construction, your wood window replacement experts. We also offer other services. Just give us a call at (734) 999-1022. We can help you in Detroit, MI, and in other areas around the State of Michigan.