Caring for your home’s exterior can easily be neglected. If you do not hire professional contractors to care for your roof, your home could be in serious disarray. A roof with missing shingles, broken or missing gutters, and bent downspouts will not properly remove water. This will leak to leaking in the attic, and flooding in the basement. If your downspouts and gutters are broken or missing, you should purchase and install new ones. Follow our tips on how to fix a downspout.

Clean the Debris

If your gutters seem to be in good shape, they probably need a simple clean-up. To clean your gutters, use a garden trowel and scoop out excess mud and sand. Use a power washer to spray the gutters and clean out any remaining dirt. Secure the gutter in place with a hammer. There are multiple nails on the gutter, which attach it to the home. If the nails are missing, a gutter will pull away from the home, and it can bend and crack. Each spring, secure the nails in place and check the gutter for signs of rust. There are gutter repair kits you can use to seal up any holes or cracks in the gutter system.

Correct the Slope

For gutters and downspouts to work properly, the slope needs to be correct. The slope should be set at ½ inch to ¾ inch every ten feet. This will allow water to work with gravity to move water from the home. Longer gutter systems may need multiple adjustments to keep the water moving. Some homes will have multiple downspouts installed on a large gutter system to prevent water from pooling. Speak with a professional contractor about slope adjustment and installing new downspouts if you are dealing with water pooling.

Gather Your Tools

Once you have purchased the gutters and downspouts, you can start attaching them to the home. A gutter system will have nails set every eight to twelve inches apart. The nails must be hammered properly into your roof. If you are replacing your gutters, you can use the same holes in the roof from the previous system. If you need to create holes, use an electric drill to create holes. You will need another person to help with gutter installation as you need to hold the system in place as another person hammers the nails.

Attaching the Downspouts

Once the gutters are secured, you can attach the downspouts. Some gutters come with a downspout system that is already attached to it. Other systems need to be secured in place underneath the gutter. The downspout must be attached to the side of the home to prevent it from falling. Use caulk to create a strong seal between the gutter and the downspout. After the caulking has dried, test your new gutter and downspout system. Spray the roof with a garden hose and allow water to run through the new system for a few minutes. This is an easy way to test your downspouts for leaks and signs of weakness. If you are worried about installing new gutters, contact Unlimited Siding today!