Four Reasons Your Gutter Downspouts Aren’t Working

Pop Quiz:

Your rain gutters’ downspouts are there to:

a) Trip door-to-door salesmen

b) Play part of a lawn mower slalom course

c) Deflect water away from your home’s foundation

All joking aside, your gutters’ downspouts perform a critical task in keeping your home dry.  So what happens if you find that they’re not performing as they should?  Here are some common reasons your gutters’ downspouts can malfunction.

Clogging

If you notice water overflowing from your rain gutters and not filtering down through your downspouts, there’s a likelihood that they are clogged with organic debris such as leaves and twigs.  Additionally, gutter clogging can attract mosquitoes and other pests.  Ignore clogged gutters and you’ll likely soon find water in your basement because it is not being redirected away from your home.

Learn more about the common damage caused by clogged gutters.

Too Small of Rain Gutter Downspouts

When it comes to downspouts, bigger is better!  The larger your downspouts are, the better they can dispel water away from your home. Having downspouts that are too small increase the risk of clogging from organic debris that becomes lodged in them.

Too Short of Downspouts

The purpose of downspouts is to deflect water away from your home.  This is not able to happen if they aren’t long enough; too short of downspouts can cause rainwater to end up in your basement.  We recommend having downspouts with either a permanently attached extension or hinge kickers which allow you to fold up downspouts when performing maintenance on your yard.  Underground rain drainpipes with a pop-up system in the lawn enable homeowners to divert water even further from their home’s foundation without having to be inconvenienced by overly long downspouts that are unsafe and unsightly.  Use of this type of system also can prevent soil erosion close to your home.

Not Enough Downspouts

It’s vital that enough downspouts are installed to handle the amount of anticipated runoff.  An inadequate number will result in overflowing gutters which can cause rainwater to end up in your basement.

Get a Close-Up of the Only Patented One-Piece, Seamless Gutter System Guaranteed Never to Clog or We Clean Them For Free: 

The downspouts found on LeafGuard® Brand Gutters are manufactured to allow for the exit of maximum amounts of water.  Even more reassuring is that they are 30% thicker than the downspouts found on ordinary gutters.  LeafGuard® downspouts also create significantly less noise than basic gutters.  They are made of aluminum which will not deteriorate or rust like steel gutters.  LeafGuard® downspouts are available in an array of colors to ensure they match your home.