What we saw → Clogged downspouts
Clogged downspouts
Photo to come
What it looks like
- Little or no water coming out of the bottom of the downspout during a rain.
- The gutter overflowing right at the corner where the downspout drops.
What causes it
- It only takes one leaf and one stick to block a downspout.
- Once it blocks, any other debris that falls in during the rain goes down to that hole and blocks it even more.
- It's not just leaves from trees. Birds, squirrels and mice build nests in open gutters and carry nesting material in with them.
- Elbows — the bends at the top and bottom of a downspout — are where debris catches first.
What it leads to
- Once the downspout is blocked, the whole run backs up over the edge into the fascia, siding and foundation.
- When a gutter overflows, it also backflows — water goes backward toward the house, not just over the front.
- Backflow wets the fascia board. Depending on how much water, it works its way into the roof decking and migrates upward.
- Animals nesting in an open gutter can find their way up under the shingles. If any fascia board is rotting, that's one of the ways they get into the house.
How we fix it
- Keep the debris out of the gutter and it can’t reach the downspout. A gutter guard isn't just about leaves. It keeps birds, squirrels and mice from building nests and bringing material into the gutter. In Valor’s words, “Valor keeps pests and insects from invading and making a mess in your gutters.” See the Valor Gutter Guard.
- Downspouts configured to your house, with an elbow at the bottom to discharge away from the foundation.