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 Mobile ViewEXTERIORS of buildings ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine ALGAE, FUNGUS, LICHENS, MOSS ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in buildings ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING COMPONENT ID ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE BARK SIDE DOWN on DECKS, TRIM, STEPS BASEMENT WATERPROOFING BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE BRICK VENEER WALL Loose, Bulged BRICK WALL DRAINAGE WEEP HOLES BOOKSTORE - EXTERIORS CAULK GUN TYPES, CHOICES CAULKS & SEALANTS, EXTERIOR CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CATCH BASINS DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION Deck Construction Best Practices DECK COLLAPSE Case Study DECK FINISHES COATINGS PRESERVATIVES DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study DEFINITIONS of ENGINEERED WOOD OSB LVL etc DRYWELLS, FRENCH DRAINS for FLAT SITES EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES FLASHING MEMBRANES PEEL & STICK FLASHING for METAL ROOFS FLASHING ROOF WALL DETAILS FLASHING ROOF-WALL SNAFU FLASHING SIDING DETAILS FLASHING WALL DETAILS FLASHING WOOD ROOF DETAILS FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING FRENCH DRAINS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GLUES ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION GRADING & SITE WORK, EXTERIOR GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS ARE GUTTERS NECESSARY? BASEMENT de-WATER vs GUTTERS FLAT ROOF DRAINAGE SYSTEMS FLAT ROOF INTERIOR DRAINS FLAT ROOF DRAIN CLOGS FLAT ROOF DRAIN ADDITIONS GUTTER CAPS GUTTER DEFECTS LIST CLOGGED GUTTERS LOOSE GUTTERS OVERFLOWING GUTTERS? OVERSHOOTING GUTTERS SLOPE INADEQUATE, GUTTER GUTTER DEFECTS, MORE BACKFLOWING GUTTERS GUTTER INSTALL ERRORS SAGGING GUTTERS DRIP LINES INDICATE OVERFLOW GUTTER END CAPS GUTTERS On NO-EAVE buildings GUTTER HANGERS GUTTER REPAIR, LEAKY JOINT GUTTER SCREENS GUTTER SIZES GUTTER TYPES GUTTER PROFILES ALUMINUM K GUTTERS COPPER GUTTERS EAVES TROUGH, INTEGRAL GUTTERS GALVANIZED GUTTERS PLASTIC GUTTERS WOOD GUTTERS YANKEE GUTTERS NO-GUTTER SYSTEMS SNOW & ICE DAMAGE to GUTTERS DOWNSPOUT / LEADER DEFECTS DOWNSPOUTS BURIED / BELOW GRADE ABANDON BURIED DOWNSPOUTS CLOGGED BURIED DOWNSPOUTS CONNECT DOWNSPOUTS to BUILDING DRAINS? PERFORATED PIPE DOWNSPOUT DRAINS BURIED ALUMINUM DOWNSPOUTS UNDER-SIZED DOWNSPOUT DRAINS SHARED DOWNSPOUT DRAINS DOWNSPOUT EXTENSIONS DOWNSPOUT ONTO BACKFILL DOWNSPOUT ONTO IN-SLOPE GRADE DOWNSPOUT LEAKS DOWNSPOUTS SPLIT DOWNSPOUT LEAKS at CONNECTIONS DOWNSPOUT EXTENSIONS TOO FLAT DOWNSPOUTS UNDER DECKS DOWNSPOUT DEFECTS, MORE MISSING GUTTER, DOWNSPOUT DOWNSPOUTS, NUMBER NEEDED DOWNSPOUT / GUTTER STRAINERS DOWNSPOUT ANIMAL DAMAGE DOWNSPOUTS, OTHER USES: A/C DRYWELLS, FRENCH DRAINS for FLAT SITES FRENCH DRAINS for DOWNSPOUTS SURFACE CONTOURING for DRAINAGE SWALE for DRAINAGE CONTROL SLOPE RECOMMENDED at buildings CATCH BASINS HEAT TAPES & CABLES on Roofs for Ice Dams HOUSE PARTS, DEFINITIONS HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD TEST KIT for HOME USE LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOG HOME GUIDE LIGHTNING PROTECTION METAL LATH, PLASTER & STUCCO MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOISTURE CALCULATIONS MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE PAINT ANALYSIS, DIAGNOSTIC USES PAINT & STAIN GUIDE, EXTERIOR PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION PORCHES & Sunrooms PORCH CONSTRUCTION & SCREENING RAILINGS, DECK & PORCH RAILINGS, STAIRWAY RETAINING WALL DESIGNS, TYPES, DAMAGE RETAINING WALL GUARD RAILINGS ROOF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES - PHOTO GUIDE ROOF CLEANING RECOMMENDATIONS ROOF COLOR RECOMMENDATIONS ROOF DORMER TYPES - PHOTO GUIDE ROOFING DIAGNOSIS INSPECTION & REPAIR ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES ROT, TIMBER FRAME SEARS KIT HOUSES SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board SIDING, Sheathing Identification - Photo Guide SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS STAINS on buildings - QUICK GUIDE STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER SURFACE GRADING, SITE DRAINAGE TERMITES, ROT THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in buildings TREES & SHRUBS, TRIM OFF BUILDING TRIM, EXTERIOR CHOICES, INSTALLATION VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING WINTERIZE A BUILDING More Information |
This article describes defects in roof leaders or downspout systems such as inadequate number of downspouts to handle the volume of roof drainage, missing, lost, or damaged downspouts. This article series discusses how to choose, install, diagnose & maintain roof gutters & downspouts, & roof drainage systems to prevent building leaks and water entry. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. More Downspout Defects & Downspout Installation Details and MistakesAlso see DOWNSPOUT LEAKS or start this topic at DOWNSPOUT / LEADER DEFECTS; also see GUTTER DEFECTS LIST for other sources of wet basements or crawl spaces caused by problems with the roof drainage system. Missing gutter and/or downspout on upper or secondary roofsOur photo of an upper roof with no gutter (below left) shows how seriously water splash-up may stain or affect building walls. Not shown (not visible) in that photo is wear on the roof shingles from water splashing from above. Our photo at below right shows algae growth on shingles from a downspout spilling across roof shingles.
We often see early roof shingle wear, staining, or even roof leaks on lower roof slopes in areas where drainage from an upper or secondary roof slope spills onto the lower roof slope.
Sketches in this section courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates.
Number of Downspouts Needed
Advice about Gutter & Downspout StrainersUse of strainers both helps and hurts with the downspout and gutter clog and overflow problem. Installing a strainer in the gutter where it empties into a downspout helps keep the downspouts clear of debris and clogs. As Carson Dunlop point out, the gutter itself will clog more quickly with a strainer installed however. Watch out: if your downspout system includes buried lines, clearing a clogged buried drain line can be difficult and expensive. For buried drain line systems we recommend that you always keep strainers installed at the downspouts at the gutter drain points. [Click any image or sketch to see an enlarged, detailed version.]
It's usually easier to clean the gutter than to clean the buried downspout drain line. Sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates. Animal Damage to Downspouts - Dog Bites Downspout?Our photos below show unusual downspout extension damage - doesn't it look as if something has "chewed" the aluminum downspout ends? in fact that was just the case. The building owner explained that when a squirrel or other rodent entered the downspout the family dog became quite excited by the animal's noise or odor even though the humans were unaware of their visitor. The dog, frantic to get to the now trapped animal, tore up the downspouts with its bare teeth. The second downspout dog bite photo (below right) was the same phenomenon observed at a different property. More than one dog with strong jaws finds downspouts interesting.
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