Summary:
- It’s important to take care of your eaves and downspouts before winter.
- Damaged downspouts can cause problems when they back up, especially in the late fall and throughout winter.
- When downspouts are sealed shut because they’re frozen, water can collect near the foundation instead of draining away.
- Some superficial damage to downspouts is not worth worrying about, but dented or damaged downspouts should be fixed before winter.
- Most damaged downspouts can be easily repaired with a hammer and some pliers.
We know it’s cliche coming from an eavestroughing company, but take good care of your eaves and downspouts. They perform an important job and generally require very little care.
See Also: How to Clean Your Eavestrough Safely (Calgary Edition)
Here are a few things about your downspouts you should know:
Dented & Damaged Downspouts Can Cause Problems When They Back Up
With the crazy thunderstorms that Calgary’s been getting hit with all “summer”, your eavestroughs are (hopefully) moving water along and away from your home. If they’re doing their job right, you shouldn’t have any reason to think about them at all (isn’t that nice?).
However, downspouts – which are responsible for transporting water from the eavestroughs to the ground and away from the building – are a target for things like boots, lawnmower wheels, and anything else that will dent and damage them.
In warmer months, this isn’t really much of a problem; even dented eaves are generally capable of moving the volume of water necessary during a heavy rain storm. However, in the late fall and throughout winter, damaged downspouts and eaves are more likely to back up, freezing water inside.
Water Freezing in Downspouts is Bad
When the downspouts are sealed shut because they’re frozen, it causes more water to freeze instead of drain. In addition to stressing the downspouts physically, this causes water that should be draining away from the home to instead collect near the foundation.
The general purpose of your homes eavestroughing is to quickly and efficiently move water away from your home and towards the city drainage system. This process protects your home from damage and minimizes the risk of flooding.
In the case of the downspout in the picture, water will collect at the elbow when the end freezes closed. Water is not free to exit and will freeze over in the winter.
Fixing Damaged Downspouts
In most cases there’s no need to call us or any other company to repair your downspouts. All the downspouts shown in this post can be repaired with a hammer and some pliers. After about 5-10 minutes of tapping and tugging, the exit would be wide enough to facilitate water drainage.
If your downspouts are damaged beyond repair, we are here to help. Learn more about our eavestroughing & downspout repair services.
Some Damage Isn’t Always Worth Worrying About
We aren’t worried about superficial damage, like the small dents that come from hail and anything else that years of existing in Calgary will do to your downspouts. Though, you might want to assess your home for damage if you haven’t lately. We’ve been getting pelted pretty bad by hail.
