Improve Your Downspouts in Pensacola, FL with These Six Tips

May 16, 2017 10:40 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Hurricane season begins soon, and with it comes the risk of heavy rain. When these storms start to assault our area, you need a good gutter system with effective downspouts in Pensacola, FL to protect your home. If your downspouts have not been cleaned or serviced for a while, now is a good time to examine them and see where they can be improved. Here are six tips for better downspout performance:

  • Add more: Sometimes, downspouts work quite well but there may not be enough of them attached to your gutters. Without a proper number installed around your home, your current downspouts become overwhelmed during large storms and you could experience failure and flooding. That risks water accumulation at your foundation that compromises its condition and risks mold growth in your home. There should be one downspout for every 40 feet of gutter, and they should not run around corners unless necessary. If you had trouble with pooling last year, call us today so we can see if you have enough to manage future rainstorms.
  • Clean them: Many downspout problems arise with debris buildup. When you clean your gutters, check the downspouts to assure they are clear and not clogged. If they are clogged, gently remove the debris with long brushes and run a hose through them until the debris comes out. After this, consider adding screens to maintain cleanliness in the future. Clogs make it impossible for downspouts to do their job and water may accumulate on your roof, risking damage.
  • Install rain barrels: Adding rain barrels allows you to collect rainwater for maintaining your yard. But there are other advantages, too. Downspouts on their own can keep water away from your foundation, but if you start using rain barrels, the risk of pooling is nearly gone. You can avoid the damaging effects of rainwater while also putting it to good use in keeping your yard beautiful.
  • Consider French drains: A French drain is a gravel-lined trench that manages groundwater and prevents pooling by guiding it into an appropriate drainage system. Adding one with downspouts prepares you for summer storms better and keeps water from becoming dangerous to your home’s structure. If you already installed high-quality downspouts but you still have issues with pooling water, a French drain should eliminate that problem.
  • Add extensions: Sometimes, downspouts are not long enough and water remains pooling at the foundation. If your next renovation is an extender, that solves this problem. This makes it easy to divert water into a French drain or a rain barrel so it is easier to keep it away from your home.
  • Check out diverters: Like extensions, a diverter enhances downspouts and discourages accumulation. The difference is that diverters send water into rain barrels or to places where it is useful, like vegetable gardens or lawns. They also work for homes that cannot accommodate gutters but still need protection from the rain.

If your downspouts in Pensacola, FL need help, call Gutter Master to give them an upgrade. Storm season arrives soon, so make these changes now!

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