Eavestroughs catch rain and snow run-off from the roof and carry it to the downspouts which channel it from the house into a main drain, a storm drain (depending on municipal laws), a soak-away in the garden, or to be drained away by natural lawn grading. Pools of water that collect near the foundation, a damp or flooded basement, streaked paint and siding, or ridges in the ground beneath the eaves, all indicate that the eavestrough system is not operating correctly.

WATER-BLOCKING PROBLEMS are often caused by leaves or a child’s stray ball. Sagging eaves- troughs or a poor installation can also prevent water from flowing freely. A faulty joint may also be causing a blockage which can be repaired.

Remove leaves and other debris by hand — WEAR HEAVY WORK GLOVES — and with a whiskbroom that can fit inside the eavestrough. Use a garden hose to wash away any small bits.

If downspouts need to be cleaned, thread the garden hose down the spout with the water and nozzle turned on full blast. Alternatively, you can use a plumber’s snake or auger to clean out the downspout. Washing out the bits of leaves in the downspouts will prevent clogging in the future.

If you live in a heavily wooded area you may have to frequently clear your eavestroughs and downspouts of leaves, etc.

SAGGING EAVESTROUGHS will prevent water from draining away properly. Do-It-Yourself repair of sagging eavestroughs is easy.

You can either raise the sagging section or lower the mouth of the downspout to line up the system. But be careful when you raise or lower the eavestrough because sealed joints (such as on galvanized steel) can break if moved too much. Choose the option that will move the eavestrough the least.

Use string pulled taut and nailed to the fascia behind the eavestrough to hold the eavestrough in place so you can repair the sagging. Or simply reposition the bracket(s) to fix the sagging.

PINHOLE LEAKS in the eavestroughs or leaks at the connections can be repaired by using silicone caulking compound. Eavestrough patching kits can be used for large leaks but patching is only a temporary solution. Replacing the leaky eavestrough is the better solution.

In the case of galvanized eavestroughs, all joints have to be soldered.

SURFACE CARE for steel galvanized eavestroughs consists of applying house paint on the outside and painting the insides with two thin coats of asphalt roofing paint every three years. The eavestroughs need to be very dry before you do any work. You can use regular house paint on the outsides of metal eavestroughs provided they have first been primed with a metal undercoater. For painting brand new metal eavestroughs, either de-grease the metal with a vinegar and water solution or let them first weather for 6 months.

STRAPS AND HANGERS and eavestrough spikes should be checked once a year. Any loose components should be renailed and broken components should be replaced.

DRAINAGE

To properly drain, eavestroughs should have a steady fall of 6 millimetres per metre. (about 1/4″ every 3 ft) towards the downspout.

Pour in a bucket of water at the end opposite the downspout and watch the water flow out.

If the water puddles and pools in certain spots, adjust the eavestrough hanger up a little bit. Hangers can be repositioned up or down on the roof using hot-dipped galvanized or aluminum nails.
If eavestrough spikes were used and can’t be removed, use a hacksaw to cut through the nail at the end of the sleeve inside the eavestrough. Make the necessary adjustments then install new eavestrough spikes.

SPLASH BLOCKS can be made of concrete or plastic and prevent rainwater from accumulating, damaging shrubbery and/or leaking into the basement. Splash blocks are used when a downspout doesn’t empty into a storm sewer or other drainage system.

DRY WELLS should be considered when drainage problems are severe. The best solution to roof-water drainage problems is to connect all downspouts to either a storm sewer (depending on municipal laws), or dry well. This requires the installation of drainage pipes or tiles in an underground trench that is a minimum of 3 ft. beneath the surface near the downspout, sloping at 4 cm per metre (1/2″ per foot) from the house to the storm sewer or dry well.

A dry well is just a large hole in the ground filled with rocks and rubble and covered with wood boards or a concrete slab to keep out topsoil. It is used where storm sewers are not available for drainage. One method of making a dry well is to take a 45 gallon (200 L) plastic drum, remove the ends, cut a hole in one side for the drainpipe, and punch a few dozen random holes in the drum for water seepage. Bury the drum at least 46 cm (18″ deep), filling it with rocks and rubble. Cap it with wood planks or a concrete slab to keep it from filling up with dirt.

You can also build a dry well with concrete blocks laid on their sides and separated at the joints by a few centimetres to form a hollow in the centre. A 1 metre (3 ft) square hole is mini- mum; a 1 x 2 metre to a 1 x 3 metre hole is best. Dry wells should always be located at least 3 metres (10 ft) from foundation walls.

NEW AND REPLACEMENT EAVESTROUGH

There are five different types of eavestrough systems, the shapes (cross-sections) generally being limited to rounds, half-rounds, and rectangles.

GALVANIZED STEEL is available. These eavestroughs must be soldered. Paint regularly (using a paint primer first so the paint does not flake) to lengthen the life of galvanized eavestroughs. However, do not paint the eavestrough and downspouts until the galvanized steel has been weathered for a year. You can wash with white vinegar to accelerate the process.

ALUMINUM eavestroughs are also popular. They are available in a variety of colours and are light-weight, making them easy to handle. But lightweight aluminum is not as strong as galvanized steel. They require little upkeep, being corrosion resistant. Their baked-on finish eliminates the need for painting. (You can still paint aluminum eavestroughs if you want to).

VINYL eavestroughs are mostly for the “do-it-yourself” type. We do not recommend them.

COPPER eavestroughing requires little maintenance, being virtually corrosion-resistant. Copper also develops an attractive green patina as it ages, so it is not necessary to paint the eavestroughs. Copper eavestroughs are usually installed by a professional tinsmith because the joints require soldering.

WOOD eavestroughs require frequent painting after installation. They must be completely dry and the inside of the eavestroughs need to be sanded before painting. Two coats of asphalt roof paint is used on the inside of the eavestroughs while exterior house paint is used on the outside of the eavestroughs.

ACCESSORIES for eavestroughs include: hangers; spikes and sleeves; inside and outside corners; end caps; slip-joint connectors; downspout outlets; right, left and double elbows; concrete and plastic splash blocks. Products are usually all available by the piece, but if you are replacing the entire system you may get a package discount.

CALCULATING YOUR NEEDS

To find out what size of eavestrough to buy, measure the existing eavestrough on the house at its widest point and buy that size. The sizes commonly available are: 125 mm (5″), and 150 mm (6″).To determine the number of lengths and accessories required for a project:

Measure the fascia of the house from corner to corner.

From the above measurement you’ll be able to determine how many 3 metre (10 ft) lengths are needed along with the number of hangers or spike and ferrule (sleeve) sets – one hanger or spike set should be installed every metre (about 2 ft).

Also keep in mind to have one downspout for each 10 to 11 metres (33 to 36 ft) of eavestrough. You need offset elbows for every downspout – offset elbows set the downspout flush against the house. Offset elbows are also needed at the bottom of the downspout to keep the run-off away from the house.

It’s a good idea to sketch the system out on paper, making note of the distances, corners, downspout locations and so on. Make a list of everything you need.

GENERAL INSTALLATION DATA

Metal eavestroughs are hung using hangers or on 18 cm (7″) spikes inside ferrules. Wooden eavestroughs are directly fastened to the fascia using galvanized screws or hot-dipped galvanized nails. Eavestroughs must be positioned such that the drip edge of the last row of shingles is over the centre of the eavestrough. If necessary, use furring (narrow wood strips) or wood blocks with flashing to position the eavestroughing.

Fasteners should be on 75 cm (30″) centres.

For eavestroughs more than 10 metres (33 ft) long, it’s a good idea to use downspouts at both ends, pitching (sloping) the eavestrough from the centre to each downspout. The downspout is fastened to the wall with straps top and bottom, and at 2 metre (6′) intervals. Use wood blocks or spacers to shim out the downspout if necessary.

An offset elbow is used to connect the top of the downspout to the eavestrough. Another elbow at the bottom of the downspout directs water onto a splash block. But if the downspout is directly connected to a drainage system this won’t be needed. Instead, the downspout directly empties into the drainage system through a tile or plastic pipe system.

Elbow connections are made with slip joints, rivets, or liquid solder as recommended by the eavestrough manufacturer. Both metal and vinyl eavestroughing may be cut and trimmed using a hacksaw and/or metal-snips. But if you thoroughly pre-plan the job, you may find that cutting is not necessary.