Gutters at the edges of your roof, and the downspouts they feed, are critically important to preventing weather-related damage to your home. Unfortunately, with some as much as four stories above very hard brick sidewalks, some may feel the maintenance is impossible. It’s not.
Look closely at each gutter. You don’t really need binoculars although they could help seeing fine details. Examine if the gutter is still firmly attached. Most are attached with spikes nailed through the fascia board (Google it) and into the rafter ends. The spikes can back out and eventually cause the gutter to detach from the house. A year or so ago, one fell on South Hanover, pulling off the fascia board with it, and left the attic open to the elements. Have any protruding spikes pounded back in by a roofer (ask your neighbor for a recommendation) before major destruction arrives at your address – and the roofer’s bill swells by a factor of six.
Go out with an umbrella next time it’s raining with conviction. Look up at your roof’s gutters and see if any water is overflowing. Leaves, sticks and dead creatures can clog the downspout end of the gutter and the first few feet of the downspout as well. That overflowing waterfall lands conveniently close to your outside wall, possibly causing moisture in ground level rooms. You can call a roofer to clear out the clog, but an equally plausible approach is to call a chimney sweep. They have tall ladders and delight in high roofs.
Most of the homes in Harbor Walk connect their downspouts to drain pipes that direct the flow either directly to a storm drain or under the sidewalk to the nearby curb. Make sure that the downspout is completely aligned with the entry to that drain pipe. Any water that misses the pipe will wash directly down to your foundation and there go your formerly dry ground level rooms. Home center stores have adapters that can directly connect the end of the rectangular downspout to the circular drain pipe.
The same crud that can clog the downspout can wash into the drainpipe under the sidewalk. The easiest approach is to just call a plumber for a router session. For DIY’ers (come warmer weather), buy a brass hose nozzle that shoots a needle spray straight out the end – intended for water-sweeping sidewalks. Turn the water on full blast and jam the hose into either end of the drain pipe. It’s possible that you can break up the crud lump and save a plumber bill – with time and patience.
From Harbor Walk Happenings – December, 2018