If you can hear your downspouts rattle during Charlotte, NC storms, you may need a gutter repair or gutter replacement.
Your house’s gutter system directs rainwater through downspouts to move water away from your house (and most importantly, away from your foundation) to where the rain can drain safely. This keeps water from getting into the basement, crawl space, foundation, footing, and grounds of the house.
It protects the structure of the house, keeps everything dry, and keeps the ground around the house from getting flooded or soggy.
Downspouts that make a lot of noise can be a pain. Sometimes it’s a sign that something has gone wrong and your gutter system needs to be replaced or repaired. No matter what, here are some ways to fix the problem.
So, why do your gutters make noise? There could be more than one reason. Some are normal, while others mean that the pipes are broken or damaged.
Factors that can make downspouts loud:
- Loose Parts
Loose screws and parts can cause downspouts to rattle and bang. This is a common problem with older downspouts that haven’t been taken care of in a long time.
- Directional Angles
Water will sometimes fall straight down the middle of a downspout to the ground below. When it hits the angled bottom part, it can make a very loud noise.
- Breaks or Tears in the gutter system
If there are holes or tears in the pipes, water can trickle out and flow faster through the downspouts.
- Massive rains
When a lot of water flows into, down, and out of the downspouts, it can make a lot of noise.
Water on Metal: When water hits metal, it makes a noise. And aluminum and copper pipes, which have a lot of surface vibrations, can be especially loud.
There are a few ways to stop this, which is good news.
Signs of Damage Caused by Downspouts
Do your noisy gutters show a problem with how they look or how they work? The best way to find out is to look for damage.
- Water Pools Around House
The first sign that your downspouts are broken is water pooling around the house. This means that the downspouts or gutter systems aren’t moving water away from the roof and into the drainage system of the property.
When it rains, do you see puddles or pools of water around or near the house? This could be caused by problems with landscaping, paving, or grading, or it could be a sign that your downspouts or gutters are broken.
Even small holes or breaks in the downspouts can cause this problem.
- Wet Ground
If your downspouts don’t work right, water will soak into the ground. So, walk around the house and look for wet spots.
The best time to do this is after it rains or in the spring while the snow and ice are still melting.
- Yard has pooled water
When it rains, does your yard or pavement get flooded? That’s a big sign that your gutters or downspouts aren’t working right.
If a house floods after a normal amount of rain, there is a problem with the drainage. Sometimes the problem is caused by outdoor drains that are clogged or don’t have enough room. Sometimes it’s because the water can’t get to the drains.
If your yard tends to flood after it rains, check your downspouts and gutter system for tears, cracks, breaks, and holes.
Foundation, Crawl Space, and Basement Water Damage
Rainwater, whether it’s sitting on the ground or has seeped into the ground, isn’t good for a foundation.
Soil gets bigger when it takes in water, and it gets smaller when the water evaporates and the soil dries out again. This natural process can cause a foundation to fall apart. These cycles of growing and shrinking put pressure on the foundation and can lead to tiny cracks and breaks.
Surface water that pools or water that builds up under the ground can put hydrostatic pressure on the foundation. The water-logged, swollen soil puts pressure on the house and can even push the foundation up.
When the water goes away, the soil can erode, which can cause the house to sink. This can cause the foundation and the whole building to twist, bend, and move out of place.
Have you seen cracks in the outside foundation, the basement, the drywall, or around the window and door frames? When you try to open or close a window or door, do they stick or get in the way?
These can be early signs of water damage, which could be coming from the downspouts.
If things have gotten really bad, water will start to leak into your basement or crawl space.
Noisy downspout fixes:
- Tighten Things Up
A downspout might be banging against the house because some screws are loose. In this case, all you have to do is tighten things up.
- Repair or Replace gutters or just downspouts
Downspout noise can be caused by broken or torn pieces. And these need to be repaired or replaced right away.
- Change out the Bottom Elbows/joints
Don’t want to hear water clattering against metal? Swap out metal downspout elbows for plastic or vinyl ones.
The downspout elbow is the curving bottom section that directs water away from the house. Metal gutter elbows can be the sole culprit of noisy downspouts since quite a bit of water falls directly on them.
You can turn down the volume by replacing aluminum or steel elbows with quieter vinyl or PVC ones.
- Sponge it Up
If you don’t want to change the elbows, another option is to place a sponge inside the elbow. Just stick a regular kitchen sponge inside the downspout.
The sponge will absorb and release falling water while preventing it from clanging on the metal.
You can also use other absorbent materials, like a piece of artificial turf, some foam, a foam downspout insert, or even a piece of roofing shingle.
Remember to check sponges periodically and replace them when stagnant or if mold appears.
- Adjust the Downspout Angle
You can adjust the downspout’s lower angle to prevent water from falling right onto its elbow. This is done by using longer gutter attachment pieces to move the lower section farther away from the house.
- Add a Rope, a path for the water
You can caulk a rope to the top of the downspout then drop it down. Water will then travel along the rope instead of falling directly down the downspout pipe.
- Insulate your gutter’s downspouts
You can dampen downspouts by wrapping them in insulation. Downspout-shaped foam insulation sections are available to purchase from specialty manufacturers. Spray foam can also be used around downspouts.
Call a local Charlotte NC Roofing Company for Quieter Downspouts
There are plenty of ways to silence a loud, banging, or clattering downspout. Most of these fixes are simple and easy enough to do yourself.
