Eavestroughing Maintenance Is Important For Your Home

Beleaf it or not, the most ignored area on the home is your eavestrough and downpipes. 

This waterway is as vital as the plumbing inside your home, as both systems are intended to drain water away. If your plumbing is clogged, would you notice it immediately? Would you see if your eavestroughs were clogged and overflowing?

Well, overflowing eavestroughs are an indication that there is a problem with this system. What could be the cause of a clogged eavestrough or downpipe?

  1. Leaves
  2. Sticks
  3. Plants
  4. Tree bark
  5. Asphalt shingle debris
  6. Animal nests

As all of the debris continues to build up, there will be a loss of water capacity and it will start to cause an overflow problem. Eavestrough overflow can lead to significant damage to the foundation, walls, or leakage into the home – then causing interior damage.

Now is the perfect time to inspect your eavestroughs and downpipes. Before starting any project around the home, think about your safety first.

How do you start to clean your eavestroughs?

  • Set up your extension ladder on a level surface and secure the ladder at the top to prevent it from sliding.
  • Wear heavy-duty rubber gloves to avoid cutting yourself.
  • Use a stiff brush or old paintbrush and cut the bristles to 1" in length to sweep the debris into piles for easier removal.
  • With a bag tied to the side of the ladder or a bucket, dispose of the debris. 
  • Wash any remaining debris down the downpipe using a garden hose.

How do you clean your downpipes?

  • Take the same garden hose, and feed it down the pipe while turning on the water.
  • If the water backs up, you may have a large obstacle clogging the pipe.
  • If this is the case, you will have to dismantle the downpipe to find and clear the obstacle.

After cleaning your eavestrough, you may want to consider installing Alu-Rex Gutter Clean™ to keep debris out of your system. Snow and ice will also keep out of your eavestrough and will sit on top of the Alu-Rex Gutter Clean system to slowly melt. 

  

Inspecting your downpipe

Take a look at the back where the seam is located. Do you see any bulging or distortion? Why? Ice build-up over the winter months will expand the material pulling apart the seam. If so, it will need to be replaced or else it can cause leakage down the wall and foundation. During the winter months, keep the opening of the downpipe and elbow clear to stop back up.

If a replacement downpipe or accessories are required, you can bring in a piece of your pipe to get the correct size and to see what colour matches best. Read our How to Install Eavestrough guide to complete this project yourself.

Buchner Manufacturing offers 4 square sizes of downpipes and elbows in over 40 colours to choose from. Visit us at any of our five locations across Ontario.