How To Install a Gutter Downspout

Gutter downspouts take the rain or melting snow and ice from the gutter to the ground. Without the downspout, your gutters would overflow the water and it would come down at the lowest part of your gutter. Falling from the roof to the ground, this water often destroys flowerbeds and bushes along the house. Then the water forms a moat, which ends up keeping moisture near your home and possibly causing moisture and insect damage. With a downspout, the water can be diverted to run down a driveway or some other place, taking away for your home. This is not a difficult project and is worth your time and effort. Even the novice do it yourselfer can do this job in a couple of hours.

Things You'll Need

• Downspout lengths
• Elbows
• Self-tapping screws
• Connector piece
• Hack saw
• Rivets
• Rivet gun
• Straps
• Screws for your type of siding
• Drill
• Hole saw attachment
• Sealant
• Snips
• Caulk gun
• Splash block

Instructions

Install a Gutter Downspout

1. Place the connector piece under the gutter where you install your downspout and trace the opening onto the gutter. Use the drill with the hole saw attachment to cut the gutter. Next, cut open with snips the rest of the rectangle for the connector.

2. Place sealant around the lip of the connector and feed it through the top of the gutter. Make sure the gutter and the connector are clean and dry. Screw the connector lip into the gutter with four rivets. You can seal around the outside edge of the connector to be sure the joint does not leak.

3. Slide an elbow onto the connector piece and screw on using self-tapping screws. The elbow should point the downspout over so it will rest against the house.

4. Cut the length of downspout you need to get the downspout to the house and attach it to the other end of the elbow. This piece of downspout should be sloped down to keep the water moving. Then repeat with another elbow to point the downspout straight down against the house.

5. Cut the main length of downspout to go down the entire length of the house minus 6 inches. Attach it to the elbow above.

6. Start at the top and attach straps over the downspout and to the house at intervals of at least every 10 feet. Make sure to use the right screws for your type of siding.

7. Attach the last elbow to the bottom of the downspout to divert the water away from the house. Place a splash block under the elbow so the water doesn't cause a hole in the ground where it comes out of the downspout.