Dealing with overflowing spouting
Spouting is often considered ‘‘out of sight out of mind’’ – until it overflows.
Even then Roofing Association of New Zealand (RANZ) chief executive Graham Moor says homeowners will still, more often than not, ignore it.
‘‘Spouting is very much one of those things that people don’t think about until it rains and it overflows. Then when it stops raining the problem goes away and people forget about it – but if they ignore it, the next time it rains they might well be sitting in their lounge with a piece of ceiling on the floor next to them.’’
Overflowing spouting is a problem that requires immediate attention, says Graham, otherwise it could cause long-term damage.
‘‘It is very important that spouting is in good working order – if you don’t control the water off your house you’re not only going to have a mess from it splashing down the sides of the house when it overflows and water running down your neck as you walk under it, but it can do a lot of damage to the house itself.
‘‘It can keep the wall claddings wet, it can undermine the footings, the piles, all sorts of things.’’
Homeowners can easily avoid those situations and extra expenses simply by addressing problems straight away.
‘‘If your spouting is overflowing, it may be blocked by leaves and debris, it’s a common problem due to the lack of attention spouting gets.’’
There are a number of cleaning devices for spouting on the market, but the easiest way is to climb a ladder and clear the blockage. There are also specialist gutter cleaning companies, and failing that, you could hire a SkyVac; effectively a vacuum cleaner with a telescopic hose and camera that virtually vacuums your spouting out from the ground.
If you are using a ladder, however be careful putting it against the gutter, because you could smash it if you’re not careful, says Graham.
And only do this if you are confident and safe working at heights.
‘‘If you have trouble working at heights, or are even a little hesitant, it’s best to call in the professionals, not just for spouting installs but for any maintenance.’’
Always wear gloves to avoid cuts from roofing iron.
Then, when clearing any blockages, don’t push it into the downpipe or use a hose to squirt it out. Instead, scoop out the larger elements and put them in a bucket to dispose of later.
‘‘Don’t think you can wash it all down the downpipe, all you’re going to do is move the blockage from the spouting to your stormwater system and then you’ve got an even bigger problem.’’
If the spouting continues to overflow, check the stormwater system isn’t blocked.
‘‘If it’s a metal gutter and there are red spots on the underside, all signs point to corrosion, and if it’s cracked or it’s PVC guttering that has splits in it, it needs attention.
‘‘Some splits are quite obvious but some of the earlier PVC gutters can become brittle over time due to exposure from the elements.’’
Either way, if water is discharging where it shouldn’t be, then it’s time to call in an expert: a competent roofing contractor who is a member of RANZ. Often the problem can be fixed, but usually if a patch of spouting needs replacing the rest of it won’t be far away either, says Graham.
‘‘If you’re going to replace four or five metres, you might want to think about doing the whole house.’’
There are certain requirements to adhere to depending on where the home is. For example, different grades of coatings must be used for seafront environments.
Once material and colour is chosen, it’s a matter of deciding on spouting style and the use of internal or external brackets.
‘‘It comes down to thinking about what will suit the era and look of your home,’’ says Graham.
Whatever the spouting option, it is important to maintain it – and that goes for older spouting too.
‘‘You can easily get 20 to 30 years out of spouting no trouble at all, but if you are not particularly good with maintenance, you might reduce that to five-10 years, or even less.’’
Maintenance means simply cleaning out guttering a few times of year, not just when it starts to overflow. Gutter protection systems are a good idea as they prevent larger debris, but smaller particles can still fall through.