Downspout Functionality

A gutter may be essential to a house when it comes to collecting rain, hail and other natural elements that can damage a house, but it’s not really functional unless it has a downspout to guide those elements out and away from your property. A downspout is a key part of a home’s exterior drainage system and it pays to ensure that the one attached to your home provides long lasting quality.

What Is A Downspout? downspout gutters

A downspout is a attached to your home’s gutter and designed to carry the rainwater, hail, etc. that collects on the roof of your house and directs it down to the ground. Most downspouts also have a bent section at the end that serves to direct the water or debris away from the house to prevent the moisture from collecting near the base of the house and causing possible damage.

Downspouts is only one of the names that are used for these functional roofing attachments. They are also known as leaders, conductors, downpipes or drainpipes and come in a variety of materials and sizes, including 2″x3″ or 3″x4″.

Downspouts have been a part of the roofing and gutter system of homes and buildings for literally centuries. One of the most famous and familiar downspout systems in history are the stone ornamental gargoyles that have adorned buildings since the time of the ancient Egyptians. These downspouts took the form of faces and grotesque creatures with the mouths providing the water diversion conduits. Some of the most well known gargoyle styles are found in French architecture and in particular at Notre Dame Cathedral.

Modern Downspouts

Today, the downspouts found on homes are less elaborate but perform the same essential function. They work with the gutters to divert water and other possibly damaging elements away from the foundation of a home.  downspout gutters

Environmentally conscious homeowners have even managed to make downspouts part of their “green” lifestyle. The spouts can be used to direct water into a barrel, cistern or other container (including simple jugs, bottles and buckets). The collected water can be reused in a number of ways, including watering a garden and (when properly treated) doing laundry and providing water for a toilet system.

Choose the right downspout for your home, one that combines beauty and function and compliments the look of your home.