Rain Gutters and Downspouts play a very pivotal role in safeguarding your house against the attack of rains and the pouring waters. While rain gutters collect the rain water from the roof area, downspouts make sure that the water collected flows away from the foundation to avoid any stagnant water in the premises. If water gets collected near the base of your house, it may result in potential leaks in the basement or even damaging the very foundation of the structure.
As much as a proper guttering system is required for your house, a right sized and a proper downspout is also necessary to make sure the water flows away from the basis of your house. There is a wide range of gutter downspout sizes and materials but how do we make sure which size of downspout is correct for your installed guttering system? Here’s how:
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Gutter/ Downspout Capacity chart
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If frequent heavy showers occur where you live then a Down spout with a bigger size would prove more suitable. Once you are done deciding the correct size for your downspout depending upon the size of your gutter and the amount of rainfall in your area, the next step shall be figuring out the kind of downspouts you want installed.*GPM stands for Gallons per minute.
To prevent expensive repair costs and efficient drainage of rain water from the roof, a downspout with a proper solution needs to be installed. For this one should also consider the style of downspout apart from gutter downspout sizes, which can possibly complement the guttering system as well as the rain capacity.
Types of Gutter Downspouts:
There is a range of downspout styles which are available in the market as listed below:
Round Downspouts: Round downspouts come in various sizes and colors and mostly used with half-round gutters. The sizes available in this style are 3″, 4″, 5″ and 6″.
K-Style: This type of Down spout is considered the standard downspout style in households and is used with a 5” K style guttering system. It also comes in sizes 2×3 and 3×4.
Rectangular Downspouts: The second most common style of downspouts in urban homes is the rectangular downspout coming under a range of sizes such as 2×3, 3×4, and 4×5.
Now that we are well aware of the various gutter downspout sizes and styles, let us dig deeper into the materials used for effective downspouts and how much they shall cost. A long lasting guttering system and downspout will not only relieve if you any hassles and tensions in the future but also cut down on repair and maintenance costs. Hence, a good quality system must be employed.
Gutter Material:
Commonly used materials for gutters and downspouts are listed as follows:
Aluminum: Aluminum maybe the least expensive but serves as a good material for downspouts. Its main advantage is that Aluminum will never rust and is extremely easy to maintain. However, Aluminum is subjected to expansion and is prone to denting and other damages.
Cost: A basic Aluminum 2×3 down spout can cost up to $9.17 per 10 feet.
Copper: Copper is a relatively expensive material mostly due to its installation costs as it requires a skilled team to install Copper downspouts. However, copper downspouts last long because of its durability and strength. Also, copper downspouts require no paint.
Cost: A copper clad 2×3 downspout costs around $83.10 per 10 feet.
Galvanized Steel: A Galvanized steel downspout doesn’t cost much but serves as a well enough down spout material as it is strong and does not expand or contract much. However, Galvanized steel downspout requires paint which is prone to damage.
