Chapter 25 Exercises: Gutters, Downspouts, and Drainage

These exercises build directly on Chapter 24's roof inspection work. By the end of this set, you'll have a complete picture of how water moves off your roof, through your gutter system, and away from your foundation — or where the chain is broken.

Exercise 1: Complete Gutter System Inventory

What you need: A ladder (for close inspection of gutter interior), a notebook, a camera, a measuring tape.

Instructions: Walk around your entire house and catalog your gutter system. For each run of gutters, record:

  • Material (aluminum, steel, vinyl, copper?)
  • Profile (K-style or half-round?)
  • Approximate width (5 inch or 6 inch — measure if unsure)
  • Seamless or sectional?
  • Number and location of downspouts
  • Downspout size (approximate — 2x3 or 3x4?)
  • Hanger type visible (spike and ferrule or hidden bracket?)
  • Any sections that appear to be pulling away from the fascia

At each downspout, trace where the water goes: extension present? Splash block? Underground connection?

Draw a simple roof plan sketch and mark the gutter runs and downspout locations. This map will be your reference for all remaining exercises.

Exercise 2: The Rainstorm Inspection

What you need: Rain gear, a camera, patience.

Instructions: This is the most important exercise in this chapter. During the next moderate to heavy rain (plan for it — check your forecast), put on rain gear and walk slowly around your house observing the entire gutter system in action. You are looking for:

  1. Overflow locations: Any point where water is pouring over the edge of the gutter rather than flowing to a downspout. Mark these on your map.
  2. Flow direction problems: Is water flowing toward the downspout in each section, or is any section backed up and pooling?
  3. Gaps and leaks: Any point where water is dripping through the gutter body or at a joint rather than flowing normally.
  4. Fascia wetting: Any location where water is running behind the back of the gutter and wetting the fascia board.
  5. Downspout performance: Is each downspout flowing freely? Are any backing up (suggesting a blockage)?
  6. Discharge points: Where does each downspout put water, and where does that water go? Does it flow away from the house, or pool near it?

Photograph every problem area you find. This visual evidence will be invaluable for any contractor conversations.

Reflection: Many homeowners do this exercise and find problems they've never noticed in years of dry-weather observation. The system only shows itself under load.

Exercise 3: Gutter Slope Assessment

What you need: A level, a measuring tape, or simply your observation after the next rain.

Instructions: After rain has stopped, walk to each gutter section and look at the gutter interior from close range (ladder may help). Is there any standing water remaining 30 minutes after rain has stopped? Standing water means that section has insufficient slope, is level, or is sloping away from the downspout.

For any section where you observe standing water: 1. Note the location on your map 2. Estimate the length of the problem section 3. Determine which direction the nearest downspout is — the gutter should flow toward it 4. Can you tell whether the gutter has settled (sagging in the middle) or was originally installed flat?

A sagging section can often be corrected by adding a hanger in the low spot to lift the gutter back to slope.

Exercise 4: Grade Check — The 6-Inch-in-10-Feet Test

What you need: A 10-foot 2x4 or straight board (or a string line and stakes), a 4-foot level, a tape measure.

Instructions: Check the grade on all four sides of your house:

  1. Place one end of the board or string line against the foundation at grade level.
  2. Extend it 10 feet horizontally away from the house.
  3. Level the board or string.
  4. Measure the distance from the far end of the level line down to the actual ground surface.

Record your measurement for each side: - North side: _ inches - South side: inches - East side: __ inches - West side: _____ inches

Interpretation: - 6 inches or more: adequate slope - 3–5 inches: marginal, monitor; prioritize correction near downspout discharge areas - 0–2 inches: insufficient; correction needed - Ground is ABOVE the level line: negative slope (pitching toward house); urgent correction needed

Note: Check in multiple spots on long walls, not just the center.

Exercise 5: Identify and Clear Debris

What you need: Ladder, garden hose with spray nozzle, work gloves, bucket or tarp.

Instructions: Clean your gutters, noting conditions as you go. This is both a maintenance task and an inspection opportunity.

For each section: 1. Remove all debris manually (leaves, pine needles, granules, dirt). 2. Note what the gutter interior looks like after cleaning: any areas of significant granule accumulation (indicates roof granule loss from that section)? Any rust or corrosion? Peeling seam sealant? 3. After cleaning, run water from a garden hose at the high end of each run. Watch it flow to the downspout. Does it drain cleanly, or pool anywhere? 4. Run water down each downspout — does it flow freely at the outlet?

Any section that doesn't drain properly with a running hose is either sloped wrong or has an obstruction (including in the downspout itself). Running the hose into the top of a downspout while your partner watches the outlet tells you whether the downspout is clear.

Safety note: Never lean your body weight against the gutter when on a ladder. Lean the ladder against the wall above the gutter, not the gutter itself.

Exercise 6: Downspout Extension Evaluation

What you need: A measuring tape.

Instructions: At each downspout, measure the actual distance from the house foundation to where the water is discharged.

If you have extensions (flexible corrugated, rigid aluminum, or underground), measure the endpoint. If there's no extension and the downspout ends directly at the foundation, record that as "0 feet."

For each downspout, also note: - Where does the discharged water go? Does it flow away from the house or pool? - Is the splash block (if present) oriented correctly — sloping away from the house? - If underground: how do you know it's working? (You may need to observe during rain.)

Standard to meet: Minimum 6 feet from foundation at discharge; 8–10 feet preferred. Any downspout discharging less than 3 feet from the foundation in poor-draining soil is a foundation-health concern.

Exercise 7: Fascia and Soffit Condition Check

What you need: A ladder, a screwdriver or probe tool, a flashlight.

Instructions: The fascia is what your gutters attach to. Its condition directly affects gutter security. At multiple locations, get close enough to inspect the fascia:

  1. Look for any areas of paint failure, bubbling, or discoloration on the fascia board.
  2. In areas that look questionable, probe with a flathead screwdriver. Healthy wood resists; rotted wood yields to modest pressure.
  3. Look at the soffit (the horizontal panel under the overhang): any staining, sagging, or holes?

If you find soft fascia: note the location and extent. Replacing damaged fascia sections is a manageable repair; replacing the gutters without addressing rotted fascia accomplishes nothing.

Exercise 8: Identify Low Points and Pooling Areas

What you need: Your yard after significant rain, rubber boots, a marking stake (optional).

Instructions: Walk your entire yard within 20 feet of the house after a significant rain. Identify:

  1. Any locations where water is pooling on the surface 2+ hours after rain stopped
  2. Any areas that are consistently boggier or wetter than surrounding areas
  3. The general direction surface water flows — does it tend toward the house, away from it, or parallel?
  4. Any low points along the foundation perimeter — areas where water could collect against the foundation wall

Mark problem areas (a marking stake or photo with reference to the foundation) for your drainage plan.

Reflection: In clay-heavy soils, surface pooling after rain is common. The question is whether that pool is adjacent to your foundation or safely away from it.

Exercise 9: French Drain Feasibility Evaluation

If you identified a drainage problem in Exercise 8:

What you need: A metal rod or soil probe, a level, a tape measure.

Instructions: For any area where you're considering a French drain:

  1. Identify the problem area (where water pools or flows toward the house).
  2. Identify a potential outlet point — where would the drain discharge? Is there a lower point at the property edge, a storm drain, or a suitable dry-well location?
  3. Using a level and measuring tape, confirm the potential outlet is lower than the problem area. A French drain needs to slope continuously from inlet to outlet.
  4. Probe the soil at 2-foot intervals across the proposed drain path, pushing a metal rod into the ground. Does the soil soften quickly (high clay) or does the probe go in moderately easily (better drainage)?

Interpretation: Highly resistant soil (dense clay) suggests poor percolation — a dry well may not work well. A clear slope to a legitimate outlet suggests a French drain is feasible. If there's no viable outlet at lower grade, you're looking at a sump system or accepting the drainage limitation.

Exercise 10: Gutter Guard Research

If you're considering gutter guards:

Instructions: Before purchasing or agreeing to any gutter guard installation:

  1. Identify what debris type primarily clogs your gutters (large leaves, pine needles, seed pods, combinations).
  2. Research the specific product being proposed: look up independent reviews, not manufacturer claims. Search "[product name] problems" as well as "[product name] reviews."
  3. Determine if you have trees overhanging your gutters on the north side — if so, and you're in a cold climate, evaluate how the proposed guard design handles ice.
  4. Get quotes from at least three companies for comparison. Note the thickness and material of the mesh or guard element in each quote.
  5. Ask each company: "What maintenance will still be required after your product is installed?" If any company says "none," that's not an accurate answer.

This research exercise may save you $1,500–$3,000 in an oversold product.

Summary note: Your gutter and drainage survey from these exercises is a useful document to keep with your home maintenance records. Repeat the core inspections (Exercises 1, 2, and 4) every two to three years.