Gaithersburg Roofing: Article About Rain Gutters

Each time ran falls, a lot of water is drained right into the municipal storm sewer system or becomes runoff because the ground simply cannot handle all of the precipitation. In order to conserve some of this water for use on plants, gardens or even flush toilets, many homeowners use rain barrels and other devices. Because these systems connect with the home's roofing, gutters and downspouts, it is important to seek advice from a qualified Gaithersburg roofing service in order to avoid any damage or create new problems due to the water collection system.

The first device that homeowners often install when collecting rainwater from the roof is a rain diverter. A diversion tool is a long, angled piece of metal made of stainless or galvanized steel, aluminum or copper to match the material of the gutters. Shaped like an "L", the metal is inserted underneath the asphalt shingles at an angle. Roofing nails are used to secure the diverter into place. Roofing cement is used to cap the nails and to refasten the shingles into their correct positions. The purpose of the diverter is to focus the flow of water to a specific position off the roof.

Not all rain collection systems need a diverter, but they can be useful for aiming excess water at the downspout.

In many cases, just the regular gutters and downspouts are sufficient for collecting a great deal of water with each rainfall. Three cement blocks can be used to support a rain barrel. The barrel should be oriented with the spigot facing the place that will be watered with the collected rain. Homeowners then disconnect and remove the downspout and put a rain diverter in its place. In this case, self tapping gutter screws are used to attach the diverter to the gutter.

The downspout is then reattached to the diverter with additional gutter screws. A rubber or silicone hose is connected to the diverter's outlet and run alongside of the downspout with nylon cable or zip ties. The hose should be aimed at the rain barrel. A second hose, called a soaker, is attached to the spigot end of the rain barrel and run to the landscaping or other area where water is needed. Ideally, this hose should be covered with mulch or buried a few inches below the surface of the soil. Alternatively, the property owner can omit the soaker hose and just use a pail or a watering can to get the water out of the barrel.