A well-designed roofing system keeps water from entering your home and channels rainwater and snowmelt to the roof’s edge. From there, a quality gutter system finishes the job by safely transporting the water down and away from vulnerable areas of your property.
Without gutters, water spilling off the roof will drip down unhindered and cause damage to siding, windows, masonry and the foundation of your home. There’s also the risk of ice dams and icicles forming, which is detrimental to the structural integrity of your roof.
In some cases, however, gutters are impossible to install or aren’t aesthetically desirable, so homeowners opt for downspout diverters instead. These gutter accessories are installed directly to the downspout to create seamless water flow from the downspout into a rain barrel.
Not to be confused with rain diverters, which are strips of metal that slip beneath the roofing to redirect the water sideways and away from entryways to a house. Downspout diverters work in conjunction with the downspout on your gutter system to safely collect rainwater or channel it to a farther location than the downspout would normally reach. It is easy to install, so it doesn’t really require extensive changes to the gutter system. Some models available today include:
Downspout Diverter With a Hose
This setup allows water to flow through the downspout, entering the diverter and emptying into the rain barrel on the ground through a hose attached to a hose adapter on the lid of the barrel. It is designed to automatically handle overflow.
Downspout Diverter With Arm
Here, water enters the diverter and flows out the arm, which flips up when the rain barrel is not in use during the wintertime. This model does not automatically handle overflow so it must be paired with a rain barrel that has an overflow setup.
Make sure your gutters and their accompanying accessories are ready to protect your home from the elements. Contact Thompson Roofing and Construction for your gutters, siding and roofing projects today by calling (256) 251-5566. Enjoy a FREE estimate. We serve residents across Huntsville, AL.
