DIY Network

Replacing Damaged Downspouts From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-409

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E

Q: My husband backed the car into the downspout. Can you show me how to replace it?

A: (Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home Improvement expert) It's really not that difficult. You can get the materials you need at your local home-improvement store -- and be sure to wear leather gloves when you handle sheet metal, because it can be sharp.

Here's how to replace a downspout:

1. Loosen the metal straps holding the old downspout and lift the pipe away from the wall (figure A).

2. Use a hacksaw to cut the new pipe to fit (replacements come in 10-foot lengths). In our example, I cut the replacement a little longer than the old one -- it will come closer to the ground so I can add an elbow and some flex tubing (figure B) to divert the water away from the foundation.

3. First you want to add new elbows at the top of the downspout. Carefully fit the elbows together (figure C). (Keep in mind that the one that goes at the very top should fit down into the one below it -- if you reverse it, water will simply leak out of the seam instead of flowing to the bottom of the downspout.) Fit the elbow section into the main pipe, drill through them and rivet them together (or if you prefer, wait until the end and rivet all the sections at the same time).

4. At the bottom of the downspout, attach another elbow. If necessary, make a short cut at each corner of the pipe and carefully press the four sections in slightly, crimping them so they will fit into the elbow (figure D). (This is another example of the importance of leather gloves!) Slip the elbow on and rivet the pieces.

5. Replace the downspout in the correct position and fold the straps back in down to secure it.

6. Making sure your ladder is on firm ground, climb up and drill a small hole for the rivet. Rivet the downspout in place at the top, and if you haven't already riveted the other sections together, repeat until all are secured. (The tool holds one rivet at a time, as seen in figure E. When you squeeze the trigger, the head of the rivet expands to hold the sheets of metal together.)

7. If you wish to divert the water farther out from the house, add one or more sections of flex tubing at the bottom of the downspout.

Q: Can you tell me how to find a water leak in a slab foundation without tearing out the slab?

A: There are a couple of ways you can do this. Either call your local water-utility company and have them send someone out to find it for you or buy (or rent) a leak tester and do it yourself. The leak tester works something like a dowsing rod: you wear headphones while pointing it at the ground, and you can actually hear the leak when you come to it.

Q: Our hot water pipes in the upstairs bathroom "knock" during cold weather. How can we fix this problem?

A: There are several possibilities here too.

• You can install a water-hammer arrester ("water hammer" is the term for the problem you describe, when the pipes slam back and forth).

• If the pipes are exposed, you can secure them with pipe strap.

• Sometimes the problem is caused by excess pressure in the water system (if the pressure is above 80 PSI, the pressure is too high). If this is the case, turn off the water supply, open and drain all the faucets, open them back up and then turn the water supply back on. This may help if there's too much air in the pipes.

Q: The kids have put stickers all over their wooden closet doors. How do I remove them without damaging the doors?

A: Use a single-edge razor blade to scrape them off, being careful not to damage the surface. (Even if you're careful, you may have to touch up the finish later.) You can also use one of the commercial adhesive removers to get rid of any sticky residue.