Replies

1. 
   Michael_Rimoldi | Sep 26, 2001 05:24am | #1

   *
   Amy,

   There is a thing called the Gutter Gusher which is basically just a piece of plastic or aluminum that extends the height of the gutter at the valley by about 3-4" to help prevent just such a problem.

   I've bought them at H.D and Lowes and they work well.

   If you put any baffles (tabs) in the valley just don't nail them down as thats a sure fire way to creat a leak.

   Good luck.

   Mike

1. 
   WOODBYTER | Sep 26, 2001 12:05pm | #2

   *I agree with Mike's suggestion to correct your current situation. Unfortunately your real problem is in the design of the roof and again -most unfortunately- it is the design architect's fault. If most architect's had to build a house or two they would design them better. I had the same problem with an architect who did a roof design on a large area elderly care housing center. You are shedding to much water into too small an area and it has to go somewhere and usually it chooses to go where you don't want or need it.Woodbyter

1. 
   Bob_Walker | Sep 26, 2001 12:33pm | #3

   *"If most architect's had to build a house or two they would design them better"Of course, the builder could've taken some steps to avoid the problem but didn't.In my area, water control is something the builders consistently screw up

1. 
   Vince_McCauley | Sep 26, 2001 05:52pm | #4

   *AmyI've used the same thing that Mike recommends called by a different name. You may still get some rainwater coming over the gutter.There could be a number of things causing this:* Gutters undersized?.* Gutters set too far below roof edge.Bob - as a builder, I constantly have to deal with owners who think that just because they have paid an architect big bucks to design their home, that the architect is always right. Their thinks is that the just because the architect went to college and has a degree, they don't make mistakes, so you (the builder, since you didn't go to college and get a degree) need to just do what the plans call for. When I get a customer like that, I put in writing my concerns, sign it, give the customer a copy and have them sign my copy. Normally, a builder can work with an architect and point out potential problems and correct them.Vince

1. 
   Amy_Sw. | Sep 26, 2001 06:35pm | #5

   *Thanks for your suggestions. I wasn't aware that we had a choice on gutter size - it's just sized the same as the rest of the house. Judging by the amount of water coming out over the top, I'm guessing that the 'gutter gushers' will probably provide the most help. The location of the stairs is our fault. We wanted a basement entry and with the way the house (32 yrs old) is sited on the lot that was the only place they could go. We wanted them wide so it is an entry and not some narrow alley. The architect we hired for the addition that caused the valley didn't mention water being a problem, but you don't get the cream of the crop for additions around here in any of the trades - they're all too busy with new commercial work.Thanks again for your great help - this is a wonderful group.

2. 
   ChuckT_ | Sep 26, 2001 11:57pm | #6

   *Amy,I had a similar problem in my last house and added the gutter gusher to make the stream hit the gutter, then discovered that in a downpour, the gutter and downspout weren't big enough to carry off the deluge of water and overflowed. Given it to do again I'd use bigger gutters and downspouts. I think bigger downspouts might also be less prone to clogging.

3. 
   Bob_Walker | Sep 27, 2001 01:35am | #7

   *Vince,I agree completely, But....Probably 90% of the new home I inspect have deficient water control (downspout extensions too short, down spouts dumping onto the front walk, downspouts from upper roofs dumping onto a lower roof, etc.)Most of these are spec homes, so the builder can't lay it off to an uncompromising buyer or ignorant architect.Another pet peeve: composite garage doors with no paint on the bottom edge: guaranteed to fall apart in just a bit over the builders warrantee period.For pets sake, for $20-30 in apprentice time and paint ....

4. 
   WOODBYTER | Sep 27, 2001 02:27am | #8

   *Vince, many of the builders and job supers and some of the foremen I have now and worked with in the past have degrees so I can't quite go along with someone being right just because they have a degree. Ever hear the one about getting dumber by degrees?I like the approach of having the architect be responsible since he, in most instances, has E&O insurance(Errors and Omissions). On the jobs I am responsible for the architect is the contract administrator and has the final say on the building as completed and signs documents that it is built to his specifications and all applicable codes. That way if a problem surfaces it is in his court to deal with it. It is either built according to his design or not. If it isn't it's the general contractor's problem and legal responsibility. If it is built to the architect's sealed design it's his problem-even if it was reviewed and approved by the jurisdictional authority.I do find where the on site carpenter's try to put it up as designed and call out problems to the architect through the superintendent. It doesn't take a degree to be smart but it takes a degree of sense to be right.Woodbyter

5. 
   phil_eves | Sep 27, 2001 03:09am | #9

   *if you don't have heavy or large volume snow concerns or snow shedding concerns in your area, you can simply re-position the gutters higher....

2. 
   Amy_Sw. | Sep 27, 2001 03:10am | #10

   *
   Hello, we are having a problem with water coming off our roof and shooting out over the gutter (by 1-2 feet) instead of going into it. The situation is this: an open valley between a 5/12 and 4.5/12 pitch roofs and a 3 foot overhang from the wall. We need to direct the water using gutters because the valley terminates over a set of stairs leading to our basement. Right now, all of the water is being directed towards the basement entry by the stairs. It wouldn't be easy to shoot it out past the stairs - they are very wide. One idea we had was to put those little 'tabs' (not sure what they are called) in the valley to slow the water. My concern with this is that it will also slow the snow and hold it there in the valley. Any ideas on how we can solve this dilemma? Thanks for anything you can suggest.

3. 
   novalee | Jun 24, 2014 04:02pm | #11

   If both Architects and Builders had to live in some of the stuff they design AND build, we would see a whole new arrary of LIVEABLE housing in this coutry. I say this especially for the women who are usually shorter than males by about 6". Ask any of these women how they feel about "traditional" cabinet heighth, closet racks, pantry shelves etc. It's not a matter of "livability" for these guys, its all about "PROFITABILITY"!

1. 
   florida | Jun 24, 2014 04:33pm | #12

   Just to start you're directing your anger toward a thead that's 13 years old.

   But otherwise, what a crock of crap. I live in a house designed by someone and built by a builder.  It works just fine and it worlks just as well for my wife. What does "profitability" have to do with any of your complaints? I put up closet shelves and cabinets for customers all the time. They get to choose where they go and guess where that is?  Same place.

1. 
   calvin | Jun 24, 2014 06:48pm | #13

   you know..........

   I'm trying to figure out what these short women have to do with that water flying over the gutters.

4. 
   Hokuto | Jun 25, 2014 05:36am | #14

   Short women, deep valleys, and ancient threads

   View Image

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   The mind boggles.

    Anyway, we had exactly the same problem on both sides of our 2F entry porch (peaked with a gable) after we had our house reroofed with horizontal seam steel. The rain runs off the smooth steel valleys with considerably greater speed than off asphalt shingles or other rough-surfaced material, and in virtually any substantial rain of a few minutes' duration, we had rifle shots of water shooting down the valleys and over the gutter troughs. We called our roofer back and he installed higher walls on the outsides of the corner gutter collectors. No problem since then. I'm not sure whether the walls he installed were commercially available or just made on site (the entire eavestrough/downpipe system is made of plastic by Panasonic).

    As for "little tabs," I'm not sure we're thinking of the same thing, but the ones on our house are called "snow stops."

   What are we doing responding to a thirteen-year-old thread?