Drainage
Water pooling at the wall under a downspout
Water that runs off your roof has to end up somewhere, and sometimes that somewhere is the wall, the foundation or the back of the gutter. Tell us where it pools. We book an independent roofer to follow the water from the roof edge to the ground, and the work goes into a written proposal.
Asking where the water gets in commits you to nothing.
What we do
We help you find where the water really gets in and book a diagnostic visit with an independent roofer, who puts the fix in a written proposal.
Our word before the ladder goes up
- You owe nothing for asking, and you can walk away.
- The visit looks for the way in before any roof talk.
- You see the repair proposal in writing before work starts.
- The $100 credit follows the rules on our Terms page.
The roofer you hire answers for their own work and contract.
Signed Roofing Pros Syracuse, (315) 640-3590
What this word covers
The drawing
Where the roof water ends up
- 1
Roof edge
Where water leaves the shingles, and the first place it can back up.
- 2
Gutter
Falls toward the downspout by at least 1/16 inch per foot.
- 3
Downspout
Ends at least 5 feet from the foundation.
- 4
Ground
The last stop, where the water goes next.
- 5
Foundation side
Questions
Settle these before the gutters are priced
How far should a downspout end from the house?
At least 5 feet from the foundation, according to the Department of Energy guide. Measure yours, and tell the roofer if the end sits against the wall.
What slope should a gutter have?
The guide gives 1/16 inch of drop for every foot as the minimum, running toward the downspout. A gutter that holds water between rains is not sloped that way.
Can clogged gutters cause a ceiling stain?
They can send water over the edge and into places it should not reach. The roofer will tell you whether a stain on your ceiling lines up with a backed-up gutter.
Is a frozen gutter a reason to take them down?
Not by itself. Gutters can freeze in cold climates, and grade-level drainage is one option. The right choice depends on your house, so ask for the reasons in writing.
Why does water pool by my foundation?
The usual causes are a downspout that ends too close and ground that slopes toward the wall. Both are on the path below the roof, and the visit can tell which applies.
Do low roofs need drains?
Ask where the water leaves, especially on a flat porch or addition roof. The code calls for a drain at each low point when the slope will not carry it.
Should I clean the gutters first?
Clearing them can show you the problem, but stay off ladders in wet or icy weather. If water still pools or overflows afterward, send us the spot and when it happens.
How can I keep the wall dry until the visit?
Working from the ground, move a loose downspout end so it ends farther from the wall. A length of spout or a splash block is a fair stopgap. Photograph the change and tell the roofer what you did, so the proposal starts from the house as it stands.
By timing
What each stain timing changes in the water path
- 1
Only in or after rain
Water that spills over one stretch of gutter or drops beside the wall in rain points to a gutter that does not carry it. The roofer follows the flow from the roof edge down.
- 2
After a cold, clear night
A stain after a dry, cold night is rarely a gutter matter. The roofer rules drainage in or out quickly, then moves to the attic.
- 3
When snow melts
In a thaw, meltwater leaves the roof all at once and tests every gutter and downspout. Where gutters freeze, the roofer weighs the choices for that house.
- 4
Same spot after every repair
Water that hits the same patch of wall or ground each time often has one cause, a low point or a downspout that ends short. The roofer names it.
Signs
Signs the water path is the problem
Overflow at one spot
If the gutter spills in one place and runs clear elsewhere, the slope or a blockage is the likely cause. Mark the spot.
A downspout that ends beside the wall
Water released right against the foundation has no way to leave. Measure how far the downspout end sits from the wall.
Pooling after rain
Water that sits beside the foundation a day after rain is a drainage finding, even if the roof is dry. Photograph it.
Streaks below the gutter
Stains on siding below a gutter show that water is going over the edge or behind it. Note the length of the run.
A gutter that holds water
A gutter with standing water between rains is not sloping to its downspout. Tell us how long it stays wet.
What it covers
What a drainage job covers
Follow the flow
The roofer follows the water from the roof edge, along the gutter, down the spout and out to the ground.
Check the gutter slope
Each run is checked against the minimum of 1/16 inch of drop for every foot, running to its downspout.
Check the downspout ends
Downspout ends are measured against the 5 feet from the foundation that the guide gives.
Check the low points
A roof that does not slope to its edges is checked for a drain at each low point.
Weigh the winter choice
Where gutters freeze, the roofer talks through grade-level drainage as one option for the house.
The sequence
What happens, in order, on a drainage job
Tell us where it pools
You describe the spot, and how soon after rain it shows.
The roofer follows the water
An independent roofer walks the path from the roof edge to the ground.
You hear what is stopping it
The roofer names the slope, the blockage or the short downspout.
You read the proposal
The work and any winter option are in writing before it starts.
Where you are
Find out first, then repair, then fix the cause
The order is the point. Each step stops the next one from being a guess.
- 01
Find out where it gets in
An independent roofer visits to find the way in. You get the answer before anyone talks about a covering.
- 02
Repair that one thing
The roofer sets out the specific repair. The written proposal covers the work they would do. You read it before work starts.
- 03
Deal with the cause
This pageAir sealing, venting or drainage comes after. Then the stain is less likely to return next winter.
Walk the water after the next rain
Ten minutes outside tells you plenty. Wait for a steady rain, put on a coat and walk the outside of the house. Note where water spills over a gutter, where a downspout lets go, and where the ground stays wet.
Take a dated photo of each place. Then send us a line for each, such as "back corner, downspout ends at the wall." That is enough for the roofer to start with.
Do it again in a thaw. Meltwater leaves the roof all at once and shows you the stretch of gutter that cannot cope.
When the problem is the roof, and when it is the water after it
A wet basement wall and a stained ceiling are different problems that people often blame on the same roof. If the water is at the foundation, the path below the roof is the first place to look. If the stain is on the ceiling, the roof and attic come first.
The visit sorts the two out. Tell us both, if you have both, and the roofer will treat them as separate lines in the proposal.
Gutters that freeze, and the choice that follows
In cold climates gutters can freeze, and the Department of Energy lists carrying roof water to the ground at grade level as one alternative. It is a choice made house by house, not a rule, and nobody should tell you that gutters are simply unnecessary.
Ask the roofer to explain what each option does for your house: where the water would land, how far from the foundation, and what changes at the eave.
What the water-path proposal should list
A short proposal is a good one here. It should say where the water stops, what will change there, and where the water will go after. If it lists only new gutters without naming the stop, ask what problem they solve.
Send us the spot that bothers you most, and start there.
Before you pay for new gutters
New gutters are the obvious answer to a wet wall, and sometimes they are the right one. But gutters are only one stop on the path, and a new run on a poor slope will pool just as the old one did. Ask the roofer which stop on the path is failing, and what exactly will change there.
Ask what happens at the bottom of each downspout. If the new spout still ends against the wall, you have paid for the same problem. A good proposal says where the water will land and how far that is from the foundation, in plain numbers you can check with a tape.
Paperwork
What the proposal should say about the water path
The spot where water stops
The point on the path where the flow breaks down.
What will be changed
The slope, the downspout or the drain, with the reason.
Where the water will end up
The distance from the foundation and where it goes after that.
Any winter choice
Whether the gutters stay, and why that suits this house.
Price
What moves a drainage proposal
- The length of gutter involved
- The number of downspouts
- How far water must travel to reach a safe spot
- The height of the eave
- The grade of the ground beside the house
- Whether a low roof section needs a drain
Where
Gutters and Drainage pages by place
Reading
More on where roof water goes
Where Your Roof Water Ends Up, and Why It Matters
Walk the water path in the next rain.
Tell us where the water pools and book the visit.