# How to reroute gutter?



## carascott (Sep 26, 2007)

We have a downspout that empties onto the driveway down one side of our 1-car garage- the ice is a nightmare in the winter (not to mention a legal liability for walkers). 

Can we reroute the gutter across the top of the garage and down the other side into the grass? The rim across the top is concrete. Job for a pro?


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

You probably can reroute it, but with the long length going just slightly less than horizontal, the interior will freeze up and explode the seams apart.

You could have a sheet metal shop fabricate an open faced downspout to prevent the exploding seams from occurring.

Ed

Here is a picture of something similar to what I was describing.


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## carascott (Sep 26, 2007)

*Thanks! But I'm confused*

We have horizontal gutters all around the house and don't have a problem with exploding seams. I'm not sure I follow why a special gutter is necessary... can you elaborate?


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

I may have misread your post.

I thought that you wanted to run an extension of the downspout from the existing gutter to the other side of the garage, so that the water/ice would not be directed to the front walk areas.

If you wand to attach the gutter to the walls and go arount the house, it would look uglier than sin, but it can be done.

Ed


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## carascott (Sep 26, 2007)

*Sorry for the mix up*

I tried to attach a jpeg pic of the garage, but the forum won't accept the file size. So here's what we're thinking:

1. removing the existing downspout

2. somehow patching the hole in the bottom of the gutter at the top of where the downspout used to be (we'll have to do this because the new gutter that goes across the top of the garage will have to be moved back about 6 inches)

3. cutting a new hole in the bottom of the gutter about 6 inches back behind the patch

4. inserting an elbow joint heading down and to the right 

5. running new gutter across the top of the garage (the garage is a 1-car and it's flat. There's a concrete lip on the face that we probably can't attach gutter to, hence moving it back 6 inches and placing it behind the concrete lip) 

6. inserting a new downspout down the other side to drain into the grass

I hope that was clearer- I'll try to compress a pic and post it.


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## NateHanson (Apr 15, 2007)

The concern is that your sloped section (the part going "down and to the right" across the top of the garage) will get filled up with ice, and it could be split by the ice. This isn't a problem with the open gutters around the house, because they're open, so can't be split. And it's not a problem with the vertical downspouts, because they are vertical, so water is not as likely to freeze up in there as it flows more slowly down.


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

Vertical downspouts do freeze up, especially in a shodowed or Northern view. The longer the length of downspout, the more likely it will freeze solid.

Their are lead anchors, which require drilling a hole into concrete with a rotary hammer drill using a 1/4" masonry drill bit, which would allow you to attach the back side of the gutter to a concrete structure.

Ed


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