Downspot Repair
With all the fun weather we’ve been having recently, my downspout somehow became dislodged. The result is that it’s now dumping water on my neighbor’s basement hatch, which he’s *thrilled* about. The only hard part of the fix is that the section is about 12 feet above my back deck – requiring a taller ladder…
With all the fun weather we’ve been having recently, my downspout somehow became dislodged. The result is that it’s now dumping water on my neighbor’s basement hatch, which he’s *thrilled* about.
The only hard part of the fix is that the section is about 12 feet above my back deck – requiring a taller ladder than I have, and a safety harness of some kind. It’s likely a 5-minute fix.
Unfortunately, it seems like all the local roofers have been slammed with fall & post-tornado repair work.
Yes, this is something of a vent (no roof puns intended), but also a question – what does the Brownstoner diaspora do with these situations? Do you wait for the roofer, or do you take other approaches? Suggestions on a course of action appreciated.
Very remiss of me to not include LeakMaster’s phone number: (718) 421-2000.
So, a resolution!
I called Nick from LeakMasters, found him through the forums here (it’s hard to sift through all the shills, but his name came up consistently with positive sentiments).
Nick dropped by about 45 minutes ago. Took a look at my downspout, and was able to lever it back into place with a little help from yours truly. Also took a look at my aging roof, and talked to me about my options moving forward.
This was a minor task. Trivial, really. Nick took 30 minutes out of his day, fixed it, talked a little shop, went on his way. He’s professional, polite, friendly, funny as hell, and a stand-up guy. Absolutely worth talking to if you have roof needs.
So the gutter is dumping down water but the downspout is no longer connected to the gutter? If it’s that simple a fix you don’t need a roofer – any of the small general contractors you see on this site should be able to fix it. Just a matter of a tall ladder, as you say, and someone willing to climb it.
And yes, plastic sheeting can do wonders in the meantime. You could even form a catch basin with it to redirect the water…
My neighbor was very understanding of the delay in removing a large piece of my roof that landed in his yard, waiting for the roofers. Maybe you should talk to him. Placing a plastic tarp over the hatch is a standard temporary waterproofing method.