Getting enough sleep is already a challenge for most of us in this day and age. Given all the distractions of social media, politics, and a fast-paced American culture; the last thing you need are noisy gutters or other home fixtures keeping you up at night as well.
While some people find the soundscape of a rainstorm to be quite relaxing, if you have a faulty gutter system or downspout playing a solo at all hours of the night, the rain can quickly lose its charm.
Thankfully, there are many different solutions you can try out. If you want to get rid of the rattling, plinking, or dripping noises your gutter may make so you can get on with your life, check out our tips for quieting noisy gutters and downspouts:
Call in an Expert
If you are unsure of the source of the noise or you’re worried about the gutter’s structural integrity, you should call the contractor who installed the system right away. For older gutters, however, you may have to call a gutter repair crew to come take a look.
One common issue causing noisy gutters is that the angle at which the downspout leads away from the home is not gentle enough. When this happens, water will fall flatly down into the bottom of the downspout instead of gently flowing out. You may be able to complete this adjustment on your own, but if you are uncertain if you’re able to do the repair, it would be best to call in an expert such as The Guru Gutter Guys.
Do-It-Yourself Fixes for Noisy Gutters
If you’re on a tighter budget for making the necessary adjustments to your downspout, there are wallet-friendly options for bringing silence to even the noisiest of gutters. These options will be less expensive, but possibly higher-maintenance than calling in an expert:
Sponge
One common trick is to stick a standard kitchen sponge inside the bottom of the downspout. As water falls down the drain, the sponge quickly absorbs the water (and the noise it makes). Even more, you may already have an extra sponge lying around the house that you can use for this project.
The caution of this solution is that as the sponge absorbs more and more water, it will become stagnant. After too long without replacing it, the sponge may grow mold. This may be a simple solution for the time being, but it does require long-term oversight to avoid complications.
Tighten Loose Fixtures
In some cases, your gutters may be rattling during a rainstorm. As gutters are fixed to the side of the home, this can be especially annoying depending on which room they are resting against outside.
If you are hearing any sort of rattling, there is likely a loose screw somewhere along the length of your gutter. All you’ll need is a screwdriver/drill and a ladder/stepladder to take care of the issue!
Rope
Some people opt to run a rope through the length of their downspout (top to bottom). This eliminates dripping by catching the water at the top of the gutter and giving a guideline to flow against. Instead of making hard contact with the elbow at the bottom, the rain travels along the edge of the rope and flows gently outside.
Rain Chain
Another common simple solution for noisy gutters is the addition of a rain chain. This is a popular alternative to a gutter downspout in Japan. In this situation, you would remove the downspout altogether and install a decorative chain that hangs off the end of your gutter.
Rather than flowing inside an enclosed gutter, the water moves beautifully down the length of the chain. The only noise this produces is the sound of rainfall—no drips or rattling whatsoever.
Elbow Replacement
One popular change is to take off the metal elbow at the bottom of your downspout and replace it with a lighter material such as vinyl or plastic tubing. This method is relatively inexpensive and successfully eliminates the annoying “plink” noise that water typically makes against a metal surface.
No matter which of these methods you choose, you can always start over and try something else. While not each solution will work for every house, this is a pretty comprehensive list that should help you restore peace to your rainstorms.
And if you’re still struggling to silence your noisy gutters, call The Guru Gutter Guys today and we’ll happily help you find a solution!
