HOME CLINIC; HELPING GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS DO THEIR JOB

Bernard gladstonemay 1985 this is a digital version of an article from The Times Print Archive, before it starts online in 1996.
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Most homeowners do not pay attention to the roof sink around the house until the sink begins to overflow or clog, or, until one of them splits or rusts in spots, so that the water pours out of the opening, instead of flowing out of a vertical downpipe.
To properly maintain the ditch, check at least once a year to see if it needs to be cleaned up.
If leaves, branches and other winds
The pieces that bear are allowed to pile up, and they clog the lower pipe opening, causing the ditch to overflow.
If these leaves or other materials are packed into a vertical water outlet, they may be heavily blocked and clogging will be a difficult task.
If the Downpipe is indeed blocked, in many cases it can be unblocked by using the snake of the long plumber or by retreating
Rinse with strong pressure generated by hose (
Work from bottom up).
If neither of these methods works, you may have to remove the downpipe to clear it (
Or replace it).
If the low end is connected to the underground dry well, do not use a snake or water pressure to get the leaves down through the pipe.
If the debris is forced into the dry well, it will eventually cause it to be so blocked that it no longer allows the water to ooze quickly --
A new dry well may need to be built.
Check the sewer connection when checking the sink.
Usually you will find that winter snow and ice have caused the elbows at the top of the connecting sewer pipe and at the bottom of the drain outlet to pull away from the bottom of the drain, as shown in the figure.
This allows the water to flow out uncontrolled, causing the soil near the foundation to be submerged and the basement to be submerged.
AD to correct this, push the downpipe to where it belongs and re-
The metal belt that nailed it to the wall of the house.
You may find it wise to add an extra strap near the top, just under the second elbow, to make sure the downspray doesn\'t pull away again.
Advertising if the house is in a place where there are many trees, the best way to prevent the ditch from being blocked by leaves is to cover them with a protective net shield.
These gutter shields are made of metal or plastic and are sold in most hardware stores, timber mills and home centers, and they have the right width to cover the gutter vertically.
They usually have labels, clips, or molded edges on one side, allowing you to capture them on the outside edge of the drain.
The other side slid under the first wooden tile.
When the water rushes down from the roof, it can easily fall from the mesh hole, but the leaves are stuck on it, where they can be washed away by the water or blown away by the wind.
While cleaning and checking the ditch, don\'t forget to check all the ditch hangers or brackets.
Some ditches have straps.
Type metal hangers nailed to the roof under the first row of wooden tiles;
Other kills. and-
The sleeve bracket, consisting of long nails passing through the outer edge of the drainage ditch, then through the tube or sleeve inside the drainage ditch, and finally through the back wall of the ditch, into the plank or cornice along the eaves.
Some of the latest hangers include brackets that are nailed or screwed on the fascia plate first, and then clip them out of the drainage ditch.
Regardless of the type of hanger used, check to see that each hanger is still firmly mounted together and is not bent because of heavy snow or ladder leaning against it.
Loose or bent hangers will allow the drain to sink at that point, thus interfering with proper drainage and sometimes letting the water overflow.
Bent straight hangers, re-fix those loose hangers, and replace those that are completely lost or bent so badly that they cannot be straight properly.
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By applying silicone, the leaking seams on the sink can be repaired most easily
The joint of the rubber filler compound inside.
Clean the metal thoroughly before applying silicone to make sure it is absolutely dryRubber compound.
If the sink rust or rot badly, parts that leak when it rains or snows, it is best to fix them as soon as possible.
On most metal and wood sinks, Long
As shown here, lasting patches can be made by using asphalt roof cement and a heavyweight aluminum kitchen foil inside the gutter.
First use a brush to scrub all rust and dirt in the damaged area.
Then, using an putty knife or a small spatula, lay a thick layer of asphalt roof cement throughout the area and spread at least 3 inch around the damaged part.
Cut a piece of aluminum foil about 1 inch shorter than the area covered by roof cement, and then firmly press it on the top of the asphalt as shown.
Eliminate all ripples and bumps that can interfere with the flow of water.
Upon completion, lay another layer of asphalt roof cement on the top of the aluminum, completely cover it, and extend a 2 inch on the surrounding edge of the aluminum.
Cover the compound feathers around the edges so that it does not produce any bumps that capture debris or interfere with the flow of water inside the ditch.
Reply to the advertisement of the mail.
We have a study completely paneled with dark smooth Formica sheets.
We don\'t like the color so we want to paint the surface.
How does a person prepare Formica for painting, what kind of paint should we use? -H. E. C. H. Because of Cob, Conn. Q.
Our kitchen cabinet is made of wood. Grain Shape
Laminated plastic products.
Is it possible to draw them, and if so, how? -A. F. , Merrick, L. I. A.
For these two readers: first wash the plastic thoroughly with a strong detergent to ensure that there is no wax, grease or oil film on the surface.
Then gently polish with fine sandpaper (such as No. 120 or 150).
Thoroughly dust and then fill with enamel base coating or seal.
I prefer to fill this plastic with a coloring Shellac
Base sealers like BIN or Enamelac, because they have a stronger adhesion than the normal underlying coating, and they form a good foundation for any type of finish coating.
They did it quickly, too.
When the seal or bottom coating is dry, you can apply paint on it with any flat or satinfinish enamel.
Latex or acrylic resin-
Primer can be used.
A version of this article was printed on page WC11 of the National edition on May 26, 1985, with the title: home clinic;
Help ditch and downpipe to do their job.