Gutter guards can hold debris, causing heavy rains to spill over
Q. I can recall your writing about commercial gutters several times over the years. Your most recent article mentioned the improbability of these gutters clogging. I live in a 3-year-old, two-story home on a wooded lot in Northern New Jersey. Our gutters always clog with leaves and spring-tree debris to the point of overflowing.
We've investigated various types of gutter guards, the most recent of which was a sales presentation in our home by MasterShield. Having already read your articles, I asked the salesman about commercial gutters, and he said that commercial gutters would still clog without his product. Before we undertake the expense of replacing our gutters and downspouts with commercial-grade components, please indulge a question you've repeatedly answered: With a high volume of leaves sitting in the gutters followed by a high volume of water (typical conditions here), can the leaves possibly flush through? Additionally, our downspouts are connected to underground 4-inch PVC pipes that drain to daylight. In your opinion, will they also handle the volume?
A. Commercial gutters can still accumulate sizable amounts of leaves and other tree debris, but large volumes of water during spring and summer downpours can often flush them clean. However, that depends on whether the vegetation has matted over time or is somewhat loose in them.
The great advantage of commercial downspouts, which are 3 inches by 4-inches - twice the cross section of regular downspouts - is that they should not clog under most circumstances, unless some large object gets stuck in them. I have investigated a number of gutter covers but found them unsatisfactory. They either allow debris, such as pine needles and other small tree droppings to get inside the gutters and clog their openings. Under gushers, water overshoots them.
Interestingly enough, I just received an e-mail from a gutter-cleaning company that says that their warehouse is full of all kinds of gutter guards they have removed because they didn't work as intended. You may want to try the MasterShield gutter guards. They may work most of the time, but I would want to see what happens with them during real downpours. Looking at their Internet presentation, I wonder whether gushers would simply jump right over their ridges. They guarantee that the gutters will not clog, but they say nothing about overflow under the conditions you describe having. As to the gutter contents washing through the underground drain, it depends on the number of bends and how tight the bends are.
Q. Do you feel that all residents who have an indoor wood-burning fireplace should have a chimney cap to cover the top of their chimney for safety/fire reasons? Are there any recommendations from U.S. fire-safety organizations that support and wish to mandate such a requirement?
A. No, I don't. It all depends on the site conditions. Caps are useful if there are tall trees close to the chimney that affect its draft, or the chimney is not tall enough in relation to the roof or other building projections. Birds and other wildlife, such as raccoons, squirrels and possums, can also be a problem. Caps can also be useful in areas of severe rainstorms or heavy snows. More importantly, the type of caps used plays a role in their effectiveness. To keep wildlife out, caps need to have mesh sides. The mesh needs to be of a type that will not inhibit draft, such as incinerator wire. In order not to inhibit draft, flat caps must be at least 10 inches above the top of the flue liners. If there are two or more flues in the same chimney, flat caps should not be used unless there is a divider - called a wythe - between each to prevent one flue from feeding gases down the adjacent one as the negative pressure created by the working flue is equalized through the one that's not in use. Tunnel-type caps in multiple flues must be parallel to each other and not face each other for the same reason. I am not aware of any U.S. fire requirements currently or any being planned. Let me know if you hear anything.
Q. We have some moisture in the basement, and I have two assessments set up with waterproofing companies. However, there is some sort of drainage system under the patio right next to the house. I think that I should have an expert look at the current drainage system to see where it drains and whether it needs to be flushed out before I assume that my basement needs waterproofing. I don't know what kind of company to call. A waterproofer? A septic person or a landscaper?
A. How much moisture do you have, and how does it manifest itself: wet walls or actual water on the floor? Is it only a summer problem? Is there condensation on the walls and the floor at the base of walls - especially in corners - or more following a rainy or snow-melting period?
Condensation can be dealt with by using a dehumidifier in the basement with all windows closed. If the moisture is caused by leakage, the first thing to check is the grade around the foundation. Any flat or low spots should be raised to shed water away from the foundation. It is surprising how many basement and crawl space moisture problems can be corrected at very low cost that way. To find the outlet of your underground drainage system, try running a hose in one of the connections where a downspout connects to it. Look in a low spot in your yard where water is coming out. If water comes out of the connection where you run the hose, the underground pipe is likely to be plugged. If you need to hire someone to unplug it, look in your Yellow Pages under "Plumbing: Drain & Waste Line Cleaning" for a firm advertising jetting or jet cleaning; it will take that kind of pressure to unclog a plugged line.
Q. With winter fast approaching and the price of natural gas increasing, I have a question concerning the most economical settings for a thermostat. I have forced air, gas-fired furnace that heats approximately 1,400-square-foot duplex. My normal settings are 67 degrees during the day and 62 from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the weekdays. I change the morning start time to about 8 a.m. on the weekends.
My concern is whether I should lower the night temperature even more. I know that if you lower it too much, you can negate any savings because of the amount of energy consumed to bring the house back up to your desired temperature. What should the spread be? Also, during the weekdays, I leave the residence for about five hours and wonder if it would be advantageous to lower the thermostat during this time. I have a programmable thermostat.
A. The consensus among utility experts is that you save 3 percent of your usage per degree for every eight-hour period the temperature is lowered. You can lower your night setting another 2 degrees. This gives you a only 7-degree spread. You should also consider programming your thermostat to lower the heat during your daily absences and set it back up one hour before your return to find your unit comfortable.
Q. I have a one-story aluminum-sided house. One side gets mildewed. I have scrubbed it off, but in a matter of months, it comes back. Is there a product I could put on it after I scrub the mildew off?
A. You didn't say what kind of cleaner you used to scrub the siding off. If you have not been mixing Clorox bleach with a strong powder or liquid cleaner such as TSPPF, you should try it. But if the siding is in a very shady area or there is thick vegetation close to it, mildew will return regardless of what you do. I do not know of any long-lasting product that can be applied on the aluminum siding to prevent mildew from coming back.
• Henri de Marne's column appears Sundays. He was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via e-mail at henridemarne@gmavt.net.
© 2008, United Feature Syndicate Inc.