gutters & downpipes

[AndyPandy]

I live in a row of terraced houses, 2nd from the end.

The end house roof gutter drain down his own down pipe into his own drain, this down pipe being at the end of the terrace.

My house roof gutter drain into a down pipe which drains into the gutter of my bay window, travels the length of the bay window into the down pipe of my other neighbour, then into the street. Neither of us have a drain.

All the houses share a down pipe except the end houses.

It's like Niagara falls when it rains and I'm finally acting. My end neighbour has said I should block off my down pipe and lift the gutter so it drains into his down pipe, leaving just the bay to drain into my other neighbor.

I'm thinking that this will transfer the Niagara falls from my bay to his gutter? Could his gutter cope? Can anyone think of a better alternative?

Many thanks, Andy sorry about multiple post AndyPandy

[Unbeliever]

NOTE: I am presuming that you have water 'flooding' over the main roof gutters.

If this is a fairly recent occurrence, then there a probability that gutter and/or one or more of the roof outlets are blocked, thus forcing more water to run further down the gutter?

If this happens, then it's possible that the lower outlets and downpipes are of an insufficient size to take the extra load causing the overflow - and blocking off your own downpipe and lifting your gutter could exacerbate the problem for others (and you could also be held responsible for any water damage caused to your neighbours property[s] as a result).

Solution:

1 Check for blockages in all of the gutter, outlets, swan-necks and downpipes - if there any, clear them.

2 If there are no blockages, try changing the outlets and downpipe to a larger diameter i.e, 65mm to 75mm - and this should clear the problem (also do this to the bays if necessary).

Unbeliever

[AndyPandy]

There's no problem with the roof gutters, its when it all drains into the bay gutter that the falls appear because the bay gutter simply can't cope with the volume of water from the roof. I can't install a downpipe because I have no drain. Could my other neighbours gutter cope with the water from his and my roof? AndyPandy

[ARWadsworth]

Could you bypass the bay window and allow your roof fall pipe to discharge on the floor?

It might mean altering the position of the fall pipe along the lenth of the gutter.

Adam

[Unbeliever]

AndyPandy,

I shall presume that there are no blockages in the bays' gutter, swan-neck and down pipes and that the gutter fall has been checked and all is well - I shall also presume that the bay gutter is around 100mm (4") and the down pipe is 65mm (21/2")

If all of the above is correct, then what I would suggest that you get together with the neighbour to share the costs and labour, and carry out the following:

1 Strip out the old gutter and replace it with 114mm (41/2) or Marley Deep Flow gutter [A] (Marley preferred, as this deep gutter will take anything that the rain can throw at it) - making sure that any protruding roof underfelting drops back into the gutter [B] and ensuring that there is a good fall on the gutter (but not excessive, as that could cause even more problems).

2 Change the outlet and downpipe from 65mm (21/2") to 75mm (3") with any necessary toe-piece to aim the downflow away from the wall.

[A] See: [B] Note that if the underfelt (if fitted) is not replaced as said (or is damaged or missing), then again, it's possible for the water run-off in heavy rain to literally 'bounce' between the gutter and roof and 'flood' down the wall.

Unbeliever