Stolen from house: 2-story COPPER downspout. Replace with what?

[David Combs]

We read how in Iraq, early on after the invasion, they were tearing down power-lines for the valuable copper they'd then sell.

Seems to be happening here too.

Someone stole one of the three 2-story+attic copper downspouts. Questions:

1: Any way to protect the other two (aside from sitting outside all night (loaded for bear?)?

2: What to replace the stolen one with? Copper (god-awful expensive, I guess). Plastic? Fiberglass? Aluminum? (I haven't yet gone to look at what's available, what material they might be made of.)

Clearly, what with your and my economy going down fast (while the rich and bankers get richer and richer, on our money and taxes), I don't want anything worth stealing -- at least not like copper is.

Hey, as time goes on, this kind of thing is going to be happening a lot more often. Go out in the morning and find your wheel-less car up on concrete blocks -- things like that. To say nothing of copper downspouts!

David

[Steve B]

Hmmmmmmmm. Putting up a copper downspout and thinking it NOT an ostentatious demonstration of wealth and whatever. You might as well put a neon sign in your front yard that says, "LOTS OF GOOD STUFF HERE!"

Copper downspouts and hardware look cool as hell. And even though I CAN afford them, I would not put them up, as they are a magnet for the undesirable element who are looking for a well-to-do homeowner, rather than the poorer microwave, plasma TV, $800 PC computer crowd.

Have you thought of just putting up plain neon signs to show your ostentation?

"LOTS OF VALUABLE ITEMS HERE!" - We can afford downspouts that cost XX times the regular unwashed rabble's downspouts.

Steve

[Jim Yanik]

[e-mail] (David Combs) wrote in news:j5qmcc$1nk$ [e-mail]:

if your downspout is copper,the gutters are probably copper too. you should use the same because of dissimilar metal galvanic action,or use plastic if there is such an animal.

[willshak]

on 9/26/2011 4:13 PM (ET) David Combs wrote the following:

Get the plastic downspouts and paint them with copper paint or leave them white.

[krw]

Replace them all before the thieves force the issue.

[Home Guy]

You might want to check with the police in your jurisdiction / state / county. Your municipality might have implimented a requirement for scrap dealers to either (a) pay for stuff brought to them by cheque, or (b) to otherwise take down some form of ID from the thieves. Sort of like how pawn shops operate.

You'll have to file a police report anyways if you want to get reimbursed by your home owners insurance policy.

If you have full-replacement value coverage with your insurance, then I'd press the issue to have replacement copper downspouts delivered to your house - but NOT installed. Go and put them away somewhere (basement, garage, shed, etc).

In any case (whether you're reimbursed or not) replace them with cheap aluminum. They usually come in dark brown and white.

Once this economy returns to normal (maybe 10 years from now) and copper slides to $2/lb or less, then go and get yourself new copper downspouts (or install the ones your insurance company bought for you).

[clare]

IF there is such an animal?? Plastic downspout is VERY common - but not terribly durable. I'd use a plastic elbow at the top, and then run aluminum dounspout. The plastic gives you the required galvanic break.

Take off the existingcopper from the other corners and either hide it away or sell it for scrap so YOU get the money instead of the crook. It is a case of when - not if - it is stolen. Having copper downspouts advertizes the copper gutters as well - don't want them stripped. I've heard of gutters and flashing being stolen ftom several homes - and even copper roofing stripped from bay windows and Cupolas.

[Higgs Boson]

****Sorry about the vandalism you have suffered.

**** Takes me back to Kenya, umpty years ago. The Masai used to pull down the copper telephone wire and make it into bracelets and necklaces to sell to the tourists.

****(I guess now everybody uses cell phones? No more copper wire? Haven't been back in decades.) [...]

HB

[aemeijers]

In the second and third worlds, where vast areas never got built out for landlines, now they never will be. Prefab cell towers are just too cheap. In areas so primitive that mains power never got built out, powering them reliably is a challenge, as is the backhaul network.

[bob haller]

around here idiots are stealing the copper from power substations, causing hazards and power outages

[bob haller]

another idiot stole a length of trolley cable, leaving one steel rail at 600 volts wire laying on it....someone walking along the line could of been electrocuted

[Harry K]

Or don't paint them and get the colored ones.

Harry K

[JIMMIE]

They even steal the aluminum ones around here. I replaced my downspouts with rain chains.....lengths of stainless steel chain with white LED lights. Look cool , dont clog with ice or leaves. Really look nice when they freeze over but still remain functional.

Jimmie

[clare]

And frying their asses occaisionally when trying to remove it "hot"

[clare]

ANd no-one's stolen them yet to try to steal the neighbour's car with it??

[aemeijers]

And aside from the inconvenience to others when the lights go out, and that said idiots probably have already reproduced, this is a problem because?...

[Home Guy]

Umm, wow.

That's the sort of thing you'd normally see on Liveleak (formerly Ogrish).

[Home Guy]

With some reservation, for those of you so inclined, change the file name of the jpg to see other pictures from this event.

[clare]

Because most of the beggars LIVE.

[Harry K]

e also.- Hide quoted text -

Yep, much bettger than steel or iron. Kinda hard to cut though.

Harry K