Unclogging Downspouts & Gutters | RayAccess, Inc.

Proudly Serving the Westside of Los Angeles and Surrounding Areas

RayAccess is a fully insured gutter maintenance contractor that can quickly inspect rain gutters and perform downspout unclogging for your property. No job is too big or too small for RayAccess. We service both residential and commercial properties.

Do you need help unclogging a downspout? If clogged downspouts are not cleaned before the next rainstorm, your property can suffer. Mold, flooding, cracking, and very expensive damage can occur. Working with ladders can be dangerous and sometimes it pays to let professionals protect your property from major damage. 

RayAccess is LA’s exterior maintenance special forces. We safely get to places others can not. The RayAccess crew uses the full spectrum of fall protection equipment including industrial rope access, ladders, and man lifts. Since 2011, RayAccess has been a one-stop shop to protect your building or home. 

What are Downspouts?

Quite simply, downspouts are vertical pipes that carry water from elevated horizontal gutter sections to ground level. Perhaps the most important component of a gutter system, downspouts are the only channel which all water must travel through, and to the drain.

Downspouts come in several styles and materials. 

The most common material is aluminum, the most expensive is copper, the heaviest is galvanized steel, and the lightest is vinyl. Vinyl is also very popular due to its resistance to corrosion and rusting.

You will find several different styles as downspouts can be a conspicuous building element. Round downspouts are very popular with private homes, offering a smooth look. Whereas, square or rectangle downspouts are mostly found on large commercial buildings. Downspouts can be corrugated for additional support.

Downspout Components & Accessories:

There are a few components and accessories you should be familiar with when troubleshooting a downspout clog. Gutter outlet, downspout elbow, downspout brackets, downspout extensions, and underground drains. 

The top is known as the gutter outlet. This is where the vertical gutter section meets the downspout. Downspout elbows are curved and can be found at the top or bottom of the vertical downspout. Elbows serve the purpose of changing the water’s direction towards or away from the building and are curved. Due to the elbows’ curve shape, this is where most clogging occurs. 

Downspout brackets keep the downspout connected to the building. Their material needs to be compatible with the material of the downspout to prevent corrosion. As you may remember from chemistry class, certain metals corrode quicker when they are in contact with other metals. It’s a good rule of thumb to use the same kind of metal for downspout brackets and downspouts. Most downspouts leaks are due to corroding metal.

The end of a downspout is where the water comes out and away from the building through a downspout elbow. Some gutter systems have downspout extensions or even underground drains that keep the water away from the building’s foundation. The water flows out to the street, sidewalk, or a sewer system.

Although optional, some accessories that help prevent clogging are downspout strainers or filter boxes. 

Strainers require frequent debris removal but do a good job preventing large debris from reaching the downspout. Strainers also known as gutter balls resemble a ball of wire. They sit in the gutter as the ball sticks up, extending from the gutter outlet.

Filter boxes are basically traps built into the downspout. They make it easy to remove debris without a ladder. There are pros and cons for strainers and filter boxes based on each property. RayAccess can recommend and install the best defense mechanism for your home or building.

Signs You Have A Clogged Downspout:

Overflowing Gutters:

If water is overflowing in close proximity to the downspout this is the first sign of a clogged downspout. Eventually, the entire gutter system can overflow. 

No Water Is Coming Through the Downspout:

Check the end of your downspout when it rains. If no water comes out, you have a downspout clog. 

Downspout Leaks:

Downspout clogs will cause leaks at downspout seams, elbows, and the gutter outlet.

How Do You Unclog A Downspout Without A Ladder?

Most downspouts get clogged at the elbows. The elbows’ curved shape will trap debris from going down. If you insert a leaf blower into the bottom of a downspout, loose debris can blow up and remove the clog. Protect yourself with a hardhat as debris can fall down from the roof or gutter.

If the leafblower technique doesn’t work chances are the downspout is completely stuffed with debris. You may have to hire a professional that can safely work with ladders to address the clog from the top.

A professional gutter maintenance company such as RayAccess, can safely access your gutters from the top. Working from the top and performing gutter downspout cleanout has the advantage of using the force of gravity to knock down debris.

Downspout Cleaning Tools:

RayAccess is equipped with a full arsenal of tools including:

wet dry vacuum, leaf blower, garden hose, plumbers snake, hand shovel, cleaning solution, absorbent cloth, bucket, extension ladder, man lift, industrial rope access kit.

Problems Caused By Clogged Downspouts:

Did you know one gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds? Water is heavy, and the weight will eventually pull down your gutters. Once gutters become loose and fall down they pull away from other building components they are attached to. 

If gutters don’t drain, rainwater will soak into the roof and foundation of your property. Water intrusion can cause structural damage as wood will root. Neglecting a clogged downspout can lead to very expensive repairs.

Downspout Clog Prevention Techniques:

Routine gutter cleaning is the best way to prevent downspout clogs. In addition to gutter cleaning, RayAccess installs a number of tools to fight against downspout clogging which includes installing strainers, filter boxes, gutter screens, and upsizing downspouts. 

Removing A Downspout:

Sometimes a downspout needs to be removed from the building in order to unclog it. This is done, if and only if, all other unclogging methods can not fix the clog. RayAccess technicians will unscrew the downspout brackets or spikes and disassemble the elbows from the downspout to thoroughly clean all components. We then reassemble the downspout to the elbows, finally, we reattach the downspout to your home or building so it’s ready to perform its job. In some cases, downspouts or downspouts elbows are completely corroded. This calls for replacing the faulty part.

Clogged Underground Drains.

If your home or building’s downspouts are connected to underground drains these can clog as well. If your underground drains are clogged, a tell tale sign is extreme water overflow,  throughout the entire gutter system. Ultimately, the gutters will pull loose and fall. 

Fixing underground drains is done by your local plumber, not a gutter cleaning service.

The RayAccess Difference:

One-Stop Shop:

We also perform power washing and window cleaning.  Ask about our discounts for booking multiple services at once.

5-Star Rated:

We were rated a best of Los Angeles gutter maintenance service. We ask all our customers for their feedback so we can offer the best possible service. See what our customers have to say about RayAccess.  

Rope Access Certified:

RayAccess employs technicians that are trained in using rope access to safely work on high gutters. Our crew has certifications with industrial rope access governing bodies including IRATA and SPRAT. Besides using ropes for safety, RayAccess technicians are trained using the full spectrum of access methods including ladders, swing stages, and man lifts.