Quick Help Needed: Downspout Questions (Star: house, construction, contractor)

[stopgo]

Hoping there are some gutter/downspout installers, knowledgable handymen, construction folks onboard....

Recently had the house painted, the painters removed the downspouts to paint them and then hung them back up "wherever" they could make them fit. Along with other issues being worked out from this, pretty much all of the downspouts now have "extra" holes in them where the straps were originally. Since they didn't all work out, new holes were created to strap the gutters to the house. Each downspout run has at least 2 separate locations where open screw holes exist.

Will these abandoned screw holes cause problems?? Will they leak? What is my worst case scenario here?

I am asking this as I plan what my response/demand to the contractor should be. There are additional issues being factored in, some related to gutter/downspout, others not related.

TIA

[Owen Wister]

I wouldn't worry about screw holes. Put a dab of caulk over them if you'd like.

[Starglow]

Yes...the holes could leak but shouldn't cause any significant issues.

Your options are:

1) Ask for new replacement downspouts, which is unlikely you'll get.
2) Caulk the holes with exterior grade caulking.
3) Put screws in the holes so they won't be as noticeable.

I've dealt with resolving contractor issues myself and feel your pain, so good luck.

[stopgo]

Originally Posted by Starglow

Yes...the holes could leak but shouldn't cause any significant issues.

Your options are:

1) Ask for new replacement downspouts, which is unlikely you'll get.
2) Caulk the holes with exterior grade caulking.
3) Put screws in the holes so they won't be as noticeable.

I've dealt with resolving contractor issues myself and feel your pain, so good luck.

Sadly, this is only 1 of several issues. When you contract a company to do improvements on your home the end result should be a 100% improved situation. That cannot be the case if portions of the items that were worked on are damaged.

Caulk is NOT an option for me. It is not a permanent solution, it will look awful, it will need to be painted as the gutters are painted. The back of the house is 3 stories high, reaching them is not possible.

Screws, similar to caulk, although a better option, have the same challenges in reaching the holes at the top.

Along with the "new holes", not all the downspouts are in the same place they came from, not all of the straps are attached, some of the straps that are attached to the downspouts are pulled away from house because the downspouts are in the wrong places etc...

I plan to push for replacements which I do realize will be a fight. Appreciate your reply, thank you!

[lunetunelover]

Originally Posted by stopgo

Along with the "new holes", not all the downspouts are in the same place they came from, not all of the straps are attached, some of the straps that are attached to the downspouts are pulled away from house because the downspouts are in the wrong places etc...

IMO this is a bigger issue than the holes.

IF the downspouts are not in the original locations, then they are no longer at the lowest point of the gutter and you will have standing water and debris just sitting in those low spots.

Although it's not necessarily noticeable, gutters do have a slope to them. The low points are where the downspouts should be.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by lunetunelover

IMO this is a bigger issue than the holes.

IF the downspouts are not in the original locations, then they are no longer at the lowest point of the gutter and you will have standing water and debris just sitting in those low spots.

Although it's not necessarily noticeable, gutters do have a slope to them. The low points are where the downspouts should be.

Agree with the bolded. This is the issue to focus on and needs to be remedied.

Our gutters were relocated in NY when we had an addition put on our house. Immediately started getting water in the basement. You can't just put them "wherever".

[Starglow]

Originally Posted by lunetunelover

IMO this is a bigger issue than the holes.

IF the downspouts are not in the original locations, then they are no longer at the lowest point of the gutter and you will have standing water and debris just sitting in those low spots.

Although it's not necessarily noticeable, gutters do have a slope to them. The low points are where the downspouts should be.

Unless I read it wrong, my understanding is they didn't mark the downspouts and put them back in the exact same locations (left corner, right corner, etc.), not cutting new holes in the gutters and relocating the downspouts to a new location where none previously existed.

[lunetunelover]

Originally Posted by Starglow

Unless I read it wrong, my understanding is they didn't mark the downspouts and put them back in the exact same locations (left corner, right corner, etc.), not cutting new holes in the gutters and relocating the downspouts to a new location where none previously existed.

Yeah, I'll admit I'm not clear on that either. I made an assumption based on what the OP posted about them not being in the same place.

[Starglow]

Originally Posted by stopgo

Sadly, this is only 1 of several issues. When you contract a company to do improvements on your home the end result should be a 100% improved situation. That cannot be the case if portions of the items that were worked on are damaged.

Caulk is NOT an option for me. It is not a permanent solution, it will look awful, it will need to be painted as the gutters are painted. The back of the house is 3 stories high, reaching them is not possible.

Screws, similar to caulk, although a better option, have the same challenges in reaching the holes at the top.

Along with the "new holes", not all the downspouts are in the same place they came from, not all of the straps are attached, some of the straps that are attached to the downspouts are pulled away from house because the downspouts are in the wrong places etc...

I plan to push for replacements which I do realize will be a fight. Appreciate your reply, thank you!

I hope you haven't paid them in full yet, otherwise your recourse options are very limited since they got their money and can now just ignore you unless you take them to small claims court. If you with held a percentage of the final payment until corrections have been made then they'll have more incentive to make you happy and get their money. I did exactly that with my siding contractor and they weren't happy about it but they did fix everything I asked for even though it took a few months.

I'd suggest that you push for a gutter contractor to come in a fix everything correctly and then bill the painting contractor. However, the gutter contractor will not paint the downspouts, assuming you get new ones, so the painting contractor would have to do that prior to installation. A gutter contractor may not want to put themselves in the middle of this mess unless they're hired directly by the painting contractor. For example, my siding contractor hired a roofer to come in and fix things that got messed up on my roof instead of the siding contractor attempting to fix it themselves and they paid the roofer with no involvement from me.

[Myghost]

I'd also be slightly worried about rust in the long run. Drilled holes are more likely to rust, I think. (Not a handyman at all here.)

If I were to use caulk at all, I'd probably go with a clear, or color-matched silicone for this reason.