The conversation went something like this:
"Hey, Honey can you hear that? It's raining again." Continuing on...
"You know Hun, as soon as it stops raining, we need to get those downspouts fixed."
"Fixed?"
"Well, at least something to help with the noise!"
But you know how it is, when the rain stops, it's outside to get a few chores done. Usually, the same ones leftover from yesterday! Later you stop for some lunch and a cup of something refreshing, to relax and nourish your insides. Then just as you are taking that last swig from your mug, it starts raining again!
I think you get the idea. Days like that, are why some chores simply don't get done!
Truthfully noisy downspouts are not a problem during the day. Everyone is busy and the noise blends into all the other activities and noise surrounding you...But at night, when it is late, and you can't sleep, that noise in the downspout is all you hear... and that my friends, is a completely different story! And one I got tired of living.
One such product that caught my eye was nothing more than a sponge that you placed in the crook of the downspout where it would absorb the falling water and according to the manufacturer, all of the noise. Really? But have you ever heard the noise bouncing off of a sponge laying in the sink under a drippy faucet? A sponge has the capacity to hold water and when the capacity is reached, essentially you have a noise reflecting mass. And not a very quiet one at that.
That product along with many others did not come home with me.
So I thought and thought a little bit more and came up with this idea. The sponge product confirmed my suspicion that the crook of the downspout is where the trouble begins. It is the first flat surface that the raindrops come in contact with, after falling 20 to 30 feet.
Items needed for this project:
This is how I made Downspout Noise Mufflers...
Remove the bottom section of the downspout. You will need to make sure of the number of "scrubbies" you will need to stack together, for a gentle but snug fit in the downspout. This will avoid a washout in heavy rain. But also not so snug as to plug up the exit, preventing the rainwater from flowing out. This is about eliminating noise only.
For the downspouts at my house it was a stack of two "scrubbies".
Stack the required number of "scrubbies" to fit your downspout.
Insert the stacked and tied "scrubbies" up to the 45ish degree bend, in the downspout piece.
You need to know that this is not a once and done, forever application.
You will need to remove the "scrubbies" (and the reason why you left a long-tail) in order to clean out any debris that may have fallen from the roof into the gutter and down the spout.
But you know how it is, when the rain stops, it's outside to get a few chores done. Usually, the same ones leftover from yesterday! Later you stop for some lunch and a cup of something refreshing, to relax and nourish your insides. Then just as you are taking that last swig from your mug, it starts raining again!
I think you get the idea. Days like that, are why some chores simply don't get done!
Truthfully noisy downspouts are not a problem during the day. Everyone is busy and the noise blends into all the other activities and noise surrounding you...But at night, when it is late, and you can't sleep, that noise in the downspout is all you hear... and that my friends, is a completely different story! And one I got tired of living.
Being a somewhat creative do-it-yourselfer, I came up with this frugal solution, after a visit to my local Big Box home improvement store.
When I walked up and down the aisles, there were lots of remedies for gutters and downspouts. Some of which I believed would have worked. But one thing was clear, with so many product available, noisy downspouts are a common problem and not just at my house. Unfortunately, the price of these solutions seemed way out of proportion for what was actually in the box.Others I felt would never have worked and might have actually added to the noise issue!
One such product that caught my eye was nothing more than a sponge that you placed in the crook of the downspout where it would absorb the falling water and according to the manufacturer, all of the noise. Really? But have you ever heard the noise bouncing off of a sponge laying in the sink under a drippy faucet? A sponge has the capacity to hold water and when the capacity is reached, essentially you have a noise reflecting mass. And not a very quiet one at that.
That product along with many others did not come home with me.
So I thought and thought a little bit more and came up with this idea. The sponge product confirmed my suspicion that the crook of the downspout is where the trouble begins. It is the first flat surface that the raindrops come in contact with, after falling 20 to 30 feet.
Plop, Plop, Plop!
But the concept was good, disperse the rain and you can eliminate the noise.
Enter a trip to the dollar store...
This bag of "scrubbies" from your local dollar or variety store does not have the capacity to hold water. They will not fill up with water. But what they can do is break (disperse) the flow of the raindrops falling down the spout, and dispersed water does not make noise...
Let's get started!
Items needed for this project:
- plastic "scrubbies"
- plastic twine
- scissors
- crochet hook or large eyed needle
Now we are ready to begin!
This is how I made Downspout Noise Mufflers...
Remove the bottom section of the downspout. You will need to make sure of the number of "scrubbies" you will need to stack together, for a gentle but snug fit in the downspout. This will avoid a washout in heavy rain. But also not so snug as to plug up the exit, preventing the rainwater from flowing out. This is about eliminating noise only.
For the downspouts at my house it was a stack of two "scrubbies".
Stack the required number of "scrubbies" to fit your downspout.
Pull out and cut off a piece of plastic twine long enough to thread through the stacked "scrubbies", tie securely, and have enough of a tail hanging, to be able to grasp, when you need to service and maintain the downspout mufflers.
Insert the stacked and tied "scrubbies" up to the 45ish degree bend, in the downspout piece.
Important: The plastic twine tail should be hanging below the nested "scrubbies". So that you can grab it for removal when needed.
Next, reattach the bottom section to the end of the downspout that is attached to your house. You are ready for rain!
You need to know that this is not a once and done, forever application.
You will need to remove the "scrubbies" (and the reason why you left a long-tail) in order to clean out any debris that may have fallen from the roof into the gutter and down the spout.
Regular cleaning of the "scrubbies" will prevent water from baking up in the downspout because of a clog. (yes, I do know this from experience...)
Leaves will be your biggest challenge. But that 5 minutes of maintenance every week or so, as needed, is worth it for a better night's sleep!
Leaves will be your biggest challenge. But that 5 minutes of maintenance every week or so, as needed, is worth it for a better night's sleep!
This inexpensive solution will not eliminate all the noise, but you will be sleeping a whole lot better the next time it rains!
UPDATED: 05.24.2025
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Very clever!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSounds like that fixed your problem but I love to hear it rain, yes, even water coming from the downspouts!! Thanks so much for linking up at #IMadeItMondayLinkParty 2. Shared.
ReplyDeleteOh I too love the sound of rain, but not in the downspout during the middle of the night when I should be sleeping...This little trick does a good job.
DeleteNow, that's a smart idea! I love the pitter-patter sound of rain, but not the gushing sound. :) Visiting from Wonderful Wednesday bloghop.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, thanks so much!
DeleteThank you SO much! The thunk! thunk! thunk! that continues from the water draining to the downspout long after the rain ends was horrid. This is a wonderful fix!
ReplyDeleteTexas rain, thank you! The maintenance upkeep isn't huge, but needs to be done to avoid back up of water in the downspout.
Delete