How to connect a second story gutter to a first story gutter cleanly
Running a second-story downspout directly onto a first-story roof looks awkward, sticks out, and can cause shingle damage over time. Without a clean connection method, homeowners are left choosing between an eyesore that hovers above the roof or letting water pour directly onto the shingles.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using a flexible downspout extension to bridge the upper and lower gutters
- 2Letting water pour directly from the second-story roof onto the first-story shingles like the rest of the neighborhood
- 3Trimming the elbow to let the downspout sit flush
- 4Running the upper downspout all the way to ground level
- 5Ignoring the aesthetic issue
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“So everyone told me (including inspector) that my second story gutter should connect to the first story gutter to prevent shingle loss.”source ↗
“Looks a little silly and everyone else in the neighborhood just has it pouring onto the roof.”source ↗
“Previously, the downspout rested on my roof. Now it’s floating like 3 inches off my roof. In my opinion, this looks a bit silly.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 2Why are my roof shingles lifting near the gutters?
- 10HVAC lineset leaking through the roof