I have a two story house with new gutters. In high winds the one right outside the master bedroom starts making an amazing amount of noise. I had the gutter people install an additional support on every downspout. Didn't help. Outside, it isn't very loud, but inside? Whoa! I liken it to a banjo: the wind "plucks" the downspout like an open string and the vibration travels through the mount into the wall and the wall acts like the banjo head, amplifying the sound. My initial thought was: If I add an additional support(s) it may either quell the problem altogether, or, change the vibration frequency a lot like playing a different fret on that banjo. Maybe a properly placed single support would be like playing a fret high up on the neck, and to now get the same degree of vibration but at at a higher pitch requires more energy in the vibrating string, or, more wind in this case. The placement would not be at the exact midway point or you have an octave which my instincts tell me would probably resonate in the same wind conditions since the full length resonates now. It would need to be placed -- oh, I'll just guess here -- a couple of semitones away from the midpoint (octave) of two mounts. That could be scaled directly from a guitar. Now there would be two unrelated and much higher frequencies... hopefully it wouldn't play an obnoxious and out-of-tune chord! lol My second and far more practical thought is to dampen the downspout a lot like dampening a stringed instrument. In one really strong wind storm my wife went outside and jammed a bath towel between the spout and wall [bless her heart]. That did it. It got me thinking as to what to use. Not something hard like a rubber stopper because that would just act like moving the bridge on a banjo or using a capo on a guitar -- the resonant frequency would be shifted and that would be all. Have to use something that will absorb the energy and not transmit it into the wall. Based on a suggestion that I saw on some forum I'll try using the slit tubular foam for insulating water pipes. Cut off a six inch section, "open it up" and shove it between the spout and wall. If that works, great! A CHAD (CHeap And Dirty) fix! I'll just have to replace it periodically as the foam ages and becomes compressed. It will irk me because I would rather fix it entirely than put a bandaid on it, but there you have it. If you have experience with this and have come up with workarounds or solutions, please reply!
hi! Thank you for all your input! I was suspecting that, in my case, the noise comes from where the downspout elbow joint the gutter. I have notice that all such joints make the buzzing noises in my house. I am sure that in my case the noise comes from some metal part vibrating hard against other metal part but not the wall. I am going to try putting some dampening inside the downspout where it connects the downward extension part of the gutter, and see if it works.
RME, thanks for the comments. The problem has expanded. It's not just the downspouts. The soffit material vibrates when the wind is blowing hard enough from the right direction. During the pre-buy inspection of our house, the inspector noticed that although the perforated soffit material was on the under side of the overhang, there were no actual holes in the plywood. So I hired a contractor I come in, peel the soffit material away and drill a few holes every other bay to encourage proper ventilation in the attic (had him widen the ridge vent gap as well). Now, the soffit material itself vibrates like crazy. And when it's not blowing like crazy I forget about it. So, thanks for the reminder! I have to address this ASAP, I get so pissed off when a storm comes and I have to listen to it while we lie in bed. My first attempt was to bang a few siding nails up into the soffit material. It improved but didn't completely solve it. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I just noticed my downspouts doing that today. I watched as the bottom part vibrated against the stone base of the house. I wedged a 1" x 2" behind both spouts and figured that would do the trick but I noticed the sound again. I went outside & waited for a gust of wind.When it came, I saw the entire downspout vibrating. My downspouts are spaced at least 5" - 6" away from the house near the top. Only at the bottom do they come close enough to the house to touch it. That's where I put the 1" x 2"s. Now I'm not sure what to do.
I have it going on right now as I speak, it's only on one downspout. I'm going to try the pipe insulation and see if that works. I also had a gutter guy out to look at it and put extra supports in as well but tonight's cold front is proving that wrong. Never ever let a roofing company install gutters...get a gutter company
I'm going to try to wedge phenolic spacers between the house and the downspout. I'm bitterly disappointed that the company that installed my rain gutters just threw their hands up and said "you're in a high wind area, nuthin we can do. Thank you for choosing our business. Now go away, you're bothering us".
RME, thanks for the comments. The problem has expanded. It's not just the downspouts. The soffit material vibrates when the wind is blowing hard enough from the right direction. During the pre-buy inspection of our house, the inspector noticed that although the perforated soffit material was on the under side of the overhang, there were no actual holes in the plywood. So I hired a contractor I come in, peel the soffit material away and drill a few holes every other bay to encourage proper ventilation in the attic (had him widen the ridge vent gap as well). Now, the soffit material itself vibrates like crazy. And when it's not blowing like crazy I forget about it. So, thanks for the reminder! I have to address this ASAP, I get so pissed off when a storm comes and I have to listen to it while we lie in bed. My first attempt was to bang a few siding nails up into the soffit material. It improved but didn't completely solve it. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I have a two story house with new gutters. In high winds the one right outside the master bedroom starts making an amazing amount of noise. I had the gutter people install an additional support on every downspout. Didn't help. Outside, it isn't very loud, but inside? Whoa!
I liken it to a banjo: the wind "plucks" the downspout like an open string and the vibration travels through the mount into the wall and the wall acts like the banjo head, amplifying the sound.
My initial thought was: If I add an additional support(s) it may either quell the problem altogether, or, change the vibration frequency a lot like playing a different fret on that banjo. Maybe a properly placed single support would be like playing a fret high up on the neck, and to now get the same degree of vibration but at at a higher pitch requires more energy in the vibrating string, or, more wind in this case. The placement would not be at the exact midway point or you have an octave which my instincts tell me would probably resonate in the same wind conditions since the full length resonates now. It would need to be placed -- oh, I'll just guess here -- a couple of semitones away from the midpoint (octave) of two mounts. That could be scaled directly from a guitar. Now there would be two unrelated and much higher frequencies... hopefully it wouldn't play an obnoxious and out-of-tune chord! lol
My second and far more practical thought is to dampen the downspout a lot like dampening a stringed instrument. In one really strong wind storm my wife went outside and jammed a bath towel between the spout and wall [bless her heart]. That did it. It got me thinking as to what to use. Not something hard like a rubber stopper because that would just act like moving the bridge on a banjo or using a capo on a guitar -- the resonant frequency would be shifted and that would be all. Have to use something that will absorb the energy and not transmit it into the wall.
Based on a suggestion that I saw on some forum I'll try using the slit tubular foam for insulating water pipes. Cut off a six inch section, "open it up" and shove it between the spout and wall. If that works, great! A CHAD (CHeap And Dirty) fix! I'll just have to replace it periodically as the foam ages and becomes compressed.
It will irk me because I would rather fix it entirely than put a bandaid on it, but there you have it. If you have experience with this and have come up with workarounds or solutions, please reply!
hi! Thank you for all your input! I was suspecting that, in my case, the noise comes from where the downspout elbow joint the gutter. I have notice that all such joints make the buzzing noises in my house. I am sure that in my case the noise comes from some metal part vibrating hard against other metal part but not the wall. I am going to try putting some dampening inside the downspout where it connects the downward extension part of the gutter, and see if it works.
@@justarandomfishguy8868 Follow-up: I used the foam; it worked fine. Cheers!
RME, thanks for the comments. The problem has expanded. It's not just the downspouts. The soffit material vibrates when the wind is blowing hard enough from the right direction. During the pre-buy inspection of our house, the inspector noticed that although the perforated soffit material was on the under side of the overhang, there were no actual holes in the plywood. So I hired a contractor I come in, peel the soffit material away and drill a few holes every other bay to encourage proper ventilation in the attic (had him widen the ridge vent gap as well). Now, the soffit material itself vibrates like crazy. And when it's not blowing like crazy I forget about it. So, thanks for the reminder! I have to address this ASAP, I get so pissed off when a storm comes and I have to listen to it while we lie in bed. My first attempt was to bang a few siding nails up into the soffit material. It improved but didn't completely solve it.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Shouldnt it be so tight against the house that it wont vibrate
I just noticed my downspouts doing that today. I watched as the bottom part vibrated against the stone base of the house. I wedged a 1" x 2" behind both spouts and figured that would do the trick but I noticed the sound again. I went outside & waited for a gust of wind.When it came, I saw the entire downspout vibrating. My downspouts are spaced at least 5" - 6" away from the house near the top. Only at the bottom do they come close enough to the house to touch it. That's where I put the 1" x 2"s. Now I'm not sure what to do.
I have it going on right now as I speak, it's only on one downspout. I'm going to try the pipe insulation and see if that works. I also had a gutter guy out to look at it and put extra supports in as well but tonight's cold front is proving that wrong. Never ever let a roofing company install gutters...get a gutter company
I'm going to try to wedge phenolic spacers between the house and the downspout.
I'm bitterly disappointed that the company that installed my rain gutters just threw their hands up and said "you're in a high wind area, nuthin we can do. Thank you for choosing our business. Now go away, you're bothering us".
Did you manage to fix it? I have the same problem in my house
Freerider, see my post above. Maybe it'll work for you?
RME, thanks for the comments. The problem has expanded. It's not just the downspouts. The soffit material vibrates when the wind is blowing hard enough from the right direction. During the pre-buy inspection of our house, the inspector noticed that although the perforated soffit material was on the under side of the overhang, there were no actual holes in the plywood. So I hired a contractor I come in, peel the soffit material away and drill a few holes every other bay to encourage proper ventilation in the attic (had him widen the ridge vent gap as well). Now, the soffit material itself vibrates like crazy. And when it's not blowing like crazy I forget about it. So, thanks for the reminder! I have to address this ASAP, I get so pissed off when a storm comes and I have to listen to it while we lie in bed. My first attempt was to bang a few siding nails up into the soffit material. It improved but didn't completely solve it.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!