How to Redirect Rain Off a Roof

Sometimes rain decides to pour down your roof in the most inconvenient of spots. Waterfalls may appear over entryways or in other undesirable areas during heavy rains. With some basic materials, you can easily divert this rainwater as desired. You can obtain a basic rain diverter from a hardware store, or bend the sheet metal yourself. The concept is simple: a piece of sheet metal constructed with a lip, installed at an angle under roof shingles to catch and divert falling water. Install diverters wherever problem spots occur.

Ladder
Aluminum sheet metal
Utility knife
Rubber mallet
Wooden block
Roofing nails
Hammer
Roofing cement

Instructions

- 1
  Obtain a piece of aluminum sheet metal. Use a straight edge and a utility knife to score the sheet at a width of 8 inches. Bend the sheet metal back and forth until it snaps. Then, bend a 2-inch lip along the edge. Use a rubber mallet and a wooden block to carefully bend the lip to a 90-degree angle.
- 2
  Observe the problem areas where rain is pouring from the room. Cut the rain diverter down to 1 foot longer than the length of the problem area. This extra length ensures that splashing does not become a problem where the rain is diverted. Most rain diverters are made of sheet metal. Use a utility knife to score the metal and bend it back and forth until it breaks.
- 3
  Loosen the shingles where the diverter will be installed, using a pry bar. Set the sheet in place so that it is at a slight angle, to ensure water flows downward. A downward slope of 1 inch every 6 feet is sufficient.
- 4
  Slide the long part of the piece under the shingles and secure it in place with roofing nails and a hammer. The lip should be exposed and facing up and out.
- 5
  Apply roofing cement to the nail heads so that the shingles stick in place.
- 6
  Spray water at the installation with a garden hose to see how it flows.

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