Expert Advice on Home Improvement TV Host of Emmy®-Nominated Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather ChannelRoofing, Repairs and Installation Published 09/11/2007 by Danny Lipford
Nothing is more annoying than having to walk through a waterfall coming off your roof to reach the front door every time it rains. Fortunately, there’s an easy and inexpensive solution to the problem.
Rain diverters are available at most building supply stores including The Home Depot. They are easiest to install on asphalt roofing and consist of an “L” shaped piece of sheet metal that fits under the roofing above the entranceway.
First, cut the diverter about a foot longer on each side than the area you want to keep dry.
Center the diverter over the area to be covered using a plumb bob or a string with a weight attached. Using a pry bar or putty knife, loosen the second row of shingles up from the edge of the roof where the diverter will be located.
Slide the diverter under the shingles.
Slant the diverter so that one side is slightly lower than the other to allow for drainage. A drop of 1” is plenty for a 6′ diverter.
Carefully lift up the shingle tabs to keep from breaking them, and nail the diverter in place with roofing nails. Position the nails so they will be covered by the shingles and are a few inches up from the bottom edge of the overlapping shingles.
Dab roofing cement on the nail heads, under each shingle tab, and in any gaps between the shingles to keep water from getting underneath the diverter. Press the shingles down to seal them back in place.
That’s all there is to it. Now you won’t get soaked on the way to the mailbox when it rains.
Be sure and clean behind the rain diverter from time to time to keep leaves and other debris from building up.
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September 24th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Dear Danny,
ArmorLite Roofing Technology has made the biggest breakthrough in the history of the roofing industry, having created the lightest, most eco-friendly, safest, and most durable roofing product ever. For decades, engineers and scientists tried to create alternatives to the archaic roofing industry, which for 100 years has used landfill-cluttering, unecofriendly, unsafe materials like wood, clay, metal and asphalt. No one succeeded — until now. ArmorLite weighs a staggering eight times less than other materials. (The average roof weighs up to 30,000 pounds. ArmorLite’s is 3,500 pounds.) ArmorLite is also 100% recyclable, has 0% waste in manufacturing, dramatically reduces energy costs, will not break or deterioriate, and is immune to rotting and mold.
Kindest regards,
Rick Weinberg
October 11th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I have searched all local building supply
companies for this type of rain diverter and have had no luck! Home Depot didn’t carry
it either. Do you know if I can order them
on-line?
October 17th, 2007 at 11:34 am
[…] Remove the clamps and attach the diverter to the roof as detailed in the article Installing a Rain Diverter. […]
Ben Erickson Says:October 17th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
John,
Rain diverters are available in the roofing departments of many home improvement stores and online from several suppliers including Amazon.com.
In response to your question, we have posted an article on how to make a diverter yourself.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I bought a rain diverter from Home Depot in the building materials dept with the drip edge and flashing products. A 10 ft. section of 7-1/2 inch diverter was $4.99, plus tax.
December 23rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
BENDTEK - located on Cape Cod fabricates custom rain diverters from sheet copper. very attractive, I had a 10′ diverter fabricated, although it was a little more expensive than using drip edge. Web site available at www.bendtek.com and very responsive. They ship.
April 6th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I make rain diverters with aluminum, any color to match roofing color, any size to 10′
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Lowe’s carries rain diverters for only $7.95 a sheet…