Your Guide to Attaching Gutter Downspouts to Brick

Downspout straps and clips, which hold the pipe in place against your brick, come in different shapes and materials. Straps are usually thin and malleable sheets of metal. Clips, which are similar to gutter hangers, are either made from plastic or metal. They typically have a specific shape that needs to match your style of gutter. 

For example, half-round gutters usually have a downspout with a more rounded shape, so you’ll want to pick a rounded downspout clip. K-style gutters usually have a gutter with a square shape, so you’ll want to use a square clip. With downspout straps, you’ll just want to match your gutter color and material.

Sometimes a loose downspout is a symptom of another problem. When a downspout separates from the gutter, it puts tension on the straps. This can cause your downspout to separate from the wall over time. You’ll need to secure the connection to fix the problem.

Take a look at where your downspout connects to the gutter. A proper installation will use a gutter outlet. Sometimes, though, a contractor will cut a gutter into flaps and attach the downspout to the flaps—which is prone to leaks and separation. Regardless, you may need to tighten or replace the downspout screws and seal the seams with gutter sealant. If you don’t have a gutter outlet, consider installing one to prevent future problems.

Use your carbide-tip drill bit to drill holes in the brick for the downspout clips or straps. For clips, you’ll have to drill a pilot hole on either side of the downspout. For straps, you’ll drill one hole in the center, place the pipe over the strap, and wrap the strap around the pipe. Your holes should be 1/2 inch deeper than you expect your screw to penetrate and:

• Six inches down from the top of your downspout

• Six inches up from the bottom of your downspout

If you don’t have a seamless gutter, you may want to install additional straps for each section. Clean out each hole with a wire brush. Always wear safety gear when drilling into masonry.

It’s time to screw your downspout straps or clips into the brick using concrete screws and a hex-head nut driver bit or Phillips screwdriver bit. Be careful not to over-torque the screws, or they won't be able to hold the strap securely. If you’re using clips that have holes on either side of the gutter:

• Place the clip around your gutter

• Align the holes in the clip with the pilot holes in the brick

• Screw a concrete screw into each hole

• Once the screws are secure and the clip is snug against the gutter and wall, your job is done.

If you’re using a downspout strap, it requires a little additional work:

• Prescrew a hole into the middle of the strap

• Align the strap’s hole with the pilot hole you made in step three

• Screw the strap into the brick wall with a concrete screw

• Proceed to step five

Slide the downspout over the downspout strap. Wrap the downspout strap around the downspout. The strap should be tight against the pipe, and the pipe should be flush against the brick wall. Place one final sheet metal screw into the center of where the straps overlap. This will keep the strap secure. 

Follow these steps until you’ve installed every downspout strap or clip. If you’re using downspout straps that are fairly bare-bones, you may want to install decorative straps on top using the steps.