STEVE FUSI, Bedford

A. It sure does. To correct the situation, your best bet is to extend that downspout along the lower roof so that it discharges directly into a gutter. It may not look so hot but who will notice, as long as the shingles are spared that erosive gushing.

Q. Water dripping down the downspouts of my house and hitting the elbow with a pinging sound is driving me bananas. How can I deaden those dripping sounds?

DAVE STAHL, Spring, Tex.

A. One way to stop the pinging is to remove the lower elbow and let water drip directly on the splashblock; the splashblock is plastic or concrete, and the sound will be softened.

Or, place a sheet of lead flashing at the bottom of the elbow; lead flashing is pliable enough to fit contours of the downspouts. There is unlikely to be a problem with lead being leached out by water.

Or, place a bit of carpeting at the bottom of the lower elbow and possibly at the one at the top elbow as well. You may still hear the dripping but it will make a dull thud rather than a ping. Telegraphing of the pinging sound will also be reduced.

Q. I understand I can treat a new galvanized downspout with vinegar or paint thinner to prepare it for painting. Should I thin out the vinegar or paint thinner?

C.J., Waltham

A. There is no need to thin either vinegar or paint thinner. After that, when the solution dries, prime with oil-based exterior primer, and finish with one or two coats of oil paint.

Q. The bricks in my chimney are crumbling above the roofline. What is causing it? Can I sheathe the entire chimney, that is exposed from the ground up, with siding?

VINCENT SCITTARELLI, Acton

A. Avoid sheathing it; the only way you can sheathe a chimney with siding any non-masonry material is if you install an insulated flue liner the full length of the chimney. All flues in that chimney must have insulated flue liners.

The crumbling is caused by water, which is usually hitting the chimney from the outside, and the fact that the bricks are common brick, and very susceptible to water. You could parge the chimney with mortar, which would keep water away from the bricks but is unlikely to stop the crumbling. Parging is not practical because you'd have to do the whole chimney.

A better way to go is to rebuild the chimney from the roofline up. If you use a hard brick, crumbling will not even start.

Q. I have one downspout that is driving me bananas when it rains. Water running down it hits the elbow at the bottom with a loud ping, and the ping telegraphs all the way up and down the downspout. It's weird how noisy it is. What can I do?

S.L., Southborough

A. One of three things should work. 1. Remove the elbow and allow the water to drop on a plastic or concrete splashblock. 2. Install a piece of lead flashing at the crook of the elbow. The lead is pliable enough to fit in the crook, and heavy enough to stay put. Any lead leaching out of the flashing is insignificant. The falling water will make a ``thud'' instead of that ``ping.'' 3. If you are leery about using lead, glue on a piece of carpeting.