Diverting Rain Water Away From Your Home Can Be Simple

Published On: February 6, 2019|Categories: Blog, Buyers, Featured, Seasonal, Sellers, Tips, Life Hacks & How-to|Tags: basement flooding, basement leaks, DIY downspouts, DIY projects, downspout extenders, drains, gutters|

[Photo via Flickr | CC 2.0]

Did you know that for every inch of rain in a storm that we get, our rooves divert around 600 gallons of water?! Our gutters are meant to catch this water and divert them from the home, but that doesn’t always work. Clogged gutters can certainly stop it, but even perfectly clog-free gutters don’t always divert the water away successfully. Then, the water ends up around the foundation and might leak into your basement if there is enough water.

How Long Should Your Downspouts Be?

The truth is, many of the homes that we will be showing you during your home search, might need to have a little gutter work done when you finally move in. Downspouts should divert water at least eight to ten feet away from your home’s foundation! If they aren’t, you risk water in your new basement. With the crazy storms we’ve been seeing the last couple of years, this is becoming a problem even in homes that have been dry for decades. The solution is remarkably simple too. Obviously, some homes have built in underground drain lines for downspouts. Many of the homes we will show you will simply be equipped with normal downspouts.

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Downspout Extender Options

All you have to do is extend your downspouts. The cost is minimal. Extending your downspouts will save you a massive headache later. All you will need to do is buy a vinyl or aluminum elbow, attach it to your current downspout and extend it out with another section. Of course, you can also invest in fancier downspout extenders, but the important thing is that you get the water eight to ten feet from your foundation.

If you don’t like the idea of an eight foot downspout coming out of your home, you can pay a little bit more for a product that lets you only extend your downspout when its raining. These are plastic pipes that look like accordions. They are still very affordable.

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Plus, you could get another product like the Drain Away system. It’s a vinyl tube. You attach it to your downspout. It stays rolled up, but unrolls when it rains. You can cut it to your desired length. The only downside is that you have to roll it back up when the rain stops. If your concern is the visibility of a downspout though, this is the perfect solution.

Another option is a product called UnderGround Downspout Extension Kit. It uses a debris filtering system above ground and an underground pipe that leads to a bubbler pot. A bubbler pot then disburses the water, but it’s located several feet from your foundation, so it won’t do damage! This is a perfect DIY project provided you’re comfortable gluing PVC pipe. Remember though, anytime you dig, check with the utility companies to make sure you know where it’s safe to dig!

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