A downspout elbow piece can help direct water outward from the building.
Often made of rust-resistant aluminum or PVC, the gutter system on the house catches water off the roof and directs it to the ground through downspouts. Downspouts often occur at the corners of the house, although they may be placed in any low spot in the gutter system. At the base of the downspout, the tube chute curves outward to dispense the draining water away from the foundation. Homeowners may use a slanted concrete drip block to lay on the ground to direct the water away from the house or install an extension to channel the water several feet away from a patio, sidewalk or the building's foundation. Does this Spark an idea?
Importance
The main purpose of a gutter and downspout system on a building is to control the runoff of precipitation from the roof and efficiently direct the water away from the building foundation. Water that pools next to the foundation seeps downward and can infiltrate into the structure's basement. Saturated soil around the building's foundation or footings can destabilize the soil. Alternating cycles of wet to dry or liquid to freezing along the foundation can lead to structural shifting or cracking of underground construction materials. The downspout's elbow helps the water flow away from the building. An extension of this elbow ensures that the water flows onto soil well away from the foundation.
Options
Extending the downspout may be done through an additional long piece of aluminum or PVC downspout conduit. Alternatively, a long chute on the ground may be placed to guide water away from the building. When a patio, driveway or sidewalk is at the base of the building and an aboveground extension isn't practical because it becomes a hazard, an underground extension is possible. An underground downspout extension involves digging a PVC conduit under the surface material to move the water far from the building. The underground conduit may release water to the soil surface on slope or abruptly end underground, relying on the water to quickly soak into the soil to dissipate.
Insight
Extending the downspout aboveground may prove less expensive and more effective than underground options. With a elbow piece in place on the base of the downspout, you may add any length of extension to guide the water away from the building. Match downspout materials so that aluminum is used in tandem with aluminum and PVC with PVC downspout systems. Aluminum downspouts may be easier to manipulate to make pieces fit. A cut into the end of an aluminum downspout or elbow may be bent inward to allow two pieces to be wedged together. PVC pieces are rigid and not easily bent or joined together without sealant.
Extension Length
You may make the extension from the downspout any length desired. Prefabricated or cut extension pieces may only be 3 feet long. However, aluminum downspout pieces or PVC conduit is available in many diameters and lengths. The farther you can chute the water from the foundation, the better. The fewer connections or joints, the fewer locations for holes or mismatched joints to allow for leaks. Whatever length extension used, the spout end must be at a grade that shunts water away. Avoid too short an extension that causes expelled water to pool and flood an area next to the foundation or atop a driveway, patio or walkway.
Tags: away from, from building, water away, water away from, away from building, aluminum downspout, building foundation