Install a drain pipe at each gutter downspout to prevent rain water from discharging close to your foundation wall.
Diverting downspout water away from your basement wall is one of the important things that you can do to reduce the risk of a flooded basement.
Diverting water discharge from a gutter downspout is most important during periods of heavy rainfall.
You may be getting 57,000 gallons of water on your roof annually.
It is important to divert downspout water away from your basement because of the large amount of water that discharges through your downspouts.
If the annual rainfall in the region where you live is approximately 45 inches, and the size of your roof size of 2000 square feet (an average-size house), more than 57,000 gallons of water lands on the roof during the year.
Install the diverter yourself?
Installing a downspout drain pipe is a task that many homeowners are capable of doing themselves.
Or, contact a landscaping contractor to install the downspout diverter to install downspout drain pipes.
How far should the diverter pipe extend away from the house?
A drain pipe should extend at least ten feet away from the house if the ground slopes away from the house at least six inches in that ten foot distance.
Extend the drain pipe beyond the ten foot length if the ground slopes less than six inches in a ten foot distance from the house.
The construction materials needed are:
The drain pipe, which is usually a black corrugated plastic pipe that is five inches in diameter, can be connected to the gutter downspout with a plastic adapter fitting that neatly connects the drain pipe to the downspout.
The drain pipe can also be fitted directly over the downspout if the downspout elbow at the bottom of the downspout is removed.
How to terminate the end of the drain pipe:
The discharge end of the drain pipe can be fitted with one of several types of commercially available outlet drains or catch basins.
The drain pipe can terminate directly at ground level without any terminal fittings if the ground slope is adequate.
Avoid terminating a drain pipe into a granular French drain unless the ground conditions are appropriate and if you or your contractor is knowledgeable about their proper installation.
An improperly installed French drain will stop functioning properly after it fills with sediment that is unable to properly drain.