10 gutter and downspout runoff tips.
Best way to run gutters away from house.
Dry wells reservoirs.
There are many things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your gutters.
Diverting water away from the house with rain gutters and drain trenches may not be enough.
A proper roof runoff system diverts the flow of water away from paved areas and toward storm drain systems and most importantly away from your home.
But if the rain or melted snow channeled off the roof isn t carried far enough away from the house it will collect against the foundation wall or footing and seep into your basement or crawl space.
As a minimum the slope should extend 10 feet from the foundation and drop 6 inches which results in a 5 percent grade.
In this video this old house landscape contractor roger cook shares tips for draining rainwater away from your house.
Gutter leaks usually start at rusty spots or seams that have opened up because of expansion and contraction.
Attach elbow to bottom end of downspout and connect a downspout extension to carry rainwater away from the foundation.
Before installing gutters rainwater from the roof fell to the ground and didn t flow anywhere before soaking in to the soil hence large spring rains lead to water in the basement.
Small yards may wind up with puddling and pooling of water away from the structure requiring a man made.
If that water isn t carried far enough away from the house you risk damage to your foundation or basement.
The house sits in the front half of the property which is flat.
Many drainage issues stem from improper grading techniques during a home or building s construction.
When surface water has no place to go it pools and floods.
Downspouts are the parts of the gutter that run vertically from the roof gutter to the ground.
The slope s effectiveness depends on the percentage of the grade and the soil s permeability.
Grading the soil away from your house helps carry rainwater away from its foundation.
They should direct water at least 6 feet 1 8 m away from the foundation of your house.
If yours currently don t do this you can add extensions to make them more effective.
If your gutter is still basically sound the easiest way to stop the leak is by covering the damaged area with roof and gutter repair tape available at home centers and hardware stores.
I wanted a good way to get rainwater from the roof as far away from the house as possible.
Clean gutters regularly to keep rainwater flowing freely.
Site grading involves changing the landscape to encourage water to flow in the desired direction away from the house.
These extensions are inexpensive and relatively easy to install.
