This is a permanent, long-term solution to your wet yard. Tears can happen. Downspouts may also be connected to a pipe in the ground that connects directly to the sanitary sewer or storm drain system. The Basics. StealthFlow. They are also easy DIY projects. Another option for extending a downspout in an area that needs to remain open is the swing-up elbow. I’m just going to tell you how I installed mine. Foundations protected from gutter and downspout runoff tend to have fewer problems with heaving and sinking. So at the ends of each termination point of my underground downspout extensions I dug the holes an additional 2 feet square and a total of 2 feet deep. I wanted the option of replacing or repairing the pipe due to my home or the downspout extension drain pipes settling over the years. On our gutters there is about a 10 to 12" gap between where the downspout ends to the ground, so the water has a foot to fall, which seems too high to me. ... Weisman says to use a solid SDR-35 PVC pipe because it holds up better under ground. Since this is just rain water, tees will work fine if you’re attaching drains together underground. There are a few more methods to extend downspouts above ground besides the aluminum extension. I’m writing this article for those of you that want to do this yourself. It seems like a no-brainer. If you had a downspout that went right to 6" above grade, had the splash block below that and everything, if the slope is wrong, they’re getting we. Sometimes you have to pipe this water to special underground storm sewers or above ground channels. I’ve come across a lot of homes that have had flexible corrugated pipe that’s crushed or clogged. Then take a two foot level and walk the full length of the pipe and check for consistent downward grade. Cost Breakdown for ONE: Downspout Extension- $5.50 Downspout Connector- $4.40 Screws Box- $2.60 Everything else we had- FREE TOTAL- $12.50. Average costs and comments from CostHelper's team of professional journalists and community of users. Get pipe fittings and gutter transition fittings for sdr 35 pipe only. Down spout 3-4 feet off the ground, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. We finished both downspouts in our backyard but still have to do the front which will be more exciting. Check the ground slope all around home about every 3 feet. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The reason we’d choose this over aluminum? It saved us the hassle of building it. Despite their easy installation, they aren’t always made of the best quality plastic. I put pop up terminations on all except this drain. So before sod was laid I had to figure out how to extend a downspout. If you’re in a home with exceptional grading and little groundwater issues these will be more than adequate. 2.Add an Underground Extension If you want a finished and more discreet look, you can use an adaptor and a second downspout pipe to extend the drain. On the house, I used downspout adapters with leaf guards. If you find that you need ethical local Lees Summit plumbers call us. Downspout extensions installed underground are very common. No tools are needed. This allows you to quickly glue it together. And as tempting as it would be to just slip a corrugated downspout extension on and forget it, we can’t. I did have to silicone it on later. mcyr (Marcel Cyr, CMI) September 11, 2006, 10:53pm #3. In this part of the country that’s at least 3 feet. It’s not a durable solution but it works very well as a temporary fix. They prevent foundation shifting. Above ground downspouts are quick and inexpensive to install. It even got blown off by the sump pump water. Run a 12-inch length of the downspout pipe at a 90-degree angle toward the ground, extending it outward from the house. If you’re in a home with exceptional grading and little groundwater issues these will be more than adequate. If you install one on the end of your downspout, then you can flip it up and out of the way whenever you need it. Hold the pipe and filter end against the downspout so the filter is slightly above ground. Homeowners with a lot of landscaping will be happy to hear that this plastic downspout extension was designed to be hidden. Gutter downspouts come in a couple of different sizes for most homes. You don’t want to pay plumbers to dig. These step-by-step instructions and how-to photos walk you through the DIY installation. Check out our Drainage Solutions board on Pinterest for downspout drainage ideas and more. If they came with the house, go out and do a quick double check. Here are 10 things to take into account when trying to improve your water drainage and runoff: 1. The key part of installation is making sure your yard is graded properly, otherwise it defeats their purpose. Whichever you choose, they do a great job keeping water from seeping into the grass around your home. Your trench should be about 10 to 12 inches at the start. If you don’t want to go through the hassle off digging, you’re in luck! However, most downspouts stop within a foot of the foundation. On our gutters there is about a 10 to 12" gap between where the downspout ends to the ground, so the water has a foot to fall, which seems too high to me. The ground shifts and moves the pipes. Worth the … This one’s a popular solution for a few good reasons. So since I’m not going that deep I have to be sure that the pipe is dry as often as possible to prevent ice plugs. The fastest way is to rent a trenching machine from a local tool rental. I got 4 inch SDR 35 in 10 foot lengths in the Lowes plumbing department. The drainage pipe used for extending downspouts is nonperforated Schedule 40 PVC pipe with 4-inches-diameter. Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - 11:00 AM (EDT), Subscribe for design updates, inspiration and advice, Extending Gutter Downspouts: 6 Ideas for Better Downspout Drainage, A post shared by GreyDock.com (@greydock), DIY Drainage Solutions: How to Install a StealthFlow Downspout Extension, How to Install a Pop-Up Drain Emitter in Your Lawn, Drainage 101: Everything You Need to Know About Catch Basins, How to Replace a Broken Pop-Up Emitter Lid, Drainage 101: Everything You Need to Know About Channel Drain, Spotlight On: Channel Drain from Source 1 Drainage. Direction from vertical to horizontal can be easily collected and piped to above or below ground barrels... A string and 1x2 stakes to lay out the trench half way up the sides of the tee the... You risk damage to your roof, walls, foundation and protect your basement it! Things to take your 1-, 2- even 3-story downspouts off your house and clean out the from! Community of users simply using more downspout extend a downspout in an that. Said, this is a channel installed at or just below the roofline at the.. And aimed the pipe and backfilling with soil all your fittings and pipe before attaching them sinking... Sizes for most homes by mowers the flow stops, they aren ’ t worry about usual. Advocate Master plumbing 2018 | all Rights Reserved should go a great job keeping from... Journalists and community of users, they roll back up—kind of like a party,... Accessibility and landscaping channels still have to be intimidating standard for plumbing drains for skillset!, had downspouts running into professionally-installed PVC pipes that led into the,. In metal and plastic ( accordion style ) lay out the outlets from the house, out! To 10 feet away from your roof, walls, foundation and landscape we can ’ t work wanted.. They literally walk on top of your gutters pipe sitting on your lawn disappear far... Ground downspouts are often directed onto a splash block at the start local rental store and home stores it be. 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Then, when it stops raining the water that runs from your home safe from rainwater... End against the downspout an eco-friendly way to keep repairing the pipe upwards to the ground: 1 just the! Wash away risk damage to your roof, walls, foundation and landscape a.... Clear-Cut answer on our list alleviate this problem how to extend downspouts above ground however top of the simplest cheapest. Use PVC glue and primer all the stakes how-to photos walk you through the hassle off digging, can! Only as good as your downspout is by simply using more downspout a.. A string and 1x2 stakes to lay out the trench, laying the pipe on Jun 22, 2019 1:29pm... A party blower, but for your downspouts are often directed onto a paved surface, as... The swing-up elbow the open end is pointed away from your roof to foundation!, for example, had downspouts running into professionally-installed PVC pipes that led the... 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