Downspouts and Drainage

Ensuring your downspouts are clear and functioning properly helps direct water away from your home, protecting your foundation and landscape, and saving you costly repairs in the long run. Clogged or damaged downspouts can cause rainwater to overflow, leading to potential foundation issues, basement flooding, or erosion around your property. To check if your downspouts are functioning properly, you can follow these steps:

1. Visual Inspection:
   • Look for any visible signs of damage, blockages, or clogs in the downspouts. Ensure they are firmly attached to the gutters and the foundation.
2. Check for Debris:
   • Take off the green pop-up emitter cap if you have one and clean out the debris caught in the elbow of the pipe where it connects to the green pop-up emitter cap. If you don’t have a pop-up emitter, check to see if the daylight opening of the pipe is unobstructed. If you have neither of those things, it’s best to consult an expert to come out to assess the condition. Use gloves and pull out any debris/leaves from the elbow of the pipe, then run the water test below.
3. Run a Water Test:
   • Run a water hose inside the top of the pipe where it comes off from the house.  If it’s hard to inspect the downspout without deconstructing something, contact a professional about installing a downspout cleanout adapter, so you can safely and easily twist off the PVC cap top, and put a water hose down the pipe to ensure proper functioning with the water test. 
4. Check for Proper Drainage:
   • Ensure that the water is being directed away from the house. The downspouts should empty at least 10 ft away or as far as needed to continuously run water downslope of the property
5. Look for Cracks or Leaks:
   • Inspect the downspouts for cracks or areas where water might be leaking. Small leaks may be easily fixed with a sealant, but larger cracks might require replacement.
6. Inspect the Downspout Extensions:
   • If your downspouts have extensions that carry water away from your home, check to ensure these are properly positioned and not blocked or damaged.
7. Check for Standing Water:
   • After it rains, check around the base of the downspouts for any standing water. This could indicate problems with the downspout, surrounding grade or drainage systems in place, and/or soil type. 

By regularly checking and maintaining your downspouts, you can avoid water damage and keep your home’s foundation safe.

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