Need help with a gutter/downspout drainage issue
Hello all. I own and have lived in an attached townhouse for roughly 20 years. Over the course of those years I have been dealing with a pretty serious problem with water runoff from the roof. The problem happens in heavy rainstorms and can and has lead to water entering my house (the kitchen is below ground level). This has caused a great deal of stress, especially for my older mother who lives with me. The issue seems to stem from the fact that I live on a row of townhouses where there seems to be a slight slope toward my downspout (see pictures.)
The Problem:
First of all, I think that the spacing of the 3 existing downspouts on the row may be spaced too far apart, leading to a an overburden of water created at the point of my downspout (farthest right circle in the picture. The spacing seems to be around 45 - 50 feet between downspouts). I suspect that this along with the fact that the water seems to slope toward my downspout is causing overflow.
In heavy rain the gutters/downspout can't handle the flow and water winds up coming off the gutters, into the yard and eventually into the house.
My Proposed Solution (along with things I've attempted already):
Now, while I am no expert, I have thought about this quite a bit. I have already widened the existing downspout (see picture below). I have also put in a tube attached to the bottom of that downspout to divert the water away from the house. These measures, however, have not solved the problem entirely. So, I am thinking that adding a downspout would be a good option.
If anyone here can help advise me as to whether another downspout is a good idea, or if another solution is called for, I would be extremely grateful. Thank you very much.
Comments (6)
James H
4 years agoFirst thank you Yardvaark very much for the response.
Answer to first paragraph questions:
The water is indeed overflowing at the edge of the roof and crashing down through the air (in the second picture above I've circled where this happens). This is the central problem (as far as I can tell).
Second paragraph:
Apart from the water that overflows off the roof, the water escapes via that small drain that you referred to. However, this can't handle much water. However, in a storm the water, not including the runoff from the roof, chiefly drains into the lawn that surrounds the backyard.
Third paragraph:
Yes, I am wondering if I should add a new downspout at the point in the last picture where I have circled. I suspect that an additional downspout would help alleviate the burden of water that the one existing downspout has to handle.
The picture below shows the existing downspout at ground level. The downspout attaches to a tube and diverts the water underground and away from the foundation.
Hopefully I am giving you a decent idea as to what's happening.Related Discussions
Gutter Downspout Suggestions Needed!
Comments (7)I agree with both the above. I know you don't want to do any digging, but that water sitting against your foundation is not good. If you have a use for the water, I suggest a rain barrel. If not, rent a trencher and get 4" corrugated pipe($50 for 100ft) and connectors($5/ea) that match your down spout size and run the water away from the house. You can get a trencher for around $75 for 4 hours or $150 for the day. Depending on how far you have to run the pipe and how many down spouts you have, it shouldn't take long. I ran 4 pipes about 50ft each in under 2 hrs. That was installing the pipe and backfilling, too. Trust me, the couple hundred bucks you spend now will save you a ton in foundation repair later on. Plan ahead, and mark any underground utilities, septic, etc, before you dig. This post was edited by ENVY23 on Sat, Apr 26, 14 at 0:15...See MoreDownspout/gutter drainage
Comments (16)I had the same problem - but I was on the other end. I bought a house where I was TOLD by the seller that there was a french drain in place between the neighbors house and the one I was buying. The first big rain proved that wrong. We don't have basements here in TX, so my house was flooded instead. 3 bedrooms and a bath on that side of the house had standing water. The next weekend, my husband and I put in a french drain system. In this pic you can see my neighbors house (the higher one), their retaining wall, the new drain (designed like a creek bed) and my house is on the other side of the dry creek bed. Under the rock is a trench with landscape fabric and drain pipe and more rocks. We've had some serious rain storms since I put it in and we have had absolutely no problems with it. It probably cost us about $300 in materials and a weekend worth of work, but we had no clue what we were doing. ;) You might consider doing something similar with your landscaping. I've seen others here in TX simply design a small trench to take gutter run-off to the street. think like an extended downspout....See MoreDownspout drainage issues
Comments (3)Cheapest way would be to angle a pipe across the front to drain onto the driveway. Another method would be to bury a pipe out to about a foot from the curb in front with a diffuser to keep the exhaust water from gushing into the street. Third way would be to dig a french drain in the front yard---very expensive and not a good long term(20+ years) solution as those can clog eventually....See Moreneed help with drainage issue.
Comments (0)Our home is situated in a slight decline. The bottom of the slope in the backyard leads to a flat patio area and naturally collects water. We are wanting to install a French drain and/or river-rock bed to help guide the water to the street. Looking for thoughts on placement of the drainage system (s) without dumping the water into the neighbors yards on both sides of us....See More
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