Rainwater may refresh your lawn and landscaping, but it can also threaten the very foundation of your home by eroding soil and saturating the ground. Simple rain gutters and downspouts are often not enough to provide the necessary protection from water damage. There are several types of downspout extensions, splash blocks, and other tools to help provide better control over where the water around your home goes, helping prevent foundation damage, basement flooding, and muddy yards. Understanding the benefits offered by different types of downspout extensions can help you select the best one for your home. Below, the types you should know are outlined.
Splash Blocks
The most common types of downspout extensions are known as splash blocks. These sloping ramps are normally made of plastic or concrete. They are placed beneath the opening of the downspout, redirecting water away from the building and cushioning the impact of the falling water. As useful as splash blocks may be, they require frequent repositioning, due to the impact of the water, and few splash blocks are long enough to do an adequate job, unless your home is already positioned at the top of a slope that would pull water away with simple gravity.
Metal Gutter Extensions
Metal gutter types are, simply put, continuations of the same metal tubing the vertical downspout is made of, but for a longer distance away from the home. This may help reduce basement seepage and soil erosion, but you may break your neck tripping over it, and lifting the lawnmower over it each week of summer is sure to get tiresome. While relatively effective, metal gutter extensions are inherently troublesome to walk and work around.
Automatic Or Roll Out Downspout Extensions
Automatic or roll out downspout extensions act as hoses connecting to the existing downspout. Roll up types unroll when it rains and roll back up when it’s dry. Roll out downspouts come in tubes either 25 or 50 feet long, safely diverting water away from the home, without taking up valuable space, helping to prevent basement flooding, soil erosion, and destruction of flower beds.
Made with a durable UV coating and no metal parts to rust, roll out downspout extensions can be left out in the elements year round for added convenience. Roll out types are compliant with downspout disconnection programs for older homes, and reduce the potential for pollution due to sewer overflows, while still replenishing the natural groundwater aquifer. Another advantage of a closed system, such as provided by roll up kinds: pest control chemicals found around the home, stay where needed. Roll up downspout extensions are easy to install and require no special tools or skills and they offer a self-cleaning design to expel dirt, leaves, and debris automatically.
Selecting the best rainwater diverter for your home involves taking into account the natural slope of the property, the soil composition, and the average rainfall for your region. Diverting rainwater away from your home may prevent basement flooding; soil erosion; and saturated soil, while protecting your home’s value and your healthiness for years to come.