Gutters require strategically placed downspouts to protect your home exterior from water damage. Depending on the size of the house and the configuration of the roof, you might need more than one downspout. Optimizing the flow of water from downpipes reduces the chances of pooling water, mold growth, and basement flooding. Proper downspout placement ensures that rainwater is directed away from your home’s foundation.
Why Placement Important
Positioning downspouts correctly helps prevent:
- Damage to the foundation
- Damage to exterior and interior walls
- A flooded basement
- Soil erosion
- Mold growth and pest infestations
What’s Up with the Roof?
Know the square footage of the roof: it will help determine how many downspouts you will need to help your gutter system function efficiently.
The roofing system of your home might have a large surface area, but be straightforward in its shape, requiring only one or two downpipes. However, if the configuration of the roof is more complex – multiple rooflines or more than two storeys – you might have to reposition or reroute downpipes to provide better protection for the home’s exterior. Make sure each downspout drains either into gutters of the level below or into the ground. Avoid runoff from draining directly onto the roof:
Downspout Spacing
Place downspouts at the corners of your home. Add a downspout to the run every 20 to 30 feet of the gutter line. As water travels through the gutter channel, it gains volume and weight. Increasing the number of downpipes helps distribute the weight of the runoff, strengthens the gutter system, and ensures that the downspouts can handle the load.
Directing Rainwater
It’s important to make sure the water exiting your downspouts does not drain into your neighbour’s property. If you’re not sure exactly where the runoff is ending up, check your property lines.
If possible, try to avoid runoff from downspouts emptying directly on to driveways, pathways, or high traffic areas.
Downpipes should direct water away from your home’s exterior. The end of the downspouts should deposit water five to 10 feet away. If water exits the gutter system too close to the foundation or the ground slopes toward the house, you might need to install downspout extenders to guarantee sufficient drainage.
When above-ground downspout extensions don’t provide an adequate solution to your specific drainage problem (too close to house; ground slope, property line), you might need to bury the downspout or install French drains to manage runoff more effectively.
Protects Landscaping
When downspouts drain into flowerbeds, the lawn, or around trees and shrubs, make sure that area where the runoff drains into is large enough to absorb the water. You don’t want it standing around for longer than 24-48 hours or waterlogging the roots of the vegetation. Oversaturated root systems, particularly those of tall trees, can damage landscaping and cause trees and shrubs o become unstable.
Improves Curb Appeal
When downpipes are placed incorrectly, they don’t just jeopardize your gutters, they also detract from your home exterior. Improve your curb appeal with proper downspout placement and creative ways to include extenders in your landscaping design.
