[Studly]

When we had gutters installed on our house, for some reason the gutter installer made one of the downspout extensions vertical. And I'm not sure if that is the reason, but since we have a lot of water coming down that downspout when it rains, it washes away the dirt at the end of it and we get a little depression in the ground.

Does anyone know why the installer would make a downspout extension vertical when all the others are horizontal, like normal?


I'm wondering if making the downspout extension horizontal would make much of a difference with less of a waterfall effect onto the ground? If so, is there any easy way to do that without restricting the flow? The gutters are a custom yellow color so I would not be able to find a matching fitting at the home improvement store, but I guess I could get a white one and prime and paint it yellow.

And what is the best thing to put at the end of the downspout extension so the ground doesn't get washed away? I don't really like the look of a splash block, but if that's the best option, I guess I should get one. Would a big concrete paver type block work just as well, if I made it level with the ground and put a base of gravel under it? What do you gutter experts recommend?

 

[HandyAndyInNC]

The white pipe looks horizontal to me. You cannot stop the amount of water that comes from that roof, or part of the roof. When water runs over dirt, the dirt will be moved. You can place a french drain type of area. Use some 3/4" stone after digging down and out a little bit. Can you use the rain water for watering your plants? Install a rain barrel if so.
Is that the only downspout for that roof/section of roof? If so, another one needs to be installed to relieve the amount of water.

 

[Studly]

The white pipe looks horizontal to me. You cannot stop the amount of water that comes from that roof, or part of the roof. When water runs over dirt, the dirt will be moved. You can place a french drain type of area. Use some 3/4" stone after digging down and out a little bit. Can you use the rain water for watering your plants? Install a rain barrel if so.
Is that the only downspout for that roof/section of roof? If so, another one needs to be installed to relieve the amount of water.

Thanks for the ideas. It's difficult to tell from the photo because the end of the downspout extension has been stepped on, bent and unbent, but it is vertical -- taller than it is wide. Yeah, we do have some limestone landscape rock to the right and underneath that downspout (around the foundation of the house), and it was in front of where the water comes out, but the limestone rock gets washed away as well. Maybe it wasn't large enough rock or we didn't have it deep enough? And that made me wonder if the vertical downspout extension was also contributing to the washing away of the rock and dirt.

 

[HotRodx10]

I don't think the orientation of the extension is making much of a difference in the rock washing away. I suggest adding a splash block.

 

[3onthetree]

My guess is laying it horizontal would have sat partially on the asphalt or been too close to the edge, so he turned it. In terms of the "waterfall" on a 2x3 leader it won't make much difference which way it's turned.

Just extend the rock under it, thicker, and edge the sod to keep it in. Many times people like to extend the leader out onto the grass, preventing washout of the landscaping and simultaneously extending the dumping farther away from the house.

 

[Studly]

I don't think the orientation of the extension is making much of a difference in the rock washing away. I suggest adding a splash block.

Yeah, that would be the easiest. However, I'm not crazy about how they look. If I did get one, aren't the concrete splash blocks better than the plastic ones?

 

[Studly]

My guess is laying it horizontal would have sat partially on the asphalt or been too close to the edge, so he turned it. In terms of the "waterfall" on a 2x3 leader it won't make much difference which way it's turned.

Just extend the rock under it, thicker, and edge the sod to keep it in. Many times people like to extend the leader out onto the grass, preventing washout of the landscaping and simultaneously extending the dumping farther away from the house.

Good point, the lack of edging probably contributed to the rock washout. And deepening the rocks should help as well. Thanks.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Elbow it near the house and run it out onto the asphalt.

 

[PatChap]

Yeah, that would be the easiest. However, I'm not crazy about how they look. If I did get one, aren't the concrete splash blocks better than the plastic ones?

They can last longer but aren't functionally any better.

 

[Studly]

Elbow it near the house and run it out onto the asphalt.

Thanks but I'd prefer not to elbow it because we have a lot of leaves going into the gutter from the many trees around and I don't want there to be a potential clog. Plus that asphalt is just a garbage can pad and isn't sloped so well.

 

[DexterII]

Can't say for sure with the hosta in the way, but the reason he placed it on edge, or vertical as you called it, could be that is how the original elbow was configured. You don't see them configured that was as often, usually that one would come out flat, but they do make them with the plane turned 90 degrees, and since it's painted the same as the downspout I would assume the elbow was already there and he just went with what he had to work with. Doesn't matter, it's not going to change the volume through it and not going to affect the way it hits the ground, but if you want it flat just pick up a new elbow at your local hardware or big box. Other than that, use a splash block like HotRod said, or what we have on a few of ours is just a stack of rocks to spread the splash around a little.

 

[HotRodx10]

If it's an area where people walk, digging a small trench along the asphalt, adding some edging, and filling with landscape rock, will probably work better than the splash block. Stepping on or over the splash block will eventually result in someone taking a fall.

 

[Old Thomas]

Buy an”A” elbow and change the elbow so the leader is flat.

 

[huesmann]

If this is an area where there's no to minimal foot traffic I'd just build a stilling basin out of a concrete paver with a layer of bricks around the perimeter. Just make sure the top of the brick layer is level.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

If this is an area where there's no to minimal foot traffic I'd just build a stilling basin out of a concrete paver with a layer of bricks around the perimeter. Just make sure the top of the brick layer is level.

Mosquitoes would love it.

 

[huesmann]

Nah, it would drain eventually.