Downspouts and gutter drainage in Cleveland, Tennessee
Clean gutters only help if the water coming out of them ends up somewhere other than against your foundation.
Every gallon your gutters catch leaves through a downspout. If it lands beside the house, it soaks the soil along the foundation, cuts channels through the beds and works its way into crawl spaces and basements. Around Cleveland, where the yearly rainfall runs close to 58 inches and many yards drain slowly, where that water ends up matters as much as the gutters do.
Signs your downspouts are part of the problem
- A soggy patch or puddle where a downspout empties
- Mulch and soil washed off the beds after a storm
- A wet crawl space or water in the basement after heavy rain
- Water spilling from the top of a downspout
- Mud splashed up the brick or siding
- Splash blocks that have sunk or tilted back toward the house
What are the fixes?
- Larger downspouts. Going from 2-by-3-inch to 3-by-4-inch downspouts moves more water and clogs less. Common with 6-inch gutters.
- More outlets. A long run or a big roof section may need a second downspout.
- Extensions and splash blocks. The simplest step: carry water several feet out before releasing it.
- Buried drain lines. Pipe that carries downspout water underground to a pop-up emitter, to daylight on a slope, or to another safe outlet.
- Rain barrels. Store some water for the garden, with the overflow aimed away from the house.
How should water be handled on a sloped lot?
Move it around the house and let it go on the downhill side. A downspout on the uphill side of a house is the most likely to send water back toward the foundation, so many installers route it around a corner or into a buried line that surfaces below the house. Don't aim concentrated roof water down a steep bank where it can cut a gully, and don't send it onto a neighbor's yard, a sidewalk or the street.
Do buried downspout lines clog?
They can. Leaves and shingle grit wash down the downspout and settle in the pipe, and roots can work their way in. Smooth-wall pipe with steady slope, a cleanout near the downspout and guards on the gutters above all help. If a buried line backs up, the downspout overflows and the water is back at the foundation, so ask how the line can be cleared later.
What affects the price of drainage work?
- Number of downspouts and length of each run.
- Above ground or buried. Trenching and pipe add cost.
- Obstacles. Walks, driveways, roots, rock and landscaping.
- Outlet. How far the water has to travel to a safe release point.
We don't quote prices. An installer prices the job after walking the roofline, measuring each run, counting downspouts and seeing what trees hang over the house, so any figure you hear before that visit is a rough guess at best.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
How far out should a downspout empty?
At least several feet, and farther where the yard is flat or slopes toward the house. The goal is to keep water from soaking in beside the foundation.
Why does my buried downspout line back up?
Usually debris in the pipe, roots, or too little slope. A cleanout makes it easier to clear, and gutter guards keep most debris out in the first place.
Related services
More background: Cleveland, TN gutter guard guide.
Tired of gutters that spill over every March?
Call and an independent installer who works in Bradley County, Tennessee will look at your roof, your trees and your downspouts, then quote guards that suit the house.