How To Install A Rain Water Collection/Diversion System To Keep Your Basement Dry
Posted on: 8 December 2016
Wet weather can cause water to saturate the soil around your home's foundation and basement to cause water leaks and mold growth. The right rain water downspout and diversion system installed on your home and in your yard can help prevent these types of issues. Here are some tips to help you make these improvements to your home's gutter drainage system.
Keep Your Home's Basement and Foundation Dry
As water runs from your home's roof, it needs to be caught and diverted with gutters installed on the edges of your roof. These gutters can divert the water to a secondary system, such as a downspout or a decorative rain chain hung from the end of a gutter. Make sure your downspouts divert the water to a point of at least five feet from your home's foundation. This allows the water to seep down into the soil of your yard away from your home and not seep into your foundation and basement.
Install a Downspout Extender
You can install a downspout extender or a stone or concrete splash plate below your home's downspout to help divert rainwater. You can also choose a roll-up diverter attached to the bottom of your downspout that unrolls when the weight of rainwater pushes it open, so it delivers the water away from your home. A roll-up diverter rolls back up when it is not in use, and is an option that creates less visual clutter in your yard and landscaping.
Install a Rain Chain
If you want to install a more aesthetically-pleasing method to drain water from your roof's gutters, you can install a rain chain, which is available in many styles and materials from suppliers like Monarch Rain Chains. A rain chain can be made up of a series of metal cups, loops, or other types of collection containers hung on a length of chain, which slow the falling of water from your downspout as it flows through or over the chain.
Remove the existing downspout from your home by disconnecting the connection hardware so you can install your rain chain in its position. Attach your rain chain onto the underside of the rain gutter with its attachment hardware, positioning it directly below the outlet hole on your gutter. Next, you will need to create a collection area below the rain chain where you can collect the rainwater in a collection well or divert it away from your home's foundation.
Install a Rain Barrel
If you choose to collect the rainwater in a rain barrel for use in watering your garden, position the barrel directly below the rain chain. A typical sized rain barrel can hold approximately 50 gallons of water. Be sure your rain barrel has a connected hose to allow you to deliver water to your garden plants for watering.
Install a French Drain
You can also allow the water to drain from your rain chain onto the ground below where it is diverted beneath the soil through a drain pipe. First, excavate the drain trench beginning directly below your rain chain, extending across your yard landscaping. The trench will need to be approximately 18 inches deep and 10 to 12 inches wide to accommodate the four to six-inch wide drain pipe you install.
Keep in mind you can landscape over the drain with sod or cover it with river rock to create the appearance of a dry river bed, so dig your trench to create the look you want. Be sure the trench slopes downward away from your home's foundation.
Line the bottom and sides of the trench with landscape fabric to keep soil from clogging the drain pipe. Pour a layer of gravel on the bottom of the trench, then place your French drain pipe onto the gravel with its perforations facing downward. Pour additional gravel over and around the sides of the drain pipe to cover it completely.
If you are going to plant grass over the trench, cover the gravel with a layer of landscape fabric, then add topsoil and install the sod or grass seed. To make your drain look like a dry creek bed, pour a layer of decorative river rock on top of the gravel layer.
With these improvements, your basement and foundation can have extra protection from rainwater drainage flooding problems.
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