Installing Buried Downspout Drainage System
At 0:34 in
The right tools.
What happens here
To effectively divert rainwater away from the house's foundation, a buried drainage system is installed for the gutter downspout. This process begins by carefully cutting a section of the concrete foundation where the downspout meets the ground. This modification allows for a clean connection point for a white PVC pipe. Once the connection is made, another trench is excavated, extending approximately 20 feet away from the house. The PVC pipe is then laid within this trench, ensuring a consistent downward slope to facilitate efficient water flow. The pipe terminates in a suitable discharge area, such as a wooded section, preventing water from pooling near the foundation and causing potential erosion or structural damage.
Goal: Divert rainwater from downspouts away from the house via a buried pipe.
Tools and materials
- Angle Grinder — Cutting through the concrete foundation to create a space for the PVC pipe connection
- Concrete Cutting Blade — Attached to the angle grinder for cutting concrete
- Dust Mask — Respiratory protection from concrete dust and soil particles during excavation
- Hearing Protection — Ear protection during concrete cutting and operation of trenching machinery
- Safety Glasses — Eye protection during concrete cutting and trenching
- Shovel — Fine-tuning the trench bed and backfilling around the pipe
- Trenching Machine Vermeer — Digging the trench for the drainage pipe
- Gutter Downspout — Collecting rainwater from the roof and directing it into the buried drainage system
- PVC Elbows/Fittings — Creating the necessary turns and connections for the downspout
- PVC Pipe — Channeling rainwater away from the house