Protecting your property isn’t challenging when you know what you should and shouldn’t do. You must be mindful of what features and accessories you should prioritize to ensure they withstand extenuating circumstances. One item that should be an accessory is a downspout extension.
If you’ve never heard of a downspout extension, learning more about it could protect your home. Preventing water damage should be at the top of your priorities — perhaps your home could benefit from a downspout extension.
Understanding a Downspout Extension
You know your gutters collect rainwater, and downspouts channel it away from your house. Unfortunately, sometimes the downspout doesn’t move it far enough away, leading to standing water and property damage.
A downspout extension diverts water away from your home’s foundation and structure. These devices control draining rainwater instead of letting it splash around and run into places where it can cause problems. Excessive water may lead to mildew, mold growth, foundation settling and other structural problems.
Downspout extensions are highly recommended for most homeowners. However, the placement of your extension is crucial to its success.
Telltale Signs You Need a Downspout Extension
Homeowners must be alert to the red flags that indicate they need downspout extensions installed. Those signs include:
- Gutter leaks
- Standing water in yard, or along home’s foundation
- Mold and mildew growth on foundation walls
- Leaking foundation with water in crawl space or basement
- Soil erosion
- Dead plants from excessive water
- Damaged landscaping
Having a professional install downspout extensions can benefit your home and save you thousands of dollars you’d otherwise have to spend on repairs.
5 Benefits of Installing a Downspout Extension
Adding a downspout extension provides an effective solution for homeowners wanting to improve the functionality of their homes. An extension can benefit your property in several ways.
1. Prevents Flooding
Some areas of the United States have months of constant rainfall. Basements easily flood. Homeowners without basements think they are protected, but that’s not necessarily true. Flash flooding happens anywhere, and every homeowner can benefit from having extra protection from a downspout extension.
2. Deters Infestations From Termites and Other Pests
Humid conditions encourage fungal growth but can also lead to termites and other unwanted pests to seek shelter in your home. You can prevent these intruders by ensuring your downspouts direct rainwater away from your home’s foundation. Do this by installing downspout extensions to your existing gutter system.
3. Prevents Mold Growth
Damp, humid conditions create a breeding ground for mold. To prevent this, you must keep your home dry. When excessive moisture lingers in your home, mold and mildew form and quickly spread. These microorganisms cause your home to look unsightly, but they also harm your family’s health.
Living in a moldy home can trigger allergic reactions like itchy, watery eyes. Exposure to these conditions also causes asthma attacks and restricted breathing. However, you can help prevent these unfavorable conditions from developing with a quality gutter system paired with downspout extensions.
4. Improves Your Home’s Aesthetics
Standing water along your home’s exterior signifies your gutter system has a problem and distracts from the structure’s beauty.. You may notice algae growth on the foundation walls, settling cracks, or standing water. These are not things any homeowner wants.
You can mitigate these issues when you have a gutter system with a downspout extension — the water will efficiently drain all year.
5. Protection for Your Garden
Dirt can take in only so much water before it becomes oversaturated. Once it does, additional water begins pooling on the ground and floods your garden. Seeds may wash away, and your flowers or shrubs may die. Your garden or flower beds will thrive by redirecting the water away from your home.
Types of Downspout Extensions
A downspout extension is installed near the end of the downspout. There are typically three types of extensions you can invest in.
Flexible
Made from corrugated plastic, these pipes have enough flexibility to direct the water where it needs to go. A flexible extension, also called an accordion spout, allows multiple extensions of corrugated pipe pieced together. This provides homeowners with several choices for directing their water.
PVC
PVC pipes can be used to direct water away when the run will be straight or turned. These are a more permanent way to do this as they are more in place than the flexible runs would be.
Buried
Either doing a flexible extension, or a PVC extension both can be buried or laid on top of the soil. Burying is more aesthetically pleasing and can stay out of the way of foot traffic and other traffic on the property. Falcone Crawl Space can help figure out the best solution for you and your property.
Learn More About Downspout Extensions From Falcone Crawl Space & Structural Repair
There’s a lot to consider before investing in downspout extensions. But one thing is for certain — you need an experienced professional to do the job. Thinking it’s about time you install downspouts on your home? Falcone can help. Give us a call today.
