To effectively redirect rainwater, stop it at the roof level before it reaches the ground. Route roof runoff away from your foundation using a functioning gutter and downspout system. Then, manage the remaining surface water and landscape runoff using graded soil and strategic drainage features.
Divert rainwater away from your house by extending downspouts at least 4 to 6 feet outward and ensuring the surrounding ground slopes away from the foundation. Catch pooling water and runoff by installing French Drains or Channel Drains in problem areas.
Redirecting downspouts away from a house involves extending them 3–10 feet from the foundation using extensions, splash blocks, or underground pipes to prevent water damage. Simple fixes include attaching flexible or metal corrugated extensions to the existing elbow and sloping them downhill to allow water to drain away.
Handling roof runoff without gutters requires careful management to protect your home's foundation and landscaping from erosion and water damage. The primary goal is to catch cascading water at the roof level or ground level, preventing it from pooling near the base of your structure.
Four Downspout Alternatives
Another issue is that rain diverters, when not properly sealed or maintained, can cause water to push back up under the shingles, leading to leaks. Over time, this water can rot the roof decking and damage the underlying structure.
A diverter is the smartest way to collect rainwater without the mess! It connects to your downspout and: ✔️ Directs rain into your barrel ✔️ Automatically redirects overflow when full ✔️ Helps prevent flooding and erosion ✔️ Keeps your setup clean and low-maintenance No hassle.
Having a proper underground drainage system in place is one way to effectively capture, temporarily detain, and percolate this standing water back into the ground or release it downstream from either property. This can be done using the NDS® Flo-Well® Dry Well and EZFlow™ Engineered French Drain.
What you should use instead of rocks depends on whether you are doing yard drainage (like a French drain) or potted plants.
Attach a flexible downspout extender from the end of the shortened downspout to the rain barrel. Cut a hole in the top of the barrel large enough to accommodate the extender. Slip the extender through the opening in the lid and attach the lid to the barrel.
The Amerimax Home Products Dripper Flipper Downspout Extension features a hinged-cup design for ease of movement during mowing. This downspout extension directs/diverts rain runoff away from the foundation to help protect from water damage.
The conventional way would be to use a downpipe adaptor to convert the downpipe to 90mm PVC pipe. You'd then go down under the soil and add a 90-degree elbow. It would then be a straight shot across to the stormwater pipe, where you'll tap into it with a junction.
French drains are a low-cost option for dealing with surface water. These systems consist of a trench which houses a perforated PVC pipe. The pipe is secured in a mesh sock to keep dirt out, that is covered with gravel.
Burying downspouts improves the aesthetics of your home by hiding the pipes, enhances safety by reducing tripping hazards, and provides effective drainage that prevents water from pooling around your foundation, thus reducing the risk of basement flooding and soil erosion.
The better choice is a screened topsoil off the pile at a local landscape or garden center. This will be sourced locally and most likely a native silty clay loam that will be easy to work with, settle into a desired semi-permeable state, and will support vegetation.
To divert water away from your house without gutters, you need to manage roof runoff at the ground level. The most effective strategies are installing a drip trench, grading the soil away from your foundation, and using rain diverters on the roof.
Divert rainwater away from your house by extending downspouts at least 4 to 6 feet outward and ensuring the surrounding ground slopes away from the foundation. Catch pooling water and runoff by installing French Drains or Channel Drains in problem areas.
Building a berm to divert water requires creating a compacted, crescent-shaped mound of soil that redirects runoff around vulnerable areas. To build one that lasts, strip the sod, build a solid base with heavy subsoil or clay, taper the edges to a gentle slope, and cover it with dense plants or sod.
Many new homes are built without gutters primarily to cut construction costs, as builders assume buyers can add them later. However, they may also be omitted intentionally if the home features deep, extended roof overhangs, perfectly sloped natural grading (the slope of the yard), or if it is located in an arid climate where heavy rainfall is rare.
To prevent basement leaks and foundation damage, direct downspout water at least 5 to 6 feet away from your home. The ground must also slope away from the structure, dropping about 1 inch for every foot of distance.
The best downspout diverter overall is the Earthminded DIY Rain Barrel Diverter and Parts Kit. It is highly regarded for its easy installation—requiring just a simple hole drilled into the downspout—and its patented system that automatically routes excess water past the rain barrel and away from your foundation once the barrel is full.
In most states, rainwater harvesting is perfectly legal; in some, it's even encouraged. However, some states have restrictions, primarily due to water rights and concerns about diverting water from natural systems.
Japan uses rain chains (known as kusari-toi) instead of traditional closed downspouts for a mix of cultural, aesthetic, and practical reasons. Originating centuries ago in tea houses and temples, they turn the functional task of draining rainwater into a celebrated visual and auditory water feature.