Gutters and Drainage

A heavy rain, flowing down house walls to the ground below, can cause a great deal of damage. At the very least, it taxes paint and wriggles into cracks, contributing to eventual, long-term decay. At its worst, it foils windows, invades walls and undermines foundations. Gutters and drainage systems handle rainwater removal to keep these things from happening.

Gutters, long troughs that catch water at the eaves, slope slightly toward downspouts that pipe the water to the ground. Depending upon the drainage situation around the base of the house, water is then routed into below-ground drain pipes or other means of dispersing it away from the foundation.

To catch both runoff and ground water, perforated drain pipe, run in a gravel-filled trench, provides the path of least resistance for water. Pipe drops at a minimum slope of 1/2-inch per foot.

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