Gutters and Downspouts

Hopefully you read my articles on landscape drainage. In that article, I covered the fundamental components of any good drainage system. Gutters and downspout are the part of any good foundation drainage. If properly inpspected and maintained, gutters  and downspout will properly catch water and move it away from the house foundation. If they are not properly taken care of, they can cause more damage than not having them at all.

Okay, here is my secret. No, I don’t have gutters, nor do I want to put them on my house cause they are ugly. So, now that we all know that, I can continue the article. Lets look at all the good and bad reasons to have gutters.

Gutter Goods:

• Gutters remove water from the house and keep from damaging the ground below the roof line.
• Excessive water around the foundation can also damage the siding and wood structure of the house
• The constant  change in moisture content can cause constant movement. This can make pier and beams move around causing the house to shift.
• Gutters reduce the chances of allowing excessive water under the foundation. If you have a basement or crawl space; this excessive water can cause foundation, mold and eventual termite issues as they love moist soil.
• With some modification, you can contain the water from the roof in rain barrels for landscape watering.

Gutter Bads:

• Gutters are ugly.
• They can easily clog if not maintained
• If the gutter downspout drain into an underground french drain, they can also clog the underground drains
• Gutters are high maintenance if not shielded from leaves and debris
• Without shielding, gutters must be cleaned throughly twice a year
• Gutters are ugly; or did I already say that

Inspection of Gutters and Drains: Assuming you have gutters, lets look at the inspection points and thing to consider important.

• Gutters should naturally drain based on a designed fall toward the downspout. The gutter should fall 1/4 of an inch for every 10 feet. Assuming the gutter is clear and clean, stand on a ladder  at the furthest point from the downspout. Run water through the gutter and visually watch the water move toward the downspout
• Based on the above inspection, if you find water standing, inspect the hangers in the vicinity to ensure they are installed every 2 feet, tight and secure to the house fascia board.

Roof Gutters: Ugly as they may be, they serve a purpose. During a heavy rain fall the surface area of the roof takes on a lot of water. Naturally it will run down the roof to the edge. Without gutters, this water and the lack of a proper grade can cause excessive water to pool under the house.  The number one reason for gutters is to move the water away from the house.  Hopefully its path takes it to the street, alley or drainage ditch. Additionally, the gutter downspout should extend away from the house at least 10′  with a fall of 6″ over the 10′ distance. This will ensure the water moves away from the structure.

• Roof Gutters combined with sub surface drain pipes: To reduce the ugliness of the roof gutter downspout, adding sub-surface drains can help. Granted, this can be expensive as these pipes must be ditched into the ground and run far enough away from the house for the water to naturally drain.
• Dry Creeks: This may be a stone or rock drainage ditch that is normally dry until the rain water needs a place to go. Creating a Dry Creek to channel the water will assist in moving the water around or away from the residential structure. Read more about how to build a dry creek.
• French Drains: Similar to sub-surface drains, but the pipes are normally perforated. These 4″ pipes pick up the water that is seeping into the ground; like the sub surface drains, these pipes must be ditched away from the house with a fall  and run far enough away to allow the water to drain naturally. TIP: It is not unusual to have both sub-surface and french drains, but they should not be mixed; in other words do not combine them into just one pipe system. This item is easily a topic in its self. Read more about how to build a french drain for more details.

So, ugly as they may be, they are very important. Gutters are relatively inexpensive for what they provide. It’s not uncommon to find gutter systems in need of help as they are easily neglected. Maintain them well and they will take care of you and your house.

So you may be wondering, I dont have gutters but I must be doing something, right? You are correct, but that is another story for another post.

Watering Your Foundation – Its a Texas Thing

If you are new to North Central Texas you may have never seen soil quite like this. Known locally as Black Gumbo, this clay soil has  a Jekyll and Hyde personality. In the fall, winter and spring it can be tolerable even though it will stick to everything that it touches it. But dry summers will change its personality. It can create cracks in the ground  large enough to swallow small animals. Break it up into small pieces and it become a weapon of mass destruction…. throw a clod at some one and you can easily put some ones eye out (as my mom would say). I have never met a shovel that liked it. The weapon of choice to dig in black gumbo? A Pic.

With all that said, what does that have to do with home foundations you ask? A lot; the properties of this soil allows it to shrink more than 15%. For this reason, the soil surrounding the foundation can easily pull away and leave it un supported or cause footings to permanently move.  Because of these characteristics, foundation repairing is a big business in Texas.

The two most common foundations are pier and beam and post tension slab foundations. Both can be repaired but slab foundations tend to be the ones with the most dramatic problems.  If foundation concerns are not addressed BEFORE they start, it can cost 10’s of thousands of dollars to repair them.  To protect your foundation (regardless of the types mentioned), you must water your foundation. Even though most sprinkler systems will help, most were designed to spray water away from the house. To complicate it further, many cities are enforcing landscape watering restrictions. Probably the most important fact associated with watering foundations is to do it 12 months a year. It is very import to maintain a constant moisture content to retain soil  consistency. Even if you only have minor issue (sticking doors, squeaky floors), managing the porosity of soil will even out the issues for a more stable foundation.

How to Water a Foundation: There are several methods.

1. Hand Watering: I dont recommend this method, but it can work. It can be difficult to consistently apply the same amount of water around the entire foundation with a systematic approach.
2. Soaker Hoses: By far the most popular,  “soaker hoses”,   are easily attached to water outlet and draped around the foundation of the house. These come in 25 and 50 foot length and can be connected in series. Try to place them within about 6 inches of the foundation. (TIP:Keep bare landscaped areas covered with a natural mulch (pine or hardwood bark, etc) This too will assist in retaining the moisture content around the structure. Covering the soaker hose with the mulch is acceptable.). You will need to inspect these regularly as I have found they deteriorate fairly quick (less than 3-5 years). Additionally, neighboring visitors (rats, mice, raccoons and such) have found a liking to chew on hoses, in turn puncturing them causing excessive water to come out in one place. Once broken, I have not seen a good way to repair them, so you will have to replace the hose.
3.  Drip Lines: These hoses are designed with drip emitters in the hose every 12 inches. You can deploy them in the same method as mentioned for the soaker hoses, but the hose material is a bit more stiff. Staking them will help as they do not like to lay flat to the ground. You can purchase the hose in bulk from the Orange Box store of Sprinkler Warehouse. You will need to also purchase inter-hose connectors as well as a way to connect to your water source.

Regardless of the method of disbursement, doing it consistently is just as important as the watering itself.

Take a look at Watering Your Foundation to see a semi-permanent installation guide  to foundation watering.

Landscape Drainage – Inspection and Maintenance

The last article I wrote on this subject was about the result of poor drainage and the impact on your property. Assuming you have reasonably good drainage, it is still important to inspect and maintain all the elements associated with the drainage system for proper performance.  This article assumes you have some or most of the solutions mentioned.  If you have some of these elements and still have drainage issues, and you havent read Landscape Drainage, take a look to see how you can improve the situation. 

1. Gutters: As a late winter or spring reminder, gutters must be cleaned of tree leaves and debris. The water that reaches the gutter must flow freely to exit the down spout. Allowing the gutters to accumulate debris will not only clog the gutters and the flow of water, but also clog the downspout. Allowing the leaves to breakdown in the gutters will cause the material to turn in to dirt. The accumulation of this dirt and new leaves  will cause water to back up. All of this adds up to a lot of weight, which in turn can cause the gutters to fail. If you leave the condition for an extended period of time, the weight and deterioration will cause the gutters to pull away from the house and fall to the ground….It really happens.
2. Gutters with concealed drains: With the accumulation mentioned in item 1, some of this same material can eventually clog up the buried pipe. The clogged pipe will cause the water to back up till it finds a place to get out. This is usually at the transition fitting between the downspout and the underground drain. This exit of water will virtually defeat the purpose of the extended drain. If the concealed drain is clogged up; using a Drain Snake or power drain auger and a lot of water will be the solution to completely flush the pipe.
3. Surface grade of Landscape: As mentioned in “Landscape Drainage”, maintaining the slope away from the house is important. Keep debris and buildup to a minimum. Rake and grade the landscape material to ensure the proper grade (4 degrees) and fall from the structure.
4. Keep landscape material away from sill plate: Keep the landscape material build up to a minimum as not to accumulate to the point that it is level-to or above the sill. As mentioned in #3, rake or grade the landscape material away from the structure.
5. Surface Drains: Depending on the system design, you may have drainage grate(s) to receive water runoff as well as an exit drain(s). It is critical to keep these opening free and clear of debris. Most of these drains work purely on slope, gravity and volume. If the exit drain is covered with grass or obstructed to impede the flow of water, it will easily reduce or stop the water flow away from the structure.
6. Dry Creeks: Even though dry creeks can be designed to be attractive, it is important they retain the design slope and path to remain clear of any obstructions that might block, back up or divert water in a way that defy the design intent. Keep the creek clear of weeds and landscape refuge. If necessary, flush water through the creek to ensure proper flow.
7. Sump Pump: Sump pumps can be located in basements, crawl spaces as well as pits associated with surface drains. Test them by flushing water through them to make sure they activate and pump the water out of the pit and off the property as designed.  Inspect the exit drain for clear free flow.
8. Moisture Barrier: Once a year, crawl through the space looking for voids and rips in the material.  Look for rodent penetrations and any damage they may have caused. Tape and reseal any breaches in the barrier. Keeping this material intact and resistant to moisture is the key element.
9. De-humidifier: Any de-humidifier placed in the crawl space should include an exit drain pipe just like the sump pump. Test the de-humidifiers ability to remove the water through the exit drain in the same way as the sump pump. There may be filters to be cleaned. Refer to the owner’s manual for any specific maintenance.

Landscape Drainage

When it rains it pours. Here in my home state you don’t complain about rain very often as we rarely get enough of it. You can go an entire month without rain, then get  a months worth of rain in a day…..

Proper drainage is generally dealt with when the house is constructed, however changes in the property such as landscaping, pools, concrete surfaces and new structures can create or increase drainage issues.  Many times, proper drainage is the cause, but not recognized as the problem. Look at the following items to see if you have any of these problems. If you do, proper drainage may be the culprit.

Results of Poor Drainage:

1. Flooding: This one is pretty obvious, but during heavy rains, water seeks low spots and paths of egress. A good heavy rain of  1-3″ of rain in an hour will identify locations of standing water, pooling  and recognizable paths the water  may be following to enter the structure.
2. Rotting Building Material: House built  prior to 1980 were constructed without any form of treated wood where the framing comes in contact with concrete foundation. Most  issue show up in interior/exterior walls, sill plates and framing structures.  These sill plate can degrade over time due to excessive moisture. Wood rot can occur in wood with a moisture content of  28% or greater which translates to RH of approximately 100%.
3. Structural Movement: If the sill plate has deteriorated due to water exposure,  it can break down and create structural movement that may result in shifts and cracks sheet rock.
4. Foundation Movement:  Excessive water under a foundation can cause the piers and beams to move. Extreme movement can cause permanent damage by cracking concrete slabs and beams. Large cracks can even act like a hinge resulting in constant movement.
5. Moisture Content: High moisture content in the soil under the house (crawl spaces and basements) can cause #6, 7, and 8.
6. Pest Control: Water and moisture attracts bugs and insects of all types;  the worst of all are termites. By controlling the moisture content in and around the house will positively affect the amount of insect infiltration. The probability of termite infiltration will be high when the moisture content of wood is greater than 20%.
7. Mold: Much like #5, moisture content will impact this problem. Houses (with crawl spaces and basements) that have a relative humidity of 70% or greater can  have a mold problems. Expect to find mold where the moisture content of wood structure to be at 20% or greater.
8. Air Quality: Associated with #5, 6, and 7 will impact this item. Unpleasant, musty or certain health conditions could be due to the presence of mold, animals or  animal feces  can negatively affect the quality of air in the conditioned space of house envelope.

Top Ten List of Construction tasks to encourage proper drainage courtesy of Clemson University.

Correcting Drainage Problems: For the water that reaches the structure surface, it will need a natural or man-made method of  moving water away from the building. The severity of the problem will determine how much drainage work is required.  The best way to deal with it is to address the obvious and monitor the results. If you continue to have the problem, take the next counter-measure to attack the problem. Look at the following solutions to determine which solution best matches your problem.

1. Surface landscape should have at least a 4 degree grade away from the structure:  This will encourage water to move away from the house not toward it. This may be accomplished by regrading the surface material or possibly adding surface material to create the grade. Do you best to avoid the 6″ restriction mentioned in #2.
2. Sill plates: Should be approximately 6″ vertically from the exterior surface grade. Besides the obvious, keeping dirt away from the sill plate will reduce the opportunity for bugs and insects to enter the house through cracks, crevices and weep holes.
3. Crawl Space Height: In a perfect world, the height of the crawl space should be above the exterior surface grade. Adding material in the crawl space can be difficult after the house is built. If possible, dome the grade of the material so it is higher in the middle and lower around the edges. If  you choose to add this material ensure you retain a 24″ clearance for the crawl space. Note: Dont view this item as a requirement as it may be very difficult to complete without negatively effecting other items.
4. Paths and Driveways: Adding these surface as concrete or impervious surfaces will add more water to the problem. If you are considering adding additional paths or driveways, consider using natural porous materials such as gravel, crushed stone or granite.   What ever you do, ensure you retain the same 4% grade away from the structure mentioned in #1
5. Roof Gutters: Ugly as they may be, they serve a purpose. During a heavy rain fall the surface area of the roof takes on a lot of water. Naturally it will run down the roof to the edge. Without gutters this water and the lack of a proper grade can cause excessive water to pool under the house.  Assuming you have the natural grade mentioned in #1, much of the surface water will flow away from the house in a path of least resistance. Hopefully its path takes it to the street, alley or drainage ditch. Additionally, the gutter downspout should extend away from the house at least 10′  with a fall of 6″ over the 10′ distance. This will ensure the water moves away from the structure.
6. Roof Gutters combined with sub surface drain pipes: To reduce the ugliness of the roof gutter downspout, adding sub-surface drains can help. Granted, this can be expensive as these pipes must be ditched into the ground and run far enough away from the house for the water to naturally drain.
7. Dry Creeks: This may be a stone or rock drainage ditch that is normally dry until the rain water needs a place to go. Creating a Dry Creek to channel the water will assist in moving the water around or away from the residential structure. Read more about how to build a dry creek.
8. French Drains: Similar to sub-surface drains, but the pipes are normally perforated. These 4″ pipes pick up the water that is seeping into the ground; like the sub surface drains, these pipes must be ditched away from the house with a fall  and run far enough away to allow the water to drain naturally. TIP: It is not unusual to have both sub-surface and french drains, but they should not be mixed; in other words do not combine them into just one pipe system. This item is easily a topic in its self. Read more about how to build a french drain for more details.
9. Sump pump: This may be considered drastic, but if you have a serious drainage problem and you find that you continue to have large amounts of  water pooling; creating a sump under the house and collecting the water in a pit then pumping it outside the structure and away from the house.
10. Vapor Barrier: More moisture control then drainage, but they go hand in hand.  With most crawl spaces, the floor is dirt. This is very normal and in the early days of construction, houses were built to allow the flow of air to pass through the house crawl space. However, as we spend more money and time to insulate and tighten up the house we can create a worse problem in the crawl space. The best way to deal with the dirt floor and the moisture associated with it is to cover it with plastic (aka: moisture barrier). By sealing the dirt floor from the crawl space you will dramatically reduce the moisture content that is transmitted through the dirt. Look for a future article on this topic as I am currently completing this project myself.
11. Dehumidifer:  Besides the moisture barrier mentioned, you may also consider using a dehumidifier in the basement or crawl space to further reduce the humidity factor. This is a common solution; some new home builders even require (as part of the home warranty) the homeowner adds a dehumidifier in a basement to keep the warranty intact.
12. Rain Water Collection: This is an alternative method of dealing with drainage issue. In concept, instead of pushing the water away from the house, the water is collected in cisterns, barrels or tanks using the gutters and drains. The water can be treated or used to water the landscape when its dry. Look for future articles on this subject.

Proper drainage can be a difficult nut to crack.  For me, having the correct exterior grade, crawl space height and sill plate clearance has been a struggle if not impossible and I am still working to find the complete solution that normalizes the condition. Look at all these items as a “system solution” and even though you may not be able to fix everything perfectly, the collective impact of solutions can address the problems associated with  poor drainage.