Rain, rain get away.
Q - I am having a house built for me and I am having an argument
with my gutter guy. He is using a splash
board at the bottom of the downspouts and I want the water carried much further
away. How far should it go?
John in Alpharetta
A - Oh sure, we don't get rain, we don't get rain, we don't get
rain then we do get rain and we don't want it by our house. But I get it, and you are
correct.
Keeping water away from your
house is a very important part of home design.
That includes proper guttering and proper slope of your landscape.
For example, by code your lot
should be graded as to drain surface water away from foundation walls. The grade away from foundation walls shall
fall a minimum of 6 inches within the first 10 feet.
(If that is not possible, then
drains or swales should be provided to ensure drainage.)
Water coming down your downspout,
by code, should be carried a minimum of 5 feet from the foundation. That means your little splash boards at the
bottom of the downspouts are not enough by code to effectively carry the water
away from your foundation.
All of your better foundation repair companies will tell you 10' is
much, much more desirable. Much
more. A lot more.
The best thing you can do for
your foundation is to keep water away from it.
By making sure your house and landscape are built correctly you will
help avoid headaches in the future.