I buried two of my downspout ends under gravel.
*My motivation to do this project:
I wanted to avoid runoff and ice buildup, and get water away from the house foundation.
Last winter, I had a big ice patch (and a pregnant wife - yikes!) on one corner of my driveway because the snow would melt off the roof and pool under the downspout with poor drainage. It would then freeze at night and create a dangerous situation.
Also, I don't have enough slope away from the house for proper drainage, so I needed to improve the drainage for rain and snowmelt coming off the roof.
*Project Steps:
I did this project twice - in two different spots, but the steps were the same for each site.
1. I bought a "flex-a-spout" downspout extended and some pea gravel.
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2. I marked the length of the "flex-a-spout" and dug a hole about two feet deep where the downspout extender ended. I then dug a trench to create an inclined slope for the downspout extender.
3. I filled the hole about half full of gravel and lined my trench with gravel. Then I replaced the existing short downspout extender with my "flex-a-spout," and placed it in the trench, with the end in the hole.
4. I backfilled the rest of the hole with gravel.
Advice:
Check the forecast for the right time for this project, and try to dig your hole all at once. I started digging my hole before a few days of afternoon rainstorms. I was interrupted before I could finish, so I had a muddy mess that delayed my project for about a week.
On the other hand, digging in really dry earth can also be a pain.
Materials:
1 X flex-a-spout - $9.58
1 5-gallon bucket X pea gravel - $5.00
Of course, most city authorities kind of look the other way unless you make it really blatant — like putting a big rain barrel in the middle of your driveway, which is what this would have been.
Here is some more info
By Carol Schachet ...»
September 13th, 2010
Big business wants to gobble up our resources—grabbing land, privatizing water, patenting seeds and trying to squeeze out anyone who gets in the way of their profits. Fortunately, an alternative exists that places the rights of people and communities ahead of big business. The alternative is resource rights.
Grassroots International produced a short video that explains the challenges and hope surrounding the movement for Resource Rights, starting with the story of our partner, Dona Maria. By sharing it through social networks like Facebook, you can help spread word of this powerful movement to secure land, water and food right for all.
Read more
I can't tell from the picture, so I'll note this anyhow: always extend your downspouts at least 6' from your foundation wall to prevent the water from seeping near your foundation and causing either a wet basement, foundation problems caused by expansive soil, or both.
Good luck ~ Walter