March 29, 2024

How Downspout Extenders Protect Your Home’s Foundation?

How Downspout Extenders Protect Your Home's Foundation?

How Downspout Extenders Protect Your Home's Foundation featured image

A downspout extender is a device attached at a downspout’s end to redirect rainwater away from the foundation of a house. Doing this can help protect your home’s foundation from the damaging effects of water saturation.

How Downspout Extenders Protect Your Home’s Foundation

One of the reasons why downspout extenders are a massive requirement for homes with foundation problems is their ability to direct water further away from the foundation. By doing this, you’re reducing the hydrostatic pressure on your foundation walls, preventing further damage.

Another way that downspout extenders protect your foundation is by installing a splash block at the end of the downspout. A splash block is a piece of material (usually concrete) placed at the end of a downspout to ensure that water flows away from your home in a sheet instead of drops. The splash block will help to reduce erosion around your foundation and will also help to keep water from seeping into any cracks or crevices that might be present.

 

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the splash block

In addition, downspout extenders can also help to reduce the amount of water that’s allowed to pool around your foundation. By directing water away from your home, you’re essentially preventing it from being able to seep into any cracks or crevices and causing further damage.

The 2 Types Of Downspout Extenders

Downspout extenders are usually mainly of two types: The rigid extender and the accordion extender. The rigid extender is a straight, hollow pipe attached to the end of the downspout. The accordion extender is a series of connected panels that can be folded and extended to various lengths.

When deciding between these two, it’s essential to understand which does what and, more importantly, things that one does not do and the other does.

  • The rigid extender is excellent for directing water far away from the house. However, it doesn’t allow the homeowner to store it away since it is a single, straight piece.
  • On the other hand, the accordion extender is much more versatile in terms of extension and storing capability. It is also important to remember that downspout extenders are not permanent solutions. Therefore, you should inspect them regularly to ensure they are in good working condition.

Things To Notice When Selecting Downspout Extenders

No matter which type of downspout extender you choose, you must ensure you get the best value for money. Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a downspout extender and why it matters so much:

  • The size: You need to ensure that the chosen extender is compatible with the size of your downspout. If it is too small, it will not be able to correctly redirect the water away from your foundation. And if it is too large, it will be difficult to install and cause damage to your home’s exterior.
  • The material: Downspout extenders are either plastic or metal. Plastic is generally more affordable but is not as durable as metal. Metal is more expensive but will last longer and withstand heavy rains better.
  • The style: As mentioned before, there are two main downspout extenders – rigid and accordion. Rigid extenders are straight to extend. Otherwise, accordion extenders are panels that can be extended to different lengths. Choose the style that best suits your needs.

Once you have the downspout for your needs, it’s time to install the downspout extender. But how do you go about doing that? The first step is determining where the water should go regarding your foundation’s location. Once you have done that, you can mark the spot and cut a hole in the downspout using a hacksaw. Next, slide the extender over the end of the downspout and secure it with screws or zip ties. Finally, test the downspout extender to ensure it correctly redirects water away from your foundation.

Read more: How Can You Make Foundation Repair Sustainable?

Final Words

Downspout extenders are a simple, effective, and affordable way to protect your home’s foundation from water damage. If you worry about the state of your foundation, you should install downspout extenders ASAP. If you are having trouble doing it yourself, professional foundation repair companies would be more than happy to assist you.