How To Bury Your Downspouts

You can quickly feel intimidated when you have to do the critical task of correctly setting up your yard’s drainage system. While you can hire someone to bury your downspouts, you can also try this yourself. Here are some tips if you are trying to DIY it. 

Map and Plan

All the French drain companies will tell you that the first step is to decide where you want your water to go. Failing to plan is planning to fail. When doing your planning, make sure you go far enough away from your house. You need to move the water farther than 10 feet from your home. Don’t fall victim to the store’s 10-foot pipe lengths; you need multiple pieces. 

Dig a Trench

Dig your trench once you’ve figured out where to put your downspout pipe. However, make sure you think about your utility lines before you dig. If you’re not sure where they are, that’s okay. Just call 811. That can help you identify where your utility lines are. Also, plan to leave at least a 1% slope in the direction you want the water to travel.

Once you’ve done that, start digging. You can hand dig your trench with a shovel. The easiest time to do this is in the spring. That’s when the soil is wet, making clay easier to cut through. 

Install a Pop-Up

You can install pop-up emitters and catch basins. You can also find pop-up emitter and catch basin hybrids. Just make sure what you choose is easy to get your hand in. You want to be able to grab leaves, sticks, and pinecones out of the rainwater. That means a big lid. 

Also, look for one that has a big plate. That means less maintenance as you don’t have to keep the grass away from it. When installed correctly, you shouldn’t have to worry about your lawnmower cutting the plate, no matter how large. 

This should be enough to get you started laying your pipe. If you still need help, hire a qualified professional to do the job.