Spring Loaded Downspout Extensions

There was a time when rainwater landing on a homeowner’s roof would be diverted from a gutter system to downspouts that were connected directly to a municipality’s storm drain system. Today, the water running through a homeowner’s downspout is usually released at the base of the downspout and directed onto the ground at a spot close to the foundation.

Sometimes homeowners will run an extension from the end of their downspout and out a ways onto their lawn or into their flower bed so as to minimize excess water near the foundation. The problem with most downspout extensions - besides not being very attractive and becoming a tripping or mowing hazard - is that they do not slow down or spread out the flow of water at their ends. And if such an extension ends in a flower or shrubbery bed that is mulched with nuggets or shredded bark, then chances are pretty good that an average rainfall will wash the mulch away from the area at the end of the extension. Furthermore, rainwater exiting a downspout or its extension directly onto a homeowner’s lawn is apt to wash away topsoil and cause a thinning of the grass in these frequently flooded areas.

It is common to find splash guards or splash blocks at the base of many homeowner’s downspouts. But although these help to slow the water down and to spread it out, the excess water is usually still too close to the foundation. Fortunately there are a products on the market that seem to solve many of the problems associated with downspouts and extensions. The mechanism by which this product works is reminiscent of common party favors called blowouts. When the party-goer blows into a blowout, a rolled up paper with a thin metal coil inside shoots out and becomes a long air filled tube. Then when the party-goer stops blowing, releasing the pressure, the tube immediately collapses and returns to its coiled position. The product for downspouts - often referred to as a “rain drain” and made of vinyl - will remain in a coiled position at the base of downspouts. One end of the vinyl is secured around the downspout, the other end is sealed except for a few small holes. When sufficient water pressure from rain causes the coil to unwind and stretch out, the water is allowed to escape in a more gentle manner and about four feet away from the foundation. Then when most of the water has left the vinyl tube, the tube flattens out and coils back up out of the flower bed or off the lawn and out of the way.

So the next time you’re looking for an alternative downspout extension, consider this self-expanding and self-retracting product. It will help to get more water away from your foundation and yet will be gentler on the bed or your lawn where it is used.

P.S. If you are interested in more info on this product just visit the URL below:
http://www.rainguardusa.com/
downspout-gutter-extension-4-foot-white-p-32.html



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