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RobS
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Posts: 320
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Loc: SW Michigan
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Buried Downspout Extensions
11/04/02 09:16 AM
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One of my projects before planting grass in the spring is to bury all of our downspout extensions. Something I always intended to do at our old house but never got 'round tuit 
Our land is essentially flat although there is a nice pitch away from the house in all directions. No trees, thus no leaves to worry about in the gutters (at least for a very long time).
I've seen black flex-pipe in solid and perforated. Rigid pipe in both. Many questions... Which pipe? How deep? Terminate in drywells or come back up to the surface? If surface, what kind of cover?
As I am just starting to plan this project please share all of your experiences both good and bad. Thanks 
Rob
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Chuck52
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Reged: 10/12/02
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Posts: 295
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Loc: middle Missouri
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: RobS]
11/04/02 11:23 AM
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Rob,
The drains at our new old place were already buried. They used the solid white pipe and just brought it to the surface in nice little depressions, well down slope from the house. When we did some additions, I used the non-perforated black corrugated stuff, all the way from the downspouts to the surface. It was easier for me to use because I didn't have to dig such straight ditches. I didn't go very deep....just enough to allow grass to grow over the pipe. I tied the three downspouts into a single pipe, using the y-joints available for that stuff. I made sure the joints were well sloped to avoid letting too much water escape. Again, I just brought the pipe to the surface in a little depression well down slope from the house. I'll probably cut the pipe at an angle sometime, but as it is it doesn't stick up much.
Chuck
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Mosey
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Loc: Southern Indiana
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: RobS]
11/04/02 11:31 AM
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My house had a "french drain" (4" slotted plastic drain tile going all the way around the house) around it before we moved in. It dumps off in the ditch by the road on each side of the house. It's about 175' from the road to the house and there's about 6' of drop. I've been gradually working at connecting the downspouts to it and have a couple to go. I used 4" solid plastic drain tile and just "Y'ed" into the french drain. I put screens on the inlet of the gutter to keep leaves out.
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shade2u2
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Loc: Ohio SE
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: RobS]
11/04/02 03:56 PM
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I'm going to do the same at my new place & probably will have to wait til spring also. From what I've learned...
- avoid running your downspout drowns into your foundation/footer drains so that if debry were to get into it through your gutters, you would not cause your footer drains to get clogged & a possible back up at your foundation.
- the black flex-pipe may not hold up to the weight your tractor traffic, but might be cheaper.
- the white pipe will hold up better, but cost more.
- You could even go to schedule 40 gray PVC pipe for the high traffic areas, but that could be overkill.
- only use perferated if you need a french drain system also because it will some day get clogged. You need to surround the pipe with river gravel & maybe screening to keep dirt out.
- I think it depends on the grad of your ground & soil content as to whether it drains to the surface or a underground gravel collection basin. If draining to surface, put a metal screen in the end to keep rodents & such out.
- I think that you only need to get a few inches of soil over the pipe - not sure though...???
Hopefully the experts will provide more details for both of us.
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jwstewar
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Reged: 09/23/02
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Loc: South-Central Ohio
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: RobS]
11/04/02 04:14 PM
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Did this in the spring of 2000 before we started working on the yard. Had cousin come in with the tractor and till the whole front yard (we were getting ready to seed anyway). We then used is transit to mark grade. Brought lines from each corner of the back of the house to the front and then merged there to run about 150' to the roadside front ditch. Just used the black flexible stuff. Tried to get at least 2-3" of soil over all of it, but by the time I go to the end it is probably only 1 1/2". Used solid all the way except for probably the last 10 - 15'. Then I used the perforated. No special reason other than I ran out and wanted to finish the job w/o going back to Lowes. Haven't had any problems w/ it. Our house is almost 2100 sq. ft. So in a hard rainstorm it does have some water coming out of it. Real glad I did it though. Stopped the water from accumulating around the foundation.
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tenebrous
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Loc: Geneseo, New York
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: RobS]
11/04/02 06:13 PM
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I used the black flex in the solid to drain the downspout water away from the house. Our house is on a hill so the grade drops well and the water drains at ground level about fifty feet from the house in garden areas.
The only problem we had was our hundred pound dog liked to play with the cut offs of the pipe. One day she discovered the end of one of the extensions in the garden and ripped it out of the ground for about twenty feet. There she was having the fight of her life with the giant snake. I just laid it back in place but I wish the camera was there to record the battle.
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RobS
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Loc: SW Michigan
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: shade2u2]
11/04/02 07:15 PM
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I was at Menards tonight continuing my research. The black plastic corrugated seems to be the way to go cost-wise, it's only a couple of bucks per 10' section. An adapter at the house end and they do sell a nice looking green plastic grate for the outlet end. Probably a total of about $10 per downspout (I've got nine to deal with  ) Any worries about freezing if buried so shallow? I suspect the water will sit in the pipe since each end will be higher. For that matter, how 'bout skeeters breeding in the summer? Maybe a few perforations along the length would take care of it
Rob
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MJones
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Reged: 09/17/02
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Rob,
I installed a french drain behind my house with the black corrugated pipe. I wasn't at all happy with the performance and have since replaced it with the rigid type of sewer pipe. I have had much better success with the new drain and have since buried all of my downspouts with the rigid pipe. It has held up well even with vehicle traffic over one of my downspout extensions that runs through my gravel drive.
I brought all of my downspouts to the surface at the end of my yard. Attached is a picture showing what I did to prevent clogging at the exits. After this picture was taken I covered with screen to prevent rodents from entering.
Hope this helps!
Mike
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pajoube
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Loc: Minnesota and Montana
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: MJones]
11/05/02 09:53 AM
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That is one nice job you did.
Interesting your comments regarding the rigid vs corrugated.
PJ
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RobS
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Gold Member
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Loc: SW Michigan
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: MJones]
11/05/02 10:02 AM
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Wow Mike, that looks fantastic! Maybe something like that can be phase II for me. Thanks for the pic
Rob
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Argee
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 216
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Loc: Northern Michigan
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: RobS]
11/05/02 06:01 PM
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I buried corrugated for my downspouts. Rented a trencher to bury a phone line and did the downspout drains at the same time. I purchased corrugated black pipe in a 100' roll. Went down about 18" by the house and took it into the woods at about 3". Built a shallow drywell at the outlet end with small stones so I didn't get wash out. Works real well. Not as fancy as some have done, but functional.
Argee
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lane
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New Member
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Reged: 09/14/02
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Posts: 4
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Loc: Southeast Louisiana
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Re: Buried Downspout Extensions
[re: Argee]
11/09/02 01:31 PM
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I purchased "pop-up" drain emitters from Lowes for the drain ends. They were about $12 each and consist of a 90 deg 4" fitting and a cover approximately 8" in diameter that sits flush to your lawn. The center of the cover simply pops up when the water level gets to it. They handle the heavy rains here in S. Louisiana with no problem. They have worked great. The top can be lifted off to remove debris if necessary and you can cut right over them with a mower! The rest of my installation consist of the 4" solid flex pipe and fittings connected to aluminum downspouts via round to square adapters. Average cover of the buried pipe is only 3 - 6 inches and has not experienced any problem even with my tractor frequently passing over it. I am really pleased with the low cost, ease of installation and quality of this combination.
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