Changing Downspout Direction

Judi Adkins has had some much-needed rain in Austin, Texas.

But she feels the flooding in her condo requires the changing of at least one downspout direction. Here's what she sent to me:

"I live in a first floor condo. It has a recent history of water damage.

We are experiencing an unusual deluge of rain this week.
This downspout in the attached photo looks like it is pointed in the wrong direction.

Is it? I can send more photos.

Thanks!"

You can see that pesky downspout elbow next to the bushes at the corner of the condo. Photo credit: Judi Adkins

Here's my astute answer!

Judi, the downspout is not pointed in the wrong direction in that exact location. If it was rotated 90 degrees, it would erode all the soil I see next to it.

The issue, in my opinion, is the roof water is dumping right next to the corner of the building flooding the slab and condos when it should be piped underground out to the storm sewers and/or a much lower point of ground well beyond the actual condo buildings.

This is easy to correct. Take a copy of this page to your next condo board meeting. You might want to print out ALL of my other columns here at the website where I talk about the proper pipe to use and best practices of installing buried downspout drain pipes.

Just type: downspout drain pipes into my search engine here to locate them!