8 alternatives to gutters: how to collect and direct water from your home (2023)

Can you build a house without gutters? If you can. However, you would have to come up with a different strategy to collect rainwater.

When rainwater cascades down a roof without gutters, it falls to the ground around your house. It then erodes the ground and flows towards the house instead of away from it. This, in turn, eventually pushes water into the lower parts of the walls, basement, floor, and basement, eventually leading to flooding, foundation problems, and wall damage. A home without gutters can also end up with water damage and mold growth.

Therefore, you must divert water from your home through a gutter system or some other practical method. The following article describes the signs of poor drainage, how to build makeshift gutters, and different ways to drain water from your home.

Poor Stormwater Drainage: Signs and Problems

If you see large puddles of water a few hours after the rain has stopped in areas like your garden, you may have a drainage problem. Also water in yourDrivewayAnd water spots on your siding and basement should worry you, too.

1. Basement flooded

A flooded basement is another sign that your home is not draining rainwater as well as it should. And if you think about itcosts an average of $4,000To clean up a flooded basement, you need to quickly sit down and take note of your situation.

The longer it takes to ignore the signs of poor stormwater drainage around your home, the more damage your property will suffer. Over time, exposure to water causes the foundation to settle, putting pressure on your entire property.

2. Basic questions

ofThe problem is displayed in the form ofCracks in the patio, walls, chimney and foundation itself, it is also manifested in stuck doors and windows and uneven floors.

Yonboarding issuesthey are also expensive to repair. For minor cracks you will pay around $500. But if the situation is bad and there are significant problems thenExpect to pay more than $7,000to order them.

3. Mold growth

Another nightmare is mold growth from water damage to the siding and the resulting rot. First of all, your house will smell bad, which would make living in your house uncomfortable. But even if it doesn't smell moldy, it still poses many health risks.

Somehealth complicationsThey can arise due to mold infestation:

• allergies
• labored breathing
• aspergilosis
• Lower respiratory problems in children.

To get rid of mold you would have to spend everywhere$13.33 and $28.33 per square foot. So the larger the infested area, the more money you will pay.

How to make homemade gutters?

It's safe to say that you need to channel rainwater away from your home somehow. And the easiest way to do it is byInstallation of a gutter system..The gutter system consists of:

• gutter sections
• downspouts
• downspout elbow
• percha
• clamps
• the end cap
• miter corner
• will contain

This is supposed to have been completed.Gutter systems cost money. However, the cost of purchasing and installing the system varies. This depends on the size and layout of your home and the type of material you choose. It also depends on whether you install the gutters yourself. So the price may vary.$4 to $30 per linear footgutter installed.

Because of this, you may decide to save money by making gutters yourself. You can do that with:

• 3 inch pvc pipecemented and cut in half before mounting to the eaves. The downspout can be made from uncut PVC pipe.
• scrap or recycled metalsBent into a U shape and mounted on the eave. You can make the downspout out of scrap metal in the shape of a pipe.
• metal pipes cut in halfand attached to the eaves of the roof. A PVC pipe or metal pipe can be used as a downspout.

How to collect and drain water from your roof without gutters

However, it is worth noting that it is not necessary to install a gutter system. It's fine to not have gutters, as long as you have other ways to collect rainwater that work just as well and can divert it away from your house.

1. Site evaluation

site ratingis a technical process that allows you to adjust the elevation and slope of the terrain around your home. For example, if you have a stormwater drainage problem, you can redirect the flow of water by making sure your home is on higher ground than the surrounding area.

The general rule is that you shouldrate your sitehas a slope of 5%. That means a 6-inch drop in height for every 10 feet of distance from your building. So when it rains, the water cascades off the roof and away from your home, following the direction of the slope. This means you don't have to worry about rainwater getting into your house.access spaces, cellar or foundation.

2. Install a drainage tile system

The installation offloor drain plate systemsnow he is part of manybuilding codes. A tile drainage system diverts surface water away from your crawl space or basement to prevent floodingHeavy rainsor the rapid thaw.

Basic drainage panel systems are sometimes called a French drain, after a Scottish wheat farmer named Henry French who popularized the system to improve soil drainage. Other names for this water drainage method include filtration tiles, toe tiles, and perimeter drainage systems.

In the past, drainage board systems were made of clay. However, modern versions are made from corrugated plastic pipe or perforated PVC pipe. The holes are usually on one side.

If you decide to update your home and install a foundation drainage system, you can start digging a trench around your foundation. Hemust be at least 24 inches deepand must extend to the foot or bottom of your home's foundation.

The trench should extend to a chosen drainage point, channel, storm sewer, pond, etc. and it should slope down. However, it can also lead to a sump pump pumping water to another area. The latter option works well on flatter areas.

The trench is then covered with gravel before the perforated pipe is installed. It is then covered with more gravel. then a clothlike crushed stone, garden cloth or nylon filter sock, sits on top of gravel to prevent mud from clogging pipe holes. Soil is then piled on top of the trench.

When rainwater falls to the ground, it takes the path of least resistance and is absorbed by the network of pipes. Gravity then directs it to the selected drainage point. This in turn prevents water from seeping through the foundation,crawl space, the attic.

3. Develop a rain garden

You may want to consider developinga rain gardento collect, divert and manage rainwater not only from your roof but also from your driveway. You can also channel water from your gutter system into said garden.

A rain garden in this case refers to a methodlandscapingAllows you to plant flowers, shrubs, grass, etc. in a recessed section of your lawn. Such areas inherently tend to accumulate rainwater or snowmelt. If the exterior of your house is not neglected, you can make the notches yourself. For example, if you choose to level the land, you can designate the lower part of the slope as a rain garden.

The vegetation within the rain garden filters contaminants in runoff water and helps it seep into the soil, thus recharging groundwater. Additionally, the rain garden will help reduce soil erosion and will attract insects, birds, and butterflies.

And if you use native plant species, they don't need fertilizer and are easy to care for in the long run. In the end, these types of gardens can helpEnhance the beauty of your surroundingswhile improving rainwater runoff.

4. Develop dry stream beds

dry stream bedsThey are a form of landscaping consisting of a well-designed but functional ditch or ravine. They do an excellent job of diverting water from your home into the ground or a larger drainage area.

Ditches will be dug and designed to resemble normal riparian terrain, but must follow the natural slope no matter how it meanders through the property. You can then add a layer of sand orChoose, line them with stones and boulders on the side, and place your favorite riparian plants and grasses along the edges of the trench. If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, consider grouting the stones.

When it rains you notice runoff water from your roof, drain extensions, etc.dry stream bedsand follow the designated course to a much larger drainage point. Such points can be a ravine, a rain garden and fountains. Rocks and gravel help water seep into the ground instead of draining away and causing soil erosion or forming puddles.

5. Graben of swamps

Swallows predominateWide artificial ditches, which are relatively flat and have gently vegetated slopes and berms. They slow down the flow of water, prevent puddles and flooding, and improve soil drainage.

Hevegetation you grow in the moatThe body, sides and berms must be able to withstand both dry and wet conditions. And it shouldn't require regular, soil-disturbing maintenance. Also consider plants that cover the ground or have deep, spreading roots. Examples of such plants are muhly and vetiver. You can also plant fruit trees and bamboo.

Trenches can follow the slope contour of your area or be built perpendicular to existing slopes. They can also be dug slightly out of contour to direct water in the desired direction.

Whichever option best suits your needs, you must carefully design your gutters so that you have areas to walk and drive, even in heavy rain. Of course, this also applies if you live on a farm. You can also build dry stream beds inside swallows to beautify your lawn.

If you need to drain rainwater from your roof, you should consider developingbypass channels. In this case, you would build a gutter starting at the point where your roof drains most of the water.

If the area has been graded, the depression may start at the bottom of the embankment. Then you can dig it in any direction you want.

Also, these voids can be an end point for your roof. In such cases, you could divert water from items like French drains into the sink. You can also use swallows to divert rainwater to other drainage points like a pond or dam.

6. Build a dry well

dry wellsrefer to underground structures that remove stormwater and surface runoff. The sides of the chamber are perforated to drain water, while the bottoms of the pits are often filled with gravel to improve drainage and increase infiltration. For this reason, dry wells are ideal for groundwater recharge. So if the area around your house has poor drainage, you can direct rainwater away from your building and into the dry well.

Dry wells can also beused as drainage pointsFor French drains, driveways, dry stream beds, and swallows. And if you have gutters, you can reroute downspout extensions into these wells or in the areas near the wells. You can also build dry wells so they can soak up water that flows down the level ground near your house.

7. Build a water tank

Building a water reservoir is a great idea for anyone who wants to collect water and lives in an area with long dry spells that sometimes experiences excessive rainfall. you can bein the form of pondsthe dams. It allows you to divert water away from your roof and lawn while ensuring you have enough water for irrigation during the dry months. However, this option is only viable if you have a large area to work on.

You should consider building water tanks if your house is built on a hill. You can also design your water reservoir to work with your French drains, dry creek beds, and gulps so that it fills the overflow or diverts it to another location.

8. Install a sump pump

a sump pumpIt is a type of pump that allows the water accumulated in a swamp to be removed through a drainage pipe, avoiding flooding. The crater is usually dug into the lowest level of your home, usually in a basement orcrawl space. However, you can also dig a swamp pitoutside your housewhere the water accumulates.

The sump pump can divert water to different areas. These include storm drains, streams, ponds, and dry wells. Because of this, they are excellent at collecting and draining water from your home, minimizing the negative impact on your foundation.

final thoughts

Although gutter systems are a popular method of collecting and draining water from your home, you can do without them. However, it would be helpful if you implemented other strategies such as: You can also develop rain gardens or build hollows, dry stream beds, dry wells, and ponds. And if all else fails, there's always the sump pump.