What’s involvedGround and drainage
Flush the buried downspout line: what's involved
What a buried downspout line does, how to tell from the ground that it's blocked, what a drainage pro does, and what to have ready. No hands-on steps: it's a pro's job.
- 10 to 20 min
- 7 parts
- Every step animated
What’s involved
No hands-on steps here: what the job is, what a pro does, and what to have ready.
Some downspouts drop into a pipe under the lawn that carries the water away. If it clogs, the water backs up by the wall.
Find where the downspout goes into the ground, and the outlet or pop-up cap where the line comes out across the yard.
In a steady rain, watch both ends. Water bubbling up at the downspout, or a dry outlet, means it's blocked.
Photograph both ends and any water backing up, so a pro can see it.
They flush the line with water under pressure or a drain machine, and run a camera down it. A crushed line is dug up and replaced.
Nobody digs beside the foundation until the buried services are marked.Know where both ends are, clear a path to them, and move anything stacked over the line.
Water backing up at the downspout or sitting against the wall: ask Handyman for a drainage pro.
What you need
- Nothing: a drainage pro brings the tools
Call a pro if
- Water bubbles up where the downspout meets the ground
- The outlet stays dry in a rain
- Water sits against the wall or the basement gets damp
Handyman says: Backing up? I'll find a drainage pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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