It’s known that water follows the path of least resistance, causing it to settle in lower level areas, including driveways, sidewalks, and patios. The constant pooling of water may end up costing a homeowner more money over time in foundation repair if the concrete isn’t repaired (lifted and level) before it gets too bad. Before the concrete sinks and becomes too damaged, take a look at your downspouts.
If you have too much roof area draining through a single downspout, or two downspouts very close together, you will want to consider altering your gutter and downspout arrangement by adding more downspouts, or rearranging the ones you have. This is a relatively cheap solution to a potentially damaging water situation.
Once the downspout drains onto the ground it is best to move that water at least 3′ away from the house as quickly as possible. See the pictures below or to the right for some ideas of how to accomplish this.
If you connect to your downspout to your French drain be sure to use leaf separators (see diagram) to keep leaves and twigs from clogging your French drain.
Downspouts that are properly positioned to reduce the amount of water hitting your sidewalk and driveway can save you from having foundation issues. If the concrete is already sinking in that area, you may want to consider polyjacking, which is a less invasive and more effective method than mudjacking. Click here to call for a free quote in the Kansas City area.