What Kind Of Damage Can A Blocked Underground Gutter Drain Cause
The short answer is a heck of a lot!
Homeowners can often be up for thousands of dollars of damage caused by broken or blocked underground gutter drain systems.
Broken gutters often occur when the sheer volume of water backed up in the drainpipes is too much weight for the gutters to bear. At that point, a burst gutter is the least of your problems because all that water has to go somewhere, leading to our next point
Rising damp and rotting wood will develop in homes that have issues with blocked or broken drainage systems, simply because the water will either stand for long periods of time or overflow with burst gutters onto and into the home itself. When this happens, first mould and other nasties develop, then the wood begins to rot. Not only does this cost a lot to fix, but its also a major safety hazard for residents and guests.
One of the most expensive damages that homeowners tend to see with blocked underground drains is foundational damage. When the drainage system isnt working properly, the water doesnt drain away from the home, often gathering at the lowest points of the property. If this happens to be the foundations of your home, the standing water can make its way under the home causing it to seep into the home from beneath or, worse still, cause the home to start sinking into the ground.
When Should You Call A Professional Gutter And Downspout Specialist
While identifying and removing blockages in an outdoor, concealed downpipe system is not impossible, it can be challenging.
Consider reaching out to our professional gutter and downspout specialists if you notice slow drainage, water back up, or complete clogs.
Here are a couple of signs that indicate you need to contact our local gutter and downspout specialists right away:
- Mildew or moss is starting to accumulate near the drainage system
- The seams of your pipes are experiencing stress
- Your gutters are overflowing
Steps To Prevent Underground Drains From Clogging
The only way to completely prevent underground drains from clogging is preventing any debris from going down there in the first place. If you have under ground drains, it is highly recommended that you have some sort of leaf protection on your guttersor strainers in your downspouts. Here are some of the most common ways to prevent debris from going into your downspouts and clogging underground drains.
Downspout Strainer
Downspout strainers are the cheapest solution for keeping debris from the downspouts. These are basically a ball of wire that sits on the tops of your downspouts. The problem with these is that the debris will pile up in this area and need to be routinely removed. If not removed, it will cause the water to spill over the gutter in this location. It could also direct the water behind the gutter which will start to damage the wood.
Downspout Filter Box
These Filter Boxes come in a variety of shapes, styles, and sizes but they all provide the same function. Stopping debris from entering the drainage system. Downspout filter boxes are installed to the downspouts where you can easily reach them and remove the debris yourself.
Gutter Covers/Leaf Guards
The most effective way of keeping debris out of your gutter system is having gutter covers installed to any gutters that lead to underground drains. This would include any upper level gutters that connect into lower level gutters. Basically if the debris can get in at any point, it can infiltrate the entire system.
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Problems With Downspout Clogs
There are other issues that can arise with downspouts, such as the underground lines deteriorating over time, the lines disconnecting, or the drainage not working properly.
Whatever the problem is that youre having with your homes downspout lines, our plumbers will inspect it to find the real issue, and diagnose the problem. Our crews have a variety of tools available to help them determine whats going on with your lines, and will often use cameras to inspect the hard-to-reach underground lines.
Once we find the source of the problem, we will be able to perform the needed work to fix them, whether that means redirecting the underground lines to provide better runoff or drainage, or replacing the deteriorated lines in more severe circumstances.
Importance of Downspout Lines to Your Home
As you probably know, the main purpose of the downspout lines is to provide a safe place for rainwater to run off to, away from your homes foundation.
They work in coordination with your homes gutters to catch rainwater and funnel it away from the home, oftentimes through an underground network of pipes that carries it across the yard, to a catch basin, a trench or a yard drain.
Without working downspouts for your home, Cincinnatis year-round precipitation could erode your homes foundation and cause serious problems for your structure. If you need your downspout lines cleaned or repaired, make the BEST choice and call BEST Plumbing today!
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How To Clean Underground Gutter Drains

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Your home’s main gutter system gathers rainwater from the roof line and controls its path down the house to ground but the water could still puddle next to the foundation. That’s where underground gutter drains are helpful. They attach to the downspouts on your home and move water away from the foundation underground. Although you can’t see into these drains, cleaning them is similar to a process used to clear debris from the side gutter pipes on your house.
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Prevent Underground Gutter Drainage Problems & Contact Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning Of Long Island
When it comes to protecting your home, trust the decades of experience at Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island. Were proud to be the best gutter installation and gutter maintenance company in the area. We provide a vast range of services designed to keep your home in remarkable condition. Give us a call 1 800 843-9442.
How Can I Avoid Blocked Underground Gutter Drains
The best thing you can do is regularly check for the signs mentioned above that may be telling you that youve got a blockage, or something isnt connected right with the system.
It also pays to have a team of professional gutter technicians at hand who can help you look for signs of drainage issues when they visit to clean or maintain the gutters on your home.
If youre located in Melbourne and want someone to swing by to help with gutter cleaning, the team here at Graysons Gutter Cleaning is always happy to do so, and to provide friendly advice surrounding the gutter systems that help protect your home.
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Not Having Professional Underground Gutter Drainage Installed
Although underground drainage installation isnt always feasible, it remains the most ideal long-term approach to channeling water away from your homes foundation. The underground gutter drainage is especially helpful in situations when homes do not have the proper slope away from the home. A professional drain installer can install the underground drain in one of two ways:
- Digging the trenches by hand.
Simply put, this isnt a DIY job or a task for the inexperienced installer because there are a vast number of considerations that must be made. A few of the most common considerations your installer should discuss with you include any installed sprinkler systems, underground utilities, and any brick or cement paver walkways. Of course, every underground or dig job MUST start with a call to 311 for a markout of underground utilities.
All of these factors help determine how the trench will be dug and the necessary depth of the trench. With all things considered, many underground gutter drainage problems originate witha less-than-experienced underground gutter installer.
Why Choose Grumpys Drains For Cleaning The Gutter Drain System
Hydrojetting should only be done after your gutters have been cleaned theres not much point clearing out the base of your system if theres a chance more gunk could just slide in!
Thats why, with one of our Grumpys Rain Drain cleaning coupons, youll get a discount on hydrojetting once your gutters have been cleaned out by gutter cleaning Portland experts. This kind of holistic approach is the way to go if you really want to protect your home. If youre interested, feel free to give us a call at 422-9476, or fill out our online form.
Lets get your rain drain flowing smoothly again!
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Underground Gutter Drainage Problems Caused By Direct Connections
As an experienced team of gutter installation and maintenance professionals, we know the best way to install your underground drains is with a proven and effective debris filter – meaning, gutter protection. This simple but critical component will work to keep your gutters clean and prevent your underground drains from being clogged with debris.
However, landscapers and inexperienced gutter professionals often affix the downspouts directly into the ground. This results in limited access between the drains and the gutter. More importantly, it results in underground clogs that have to be dug up to be remedied, a very, very expensive situation.
What Is An Underground Drain
Some homes connect their gutter downspouts to drains that go underground. We call these gutter drains underground drains. The purpose of the underground drain is to re-direct the water away from the home, usually to the street or the sidewalk. Sometimes they even connect directly to the sewer line underground.
When these underground drains become clogged, the water is no longer able to drain properly from the gutter system. This will cause water to overflow in different locations, and eventually cause damages to your gutter system. Keep in mind the drain could be partially clogged and allow some water through, or it could be completely clogged which wont allow any water through.
Disclosure: We do not service , install, or repair underground drains of any type at My Gutter Pro. Our gutter cleaning service includes all gutters and downspouts to the ground level.
This is merely an informative article designed to help you confirm whether you have a clogged underground drain or not. That way you know if you need to call the gutter cleaner or the plumber.
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Drain Cleaning Services For Clogged Drains
Roto-Rooters plumbing professionals are available 24/7 to perform routine drain maintenance, emergency drain cleaning services and sewer cleaning. Our drain cleaning services include floor drains, downspout drains, storm drains, sewer drains, and more.
Roto-Rooter has been in the drain cleaning business since 1935, when Samuel Blanc patented the first electric drain cleaning machine and founded the first Roto-Rooter franchise. Today, the technology hasnt changed much from Blancs classic invention, and uses blades to cut through debris to restore proper water flow.
As a premier drain cleaning company, Roto-Rooter is leading the industry by cleaning more drains and performing more sewer line repairs than any other company in North America. Roto-Rooter can help with any kind of clogged drain and address all sewer cleaning services. Our plumbers provide both residential and commercial services, addressing clogged kitchen drains, clogged bathroom drains, clogged outdoor drains, and clogged sewer lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
*All services not available from all locations.
How We Can Help Clear Blocked Underground Drains

If you believe your underground drain pipes are clogged, we can come to inspect your line. Using our safe and reliable hydro jetting method, we will clear your drain of all debris. Clear Drain Cleaning is a local owned company that specializes in residential and commercial drain, sewer and septic services such as electric drain cleaning and hydro jetting. Our tools and methods are safe, reliable and fast. Well have your drains, sewage and septic systems clear and running smoothly in no time! We proudly serve Holmes County, Wayne County, Tuscarawas County, Coshocton County, Stark County, Ashland County and Carroll County. Contact us today and Like Us on !
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What Are Drain Jetting Services
High-pressure drain jetting is an efficient, economical, and environmentally safe way to clean drain and sewer pipes. Using state-of-the-art pumps and flexible hoses, ordinary water is propelled under varying amounts of pressure into the line. A special nozzle mounted on the end of a heavy-duty hose has an array of forward and reverse water jets, which direct extremely powerful concentrated streams of water all the way to the pipe walls. Even the toughest blockages and buildup cant stand up to hot water jetting, which thoroughly cleans pipes.
Regular water jet maintenance keeps drain lines flowing Condominium buildings and commercial establishments typically require frequent high-pressure water jetting to remove mineral deposits, leaf buildup, sludge and debris that accumulate in the lines. Clogs in downspouts and underground extensions can cause severe flooding and damage to the building.
Some businesses may require just one or two cleanings annually, while others can go for three years or more between cleanings. Thats why many of our customers prefer to use Commercial Restorations for regular gutter cleaning services to keep their drains flowing freely. With our regular gutter cleaning maintenance contracts we provide drain jetting on an as needed basis, for only $75 for each drain. Other drain jetting companies like Roto-Rooter and other plumbers generally charge $300 $400 for each drain!
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+why Should I Clean My Gutters
Properly pitched gutters and leaders gather that water and channel it away from the home. Doing so prevents water penetration into the home and its foundation. For this reason, Consumer Reports magazine claims that runaway rainwater is the #1 Home Repair That You Should Not Ignore.
Because of how important a properly flowing gutter system is to your home, you must keep them clean, all year round. If you dont, rainwater can seep into your homes roof, siding, and even its foundation. Water damage to these parts of your home can result in costly repairs. Simply cleaning your gutters prevents these expensive projects and keeps water flowing away from your home.
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Local Landscape Drain Cleaning Services In Greenwich Stamford & Darien:
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We clear slowed or stopped gutter system ground drains, allowing for a smooth water flow throughout your gutter drains.
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We professionally inspect problem ground drains with video cameras, with recording capability, and can detect breaks or separation and mark the exact location of the problem. Finding crucial points for repair. This can prevent problems with water leaks and foundation problems.
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We perform maintenance on stormwater management systems which includes providing a professional engineer’s certified report that the system has been properly maintained.
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We use quality hydro-jetters to eliminate the debris, clean the pipe and get the project done expediently. Hydro-jetters are also very delicate on your underground drain pipes and greatly reduce the risk of breakage. This will all leave your gutters cleaned and provide you with peace of mind.
Why Its Important To Clean Gutters
If theres one part of the home you probably dont think about much, itd have to be the gutters. You know theyre there, and that they need to be cleaned sometimes, but what you may not realize is how important they are.
Gutters protect your home from runaway rainwater that can lead to leaks, ruined landscaping, or even cracks in your foundation. Here in Portland, where we call a week without rain summer, this makes gutters doubly important!
Water isnt the only thing that gets into your gutters, though leaves, branches, or even shingles slide in, causing blockages and leaving your gutters unable to do their job! Before you know it, youve got water creeping through your windows, mold thriving in your basement, or mosquitoes and bees swarming outside .
Fortunately, its easy to avoid these kinds of issues and save the money itd cost to deal with them
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Can Clogged Gutters Damage My Roof
Clogged underground drain systems can cause water to overflow in your gutter and eventually rot the fascia board behind your gutter. If the gutters are clogged enough, the weight of the debris can cause the gutter to pull away from the fascia board which also causes damage.
Between water overflowing and the weight of debris weakening your fascia board, the wood behind your gutter can rot and cause serious leaks. When the wood gets wet it also attracts termites and other insects that thrive in a wet soggy environment.
Conversely, a dirty or damaged roof can also cause your gutters to be clogged. Mold, mildew, algae, and other organic material can grow on your roof, around the fascia boards, and in your gutters. If this occurs, you may need to call an exterior cleaning company experienced with the right chemicals and solutions to solve the problem. When one of our customers has this type of issue, we typically partner with Apex Exterior Washing. They are able to eliminate the organic material from the roof completely.
Underground Drain Cleaning In Charlottesville Va
If you have underground drains and youre not sure if theyre actually working properly, its a good idea to get them serviced. Its likely theyve never been cleaned before water could be backing up against a clog towards your foundation. Our clients always love the peace of mind knowing their drains are clean as a whistle after we finish!
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First Things First: Dont Hesitate To Call For Help
If you dont feel comfortable dealing with underground pipes and drainage, dont hesitate to call for help. Get in touch with a plumber you trust to either ask for advice or assistance. They will be more than happy to help you out! You might also have to call for professional help if your drains have a more complex issue such as leaks or extreme water damage.