Gutters and Drainage: Keeping Water Away from Your Home

This guide covers exterior water, gutters, grading, and drainage as a source of water inside the home, for homes in LaPlace and Gonzales alike. For the service itself, the flood water extraction page gives a general outline.

What gutters do, and what happens when they fail

Gutters collect the rain that falls on the roof and carry it to the downspouts, which carry it to the ground away from the home. A roof sheds a large volume of water in heavy rain, and the gutters are the channel that moves it. When gutters are blocked with leaves, twigs, and debris, the water has nowhere to go, and it overflows the edge of the gutter, running down the walls and gathering at the base of the home.

The signs of blocked gutters are water spilling over the edge during rain, stains on the walls below the gutters, and plants growing in the gutter itself. A gutter that sags or pulls away from the roof is another sign, because it cannot carry water properly when it is not level. Cleaning the gutters, and checking that they are firmly fixed, is a job worth doing before the heavy rain season.

Gutters collect the rain that falls on the roof and carry it to the downspouts, which carry it to the ground away from the home. A roof sheds a large volume of water in heavy rain, and the gutters are the channel that moves it. When gutters are blocked with leaves, twigs, and debris, the water has nowhere to go, and it overflows the edge of the gutter, running down the walls and gathering at the base of the home.

Downspouts: where the water goes

Downspouts carry the water from the gutters to the ground, and where they discharge matters as much as the gutters themselves. A downspout that discharges at the base of the wall sends the whole roof's worth of rain straight against the home, where it gathers and finds its way inside. A downspout that discharges away from the home, onto ground that slopes away, sends the water where it can drain without touching the walls.

Check where each downspout discharges, and whether the water runs away from the home or pools at the base of the wall. A simple extension on a downspout, carrying the water a few feet further from the home, can make a real difference. If a downspout is blocked, the water backs up into the gutter and overflows, so the downspouts deserve the same attention as the gutters.

The signs of blocked gutters are water spilling over the edge during rain, stains on the walls below the gutters, and plants growing in the gutter itself. A gutter that sags or pulls away from the roof is another sign, because it cannot carry water properly when it is not level. Cleaning the gutters, and checking that they are firmly fixed, is a job worth doing before the heavy rain season.

Gutters and Drainage: Keeping Water Away from Your Home — Louisiana water guide

Grading: the slope of the ground

Grading is the slope of the ground around the home, and it decides whether rain water runs toward the house or away from it. Ground that slopes toward the house sends water against the walls, where it gathers in low spots and finds its way inside. Ground that slopes away sends the water elsewhere, and the home stays dry. A walk around the home after heavy rain shows where the water gathers, and that is where the grading needs attention.

Low spots near the home are the places to watch. A dip in the soil beside a wall, a flower bed that sits lower than the surrounding ground, or a path that channels water toward the house all gather water in heavy rain. Filling a low spot, or regrading the soil so that it slopes away from the home, is a practical step, and it is worth doing before the next heavy rain.

Downspouts carry the water from the gutters to the ground, and where they discharge matters as much as the gutters themselves. A downspout that discharges at the base of the wall sends the whole roof's worth of rain straight against the home, where it gathers and finds its way inside. A downspout that discharges away from the home, onto ground that slopes away, sends the water where it can drain without touching the walls.

Drains that carry water away

Drains around the home carry surface water away, and they need the same attention as the gutters. A drain blocked with leaves, soil, or debris cannot carry water, and the water backs up and gathers around the home. Check the drains after heavy rain, and clear them when they are blocked. A drain that is slow to clear is a drain that needs attention before the next storm.

It is also worth knowing where the water goes once it leaves the drains. If the drains run to a ditch or a waterway that is itself full, the water has nowhere to go, and it backs up around the home. That is a wider problem than one home can fix, and it is worth knowing about, because it explains why a home can flood even when its own gutters and drains are clear.

Grading is the slope of the ground around the home, and it decides whether rain water runs toward the house or away from it. Ground that slopes toward the house sends water against the walls, where it gathers in low spots and finds its way inside. A walk around the home after heavy rain shows where the water gathers, and that is where the grading needs attention.

A short exterior checklist

Clean the gutters and check that they are firmly fixed. Check where each downspout discharges, and extend any that discharge at the base of the wall. Walk the ground around the home after rain, and note where the water gathers. Fill low spots near the walls, and clear the drains when they are blocked. Do this before the heavy rain season, and repeat it after any storm that drops leaves and debris.

If water has already entered your home, call (877) 624-0105 and describe what happened. Availability is confirmed on the call. Never enter a flooded building, and never handle electrics in standing water.

Drains around the home carry surface water away, and they need the same attention as the gutters. A drain blocked with leaves, soil, or debris cannot carry water, and the water backs up and gathers around the home. Check the drains after heavy rain, and clear them when they are blocked, before the next storm arrives.

Key Takeaways

Gutters collect the rain that falls on the roof and carry it to the downspouts, which carry it to the ground away from the home.
Downspouts carry the water from the gutters to the ground, and where they discharge matters as much as the gutters themselves.
Grading is the slope of the ground around the home, and it decides whether rain water runs toward the house or away from it.
Drains around the home carry surface water away, and they need the same attention as the gutters.
Clean the gutters and check that they are firmly fixed.

Questions About Gutters and Drainage: Keeping Water Away from Your Home

How do gutters cause flooding inside a home?

Blocked gutters overflow, and the water runs down the walls and gathers at the base of the home, where it finds its way inside through gaps that are invisible in dry weather. A roof sheds a large volume of water in heavy rain, and the gutters are the channel that moves it.

Where should downspouts discharge?

Away from the home, onto ground that slopes away from the walls. A downspout that discharges at the base of the wall sends the whole roof's worth of rain straight against the home.

What is grading, and why does it matter?

Grading is the slope of the ground around the home. Ground that slopes toward the house sends water against the walls, while ground that slopes away sends it elsewhere. A walk around the home after rain shows where the water gathers.

How often should gutters be cleaned?

Before the heavy rain season, and again after any storm that drops leaves and debris. The signs of blocked gutters are water spilling over the edge during rain and stains on the walls below the gutters.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Flood Water Extraction page explains what that service covers, and the water removal page explains what that service covers when water has spread to more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water extraction help is available across Louisiana. See water extraction in Oak Grove, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.