It rains hard for an hour, and afterward there’s a puddle along the side of the house that takes two days to soak in. Or the corner of the basement smells musty every spring, and there’s a white chalky line on the block wall. You have rain gutters, so this shouldn’t be happening. In most cases, rain gutters in Shawnee, KS fail not at the gutter but at the two ends of the system: where the water comes in from the roof, and where it lands on the ground.
That’s an uneasy feeling, because a wet basement or a settling foundation is a much bigger worry than a gutter. You want to know whether your gutters are part of the problem and what it would take to fix it.
APC Roofing installs seamless rain gutters and downspouts on homes across the Kansas City area, and since we’re roofers, we look at the whole path the water takes. We’re GAF Certified, licensed and insured, and estimates are free. Call 913-398-5020 to have your drainage checked.
Follow the water from the roof to the ground
A rain gutter system is really four parts working in a row: the roof that collects the water, the gutter that gathers it, the downspout that carries it down, and the ground that has to take it away. When something goes wrong, it’s usually at the weakest link. Walk around your house in a heavy rain and you’ll often see exactly where.
Where the roof overloads a gutter
Roofs don’t send water to the gutters evenly. A valley, where two roof slopes meet, collects water from both and dumps it into a few feet of gutter. That corner may carry several times the water of the run next to it. If it overflows in every downpour while the rest of the gutter is fine, the answer is usually a downspout at or near that corner, not a bigger gutter everywhere.
Upper roofs cause a similar problem. A downspout from a second-story roof that empties onto the roof below sends a concentrated stream across the lower shingles, wearing them out faster and flooding the lower gutter. Piping that water down past the lower roof, or into a downspout of its own, takes care of both problems.
Downspouts are often the weak link
A gutter can only drain as fast as its downspouts. Many older Shawnee homes have small 2×3-inch downspouts, and fewer of them than the roof needs. Larger 3×4-inch downspouts carry roughly twice the water. Elbows and long horizontal runs slow the flow and catch debris, so the fewer bends, the better.
If you see water spilling over the gutter near a downspout, check the downspout first. A clog at the top elbow is common, especially in spring when trees drop seeds and catkins.
Where the water lands matters most
The best gutter in the world doesn’t help if it empties right at the foundation. It has collected water from a big piece of roof and dropped it in one spot against your house.
That matters here. Many Kansas City area homes have basements, and much of the local soil is clay that swells when it’s wet and shrinks when it dries. Water dumped at the same corner storm after storm can push through the basement wall, feed a sump pump that never seems to stop, and over time help the ground under the foundation shift.
General guidance is to discharge downspout water at least several feet from the foundation, and to have the ground slope away from the house. A common target is about six inches of fall in the first ten feet. If the ground around your house slopes toward it, even well-placed downspouts can send water right back.
Ways to carry water away
Splash blocks are simple and inexpensive, but they only move water a short distance. On flat or poorly graded ground, the water can find its way back.
Downspout extensions carry water several feet out into the yard. They work well, but they get kicked loose, mowed over or left disconnected, so check them after storms.
Buried drain lines carry water underground to a spot where it can drain safely, away from the house. They’re out of sight and out of the way. They can also fill with silt without you noticing, so a cleanout point is worth planning in.
Which one makes sense depends on your yard, your grading and how much roof drains to each corner.
Rain gutters in Shawnee and your basement
Gutters and downspouts aren’t the only reason a basement gets wet. Grading, cracks in the foundation and groundwater all play a part. But they’re the least costly place to start, and fixing them often makes a real difference. If water still shows up after the roof water is carried well away, a foundation or waterproofing specialist is the next call.
How it works
- Book your free estimate. Call 913-398-5020 or request a free estimate online. Photos or notes from the last heavy rain help.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We look at the roof areas, valleys, gutters, downspouts and where each one empties, and give you a written estimate for what needs to change.
- The work gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Old pieces and scraps leave with the crew.
A downspout dumping at the foundation can feel like a small thing. Over a few wet springs, it can mean a damp basement, a sump pump that runs constantly and washed-out soil along the wall.
If your gutters themselves need replacing, our gutter installation in Shawnee page covers sizing, and seamless gutters in Shawnee explains the benefit of fewer joints.
Rain gutter questions
How far should downspouts drain from my house?
Several feet at minimum, and farther is better where the soil is clay or the ground is flat. The water should land on ground that slopes away from the house.
Why does my gutter overflow at one corner?
Usually a roof valley is pouring water into that corner, or the nearest downspout is clogged or too small. An extra downspout near the corner often fixes it.
Will new gutters fix my wet basement?
They can help a lot if roof water is landing at the foundation. They won’t fix cracks or groundwater problems on their own.
Should a downspout empty onto a lower roof?
It’s better if it doesn’t. Piping it past the lower roof protects those shingles and keeps the lower gutter from overflowing.
A dry basement after the next storm
Call 913-398-5020 or book your free estimate online. You’ll see where your roof water is going today and where it should go, and the next spring downpour can come and go while your basement stays dry.
