The Buried Downspout Disaster Under These Pavers

This is an old downspout connection we found buried under pavers in the Tampa Bay area, and it is a collection of bad decisions stacked on top of each other.

The downspout had no proper riser. The pipe went straight through the pavers into a fitting that someone held in place with two-inch screws driven through the sides of the pipe. There was even an old gutter hanger left inside the system. Past the elbow, the line was completely packed with dirt.

Everything that is wrong here

Start with the screws. Driving screws through the wall of a drainage pipe creates a rough interior that snags every leaf and bit of grit, and it leaves holes for dirt to wash in. Then there is the gutter hanger left inside, a piece of metal acting as a debris trap in the middle of the line. And with no proper riser, the connection was never sealed, so soil migrated in until the pipe past the elbow was solid dirt.

Any one of these would cause problems. Together they guaranteed the line would fail.

What done right looks like

A proper connection uses a fitted riser, an adapter sized to the actual downspout, and a clean line that nothing falls into or pokes through. When we route a downspout under pavers, we cut cleanly, vent it correctly, and tie into a properly sized underground drainage line.

Common Questions

What is wrong with screwing a drainage pipe together?

Screws through the pipe wall create a rough interior that snags debris and leave holes for dirt to wash in. The line silts up and packs solid past the elbow.

How should a downspout under pavers be connected?

With a fitted riser, an adapter sized to the downspout, and a clean line, routed under the pavers and vented correctly into a properly sized drainage line.

This is the kind of work we replace every week. Trufam Drainage. Request an Estimate.