Gutters And Downpipe

[Boto]

In a few weeks time I am having my Finlock gutters replaced by uPVC gutters. At present there is no downpipe in the front - the water goes through to next door's gutters and down their pipe which is always getting blocked. I can have a downpipe fitted but the water would go into the 'flower bed'. The salesman said this is quite normal. Is this the best way to proceed?

[Flonska]

Rather than have the water cascade down the pipe direct on to the earth, you may wish to consider putting in a small "soakway." This will ensure that the earth does not become eroded in "heavy" rain.

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/soakaway-water-drainage-system.htm

[Buenchico]

Flonska has posted the same link that I was about to. While creating a soakaway is fairly straightforward (especially if you use a soakaway crate) it needs to be well away from the house (typically 5m) in order to meet with most local authority requirements. So there's some additional piping to be included in the scheme.

If you're a gardener though, a far simpler (and cheaper) solution would be to install a water butt.

[Boto]

A water butt sounds good. Thank you both for your answers.