09/01/2026
Can we please retire these from Memphis flowerbeds?
We see these black accordion-style downspout extenders at houses all over the Mid-South—usually tucked behind shrubs or laid across fresh mulch.
They may stop the downspout from washing out one tiny spot, but when the end is still sitting inside the same flowerbed, you haven’t solved the drainage problem. You’ve moved hundreds of gallons of roof water about four feet.
They also get kinked, crushed, buried in mulch and filled with debris. Then the water either backs up or pours out exactly where the pipe ends—still right beside the house.
A proper downspout system uses solid pipe with the correct slope to carry roof runoff to a suitable discharge point.
Getting the water out of sight isn’t the same as getting it away from the house.
Drainage Solutions LLC
Memphis & North Mississippi
drainagesolutionsmemphis.com