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Adorable Decorative Downspouts Will Add Style and Personality to Your Yard

Are you shopping for decorative downspouts to beautify your yard? Rain gutter systems are not the most attractive home embellishments. If they are not properly maintained, they can look downright ugly.

Dog shaped downspout

Rain collects in the gutter and gravity pushes it down toward its exit. It hits a splash block that keeps the surge of rain water (and debris) from digging a hole in your yard. Some folks add a little personality to this system by trading their boring splash block for a decorative downspout diverter.

This makes the normal diversion of rain water away from the home’s foundation more personal for the homeowner. Some people put garden gnomes on their lawns and in their gardens for some lighthearted fun. There are decorative downspouts with garden gnomes that help you match the look of your landscape.

Some include woodland creature accents like birds, bunnies and turtles. There are imaginative decorative downspout covers with playful kitties, yawning dogs and wide-mouthed fish. You can even get a fearsome looking alligator or playful pelican diverter.

Related: Rain chains – everything you need to know about using one.

Fun Decorative Downspouts

Charming Hummingbird Downspout Extension - Helps Direct Water Away From FoundationCharming Hummingbird Rainwater Extension Amazon buy buttonToad Hollow Downspout Cover Gutter Drain Mate Statue (Nat. Brown)Toad Hollow Downspout Cover Amazon buy buttonSleepy Kitty Decorative Downspout Cover Extension Garden DecorationSleepy Kitty Decorative Downspout Cover ExtensionAmazon buy button

Fish downspouts

These cute fish extension spouts are fun to look at as the water rushes through their mouth.  If you have kids, they’ll love watching the rain fall.

Wind & Weather RG6204 Friendly Fish Downspout Cover Extension Yard and Garden Sculpture Decoration, 15 L x 6.75 W GreyFriendly Fish Downspout Cover Amazon buy buttonBlowfish Decorative Downspout Cover 13.75 L x 7.5 W x 8.75 HBlowfish Decorative Waterspout Cover Amazon buy button

Playful squirrel waterspout

Squirrels might not be fun in your garden, but this playful one will be a pleasure to watch as rain falls.

Design Toscano Crash The Squirrel Gutter Guardian Downspout StatueDesign Toscano Crash The Squirrel Gutter Guardian Downspout StatueAmazon buy button

Alligator gutter garden downspout

Collections Etc Alligator Decorative Downspout Extender with Hand-Painted Realistic Textured Detail This Alligator Rain Gutter Extender – Hand-Painted RealisticAmazon buy buttonAlligator Shaped Gutter Garden DownspoutHilarious Gator Gutter ExtenderAmazon buy button

What size should decorative downspout extensions be?

Residential rain removal systems usually come in a couple of sizes. The gutters which collect rain water are either 5 or 6 inches in width. The vertical pipe which carries water down to your splash block is almost always 2 inches by 3 inches. These are industry standards.

The folks who manufacture decorative downspout accessories are aware of these dimensions. Still, you want to check to make sure that the system on your home uses a vertical 2 inch by 3 inch pipe. Then check the dimensions of the decorative diverter you are buying.

You will find that in most cases those dimensions have already been taken into account. This means that you simply need to locate diverters that match the motif and style of your garden and landscaping efforts.

Should you use decorative downspout extenders?

Depending on your situation, you may want to add extensions to your decorative downspouts. The vertical piping on your rain gutter system makes a 90 degree turn at the ground. However, the horizontal bottom lip of that system is usually only about 3 inches long. This is why people put rocks or splash blocks underneath this water exit point. It helps push the water a little further away from the foundation of the home.

In some cases you might want to move the water even further away. This is where decorative downspout extenders come into play. You can purchase lengths of the same type of material your downspout is made out of. This attaches to the bottom of your diverter and runs horizontally across the ground. Since this pipe can look unattractive and cumbersome, some people choose to beautify it with decorative animal downspouts.

Some of the decorative downspouts you find online are more than half a foot long. This way you get to add a personal touch to your diverter while extending how far the water is removed. Some clever people run this excess rain water toward a small pond or ground-level bird bath.

Rainwater drainage made from an old rubber boot

Someone was very ingenious here. It does the job, but doesn’t look great!

Attaching and cleaning your decorative waterspout

This is the easy part. These custom diverters simply slide over the horizontal exit point of your rain removal system. If you have a splash block in place, remove it.

Decorative downspouts act as both a splash block and an ornamental enhancement. They move the water away from your home through a hollow log or the mouth of a barking bulldog. And since they are not permanent attachments, they are easy to remove.

This also means they are easy to clean. Just pull these ornamental diverters off of your downspout and wash them with some warm soapy water. Depending on what they are made of, you may want to use a little bleach as well.

What are these attractive waterspout diverters made of?

Design Toscano Drips The Turtle Gutter Guardian Downspout StatueDesign Toscano Drips The Turtle Gutter Guardian Downspout StatueAmazon buy button There are ceramic decorative downspouts, models made of plastic, stone and concrete. Whatever kind you choose, make sure it is weather resistant.

Terra-cotta and ceramic models wear well in the weather. Concrete or stone options can be heavy and bulky, so keep this in mind. You are not going to be removing and cleaning your decorative downspouts very frequently. Even so, you don’t want them so heavy you can’t handle them on your own.

Where to buy decorative downspouts

The Internet puts you in touch with the world. This means if your local nursery or gardening center doesn’t have what you want, you can find a wide selection at virtual stores like Amazon. They have decorative animal downspouts and garden gnome models.

There are ornamental diverters with just about every woodland animal you can imagine. Decorative downspouts start at about $30, so it doesn’t cost much to add a little personality and personal style to your yard.

Decorative downspouts

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Adriana Copaceanu is a passionate nature lover living in the country on her dream property where she grows vegetables, lavender, and wildflowers that she shares with the wildlife they attract. When she's not in the garden, she loves spending time with her chickens and planning her next nature project. Check your her books below:

How to Grow Lavender for Fun and Profit: Lessons Learned from Planting Three Hundred Lavender Plants

How to Raise Chickens for Eggs: A Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens for Nutritious, Organic Eggs at Home

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