I'm a townhome owner dealing with a bit of a drainage problem. There's a small slanted strip between my driveway and my neighbor's, and both our gutters drain onto this area. My gutter has a plastic ramp that directs the water onto my driveway, which is fine, but my neighbor's doesn't clear his driveway effectively, causing water to flow down the slant and wash out mulch and dirt onto my driveway. I'm looking for a polite way to approach my neighbor about this issue and suggest a reasonable solution, especially since there's a gas line nearby making digging difficult.
3 Answers
Your neighbor does have a splash block for their gutter, which isn't too bad. Since it slopes toward your driveway, maybe consider putting some edging along your driveway to help contain the mulch and soil. Steel edging might work best here since it's durable. You don't really want to ask your neighbor to do any big changes, especially since it's likely just how the builders laid things out. A silt fence could also work well for keeping stuff from washing down.
I’d recommend just having a chat with your neighbor about it. You could suggest extending their downspout a bit to help divert the water better. It's a simple fix that could really help your situation.
It sounds like you might need to think about reshaping the landscaping there. If you add stones instead of mulch in that area, it could help redirect the flow of water away from your driveway. Just remember, water always goes downhill, so adjusting the pathway can make a big difference.