Lake Balboa ADU Construction That Stores Its Rain
Lake Balboa ADUs whose gutters fill a rain cistern for the garden, with screened inlets, a first-flush diverter and an overflow led clear of the older house.
Gutters on a Lake Balboa ADU can send the roof's rain into a cistern for the garden. Each inch of rain on a small roof yields a few hundred gallons, so a tank set beside the unit catches water that would run off the lot and holds it for dry weeks. We size the gutters and the downspout to feed that tank, and give its overflow a planned path away from both buildings.
Tank, diverter and screens
A first-flush diverter on the downspout sends the dirtiest water from the start of a storm to the ground, and the cleaner flow after it fills the tank. Fine mesh at every inlet and vent keeps mosquitoes from breeding inside. A full tank is heavy, so it sits on a level pad of compacted base or concrete, never on loose fill. The stored water feeds a hose or drip line for planting only, and it stays on its own piping, with no connection to the house supply.
Overflow and the older house
When the tank fills mid-storm, an overflow pipe carries the extra water to a gravel basin or a planted low spot set well back from both foundations. Near an older house on a perimeter footing that matters, because soil kept wet beside it can soften and let the footing settle. The main house's gutters can feed a second tank if a downspout stands close, which means checking those gutters for sags and leaks first. Its original fascia and trim stay put, and any downspout that moves is reset in its old color.
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ADU Construction in Lake Balboa: common questions
The cistern stays apart from them, on its own garden piping. Power reaches the unit from the main panel, or from its own LADWP meter if the existing service has little to spare, water runs in a branch with a shutoff, and the lateral's condition is confirmed on video before the drain connects. Trenches are routed clear of the tank's pad.
Yes, if its walls, slab and roof are sound enough to keep. Its roof becomes a second catchment, and a short gutter run can bring that water to the same tank. The slab is checked for moisture and the rafters for the weight of insulation before anything is designed.
The tank can blend in too: a slim model in a color close to the house's trim or body, tucked behind lattice or a planting bed. As for the unit, it repeats the slope and overhang of the main house's roof, the exposure of its siding and the shape of its windows, and its gutters and downspouts are painted to disappear against the walls behind them.
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