Trading play area for puddle?
Excess water needs someplace to go and always follows the path of least resistance. This is great in the wild but can be a real problem for the homeowner.
Water drainage problems in the yard decrease property value and can lead to costly water damage to the house and other structures along with plant and turf damage. Heading off such damage by remedying draining issues is usually less costly than repairing the water damage itself.
To get a rough idea where the problems lie, take advantage of heavy rains to watch what happens to the water. Does it gush from the gutter and flood the flower bed or pool below the deck? Is there an area in the yard that becomes a swamp – or that remains swampy all year? Lawns and plants will die and/or become susceptible to disease and pest problems if they’re mired in too much water.
Does water course across the driveway or into the street during a hard rain or, worse yet, soak areas around your home’s foundation? In some cases the grade was not established correctly and did not take into account that the ground should slope down and away from the house.
There are many types of drainage options for use these days including catch basins, ditches, French drains, channel drains and others. Most drains are installed using gravity to move the water away but in some cases a sump pump and basin are used to move the water away from the wet area.
French drains are the most commonly used means of collecting, conducting and discharging water. This is a trench filled with gravel, sand or rock (depending on application) containing a perforated pipe that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area. The perforated (“weeping”) pipe also allows small amounts to seep into the ground along the way.
Covered-over French drain line doubles as an attractive garden path.
French drains are primarily used to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging building foundations or behind retaining walls to relieve groundwater pressure. They are what is used in most septic fields.
During the next rain storm, round up some wooden stakes, a hammer, a pencil or two – and a rain poncho or umbrella! Sketch, mark, make notes so you’re aware of the main problem areas.
Keep an eye on trouble spots for the next several days. Where does the excess water disappear quickly and in which areas is it slower to disappear, taking eight hours or more to dissipate? This is helpful in determining which areas should be addressed first.
This is a job best left to professionals. Doing so will save you hours of planning, purchasing and very hard physical labor. It eliminates having to deal with gas, phone, electric and cable lines, roots and existing water lines.
Frontier Landscaping’s expert installation team will determine the best place to collect excess water, the best method and route to conduct it, and an appropriate discharge point. We do the clean-up, too!
And, with a professional, the job is guaranteed. Give us a call today and beat that water problem once and for all!
