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ARTICLES :: Drainage Systems Drainage Systems: 1st in a series By: Melinda Sperl, Dream Landscape Design, Inc. This time of year we have little sun and lots of rain which can result in water sitting in your yard or even water in your house. This may be an area that would serve well to have a drainage system installed. What type of drain and what is involved will be the topic of the next several articles. The first part is to determine what type of drain you need. If the area between you and your neighbor’s yard is the natural drain for your yard you could fill it in with new soil but the water will have to go somewhere else and may even cause water to drain to a much less desirable place like your house. In this case, I would suggest a solid PVC drain system with several catch basins in your yard to catch the water and direct it to another low spot in your yard like the curb in front of your house. Diverting gutters to the drain will also help alleviate some of the drain problems in your yard. If you have water coming into your house or the weep holes in your brick are lower than the ground you will most likely need a channel drain plus an open or French drain system to keep the water away from your house. These drain systems are the two most commonly installed but a dry creek bed is another way to divert water while giving your yard an eye pleasing focal point. We will discuss these drain systems in more detail in the next few articles. Melinda Sperl is a Horticulturalist and the owner of Dream Landscape Design, Inc. You can reach Melinda at Melinda@dreamlandscapedesign.com or www.dreamlandscapedesign.com Drainage Systems: 2nd in a Series By: Melinda Sperl Dream Landscape Design, Inc.Last week I started a series on drainage that I hope you will find helpful in diagnosing your water problems. When I am called out to diagnose landscapes problems for my customers, some of the more common problems are plants that are dwindling due to literally drowning in water, areas where the grass is not growing and mud is in the yard or they always have brown patch in this area. All these signs tell me there is a water problem in this yard. I also am told by customers that they need a “French Drain” which was an old standby phrase covering all drains. We seldom use the typical French drain anymore. Drain systems constructed of catch basins and solid PVC pipe are one of the more common type of used in the landscapes of our area. This type of drain system will eliminate puddles and mud in the yard, divert water away from your home and promote healthier plants and lawn. The drain itself consists of solid PVC pipe that is graded to properly carry water away from your problem areas. Avoid any drain system that uses black corrugated pipe as this pipe is weaker and will need replacing after only a couple of years. Solid PVC pipe that is made for drain systems can last 20 years or more. Grading of the pipe is very important as water travels downhill. This seems obvious but is the #1 reason we are called in to replace an old drain. Integrating any gutter downspouts into the drain system will also help divert a main cause of water away from your home. Melinda Sperl is a Horticulturalist and the owner of Dream Landscape Design, Inc. You can reach Melinda at Melinda@dreamlandscapedesign.com or www.dreamlandscapedesign.com Drainage Systems: 3rd in a SeriesBy: Melinda Sperl Dream Landscape Design, Inc. I would like to start by inviting you all to come see me this weekend at the Katy Home & Garden Show. My booth is #602! Come support your local businesses. For the past couple of weeks I have been writing about drainage systems and this week I would like to focus on a very serious problem for homeowners, when water is coming in the home. Water causes mold, warps floors and can be extremely costs within the home. One cause of water in the home is when the weep holes in the brick are below the soil level. In some cases this can be corrected by installing catch basins in strategic areas around the house and draining the water to the street as discussed in previous articles. Other cases require the installation of a channel drain system, or French Drain. These are constructed by digging a channel paralleling the effected area which could be around the entire house. Then, depending on the extent of the water and the terrain, this drain is either filled with stone or topped with a channel type grate. The most important part of this drain, though, is that it is graded to ensure the water flows away from the house to a lower part of the yard, usually the street. This type of drain can be very expensive but compared to the cost of repairing the damage later, the cost is well worth it.Melinda Sperl is a Horticulturalist and the owner of Dream Landscape Design, Inc. You can reach Melinda at Melinda@dreamlandscapedesign.com or www.dreamlandscapedesign.com
Published in the Fulshear Times, three consecutive articles |
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