Grading For Landscape Drainage

When Should I Use Grading For Landscape Drainage?

Grading For Landscape Drainage is cost Efficient and At times the better solution to your Lawn water runoff and saturation Issues. If your yard contains large flat areas with little to no slope or has landscape obstructions, rain water become trapped and Saturates the soil leaving you with a muddy mess. Proper grade percentages are crucial to ensure runoff water stays clear of critical infrastructure, saving you money and headaches in the future.

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Think of it like this. If you were to put a small swimming pool in your yard, the Rain water will be Retained until it is given a way to escape. Now if you were to Remove the sides of the pool, any rainwater would flow out to lower elevations. In sense we are playing a game of Cat and mouse. Once we pinpoint your Lawn drainage issues, we then have to come up with a plan of attack to direct it to a discharge point.

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Yard water drainage can be achieved in many different ways. If the surrounding Landscapes do not allow for Grading or re sloping of the land, French drains and catch basins with slotted grates are another viable option.

When dealing with smaller amounts of surface water, Grading options such as swales or River Rock lined drainage ditches are very effective. Water is channeled to a pre determined point and away from structures or Landscapes. However, if the channel is narrow or has Excessive slope, you may create an erosion river running across your lawn.

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Another grading option is adding fill dirt to low areas where water is allowed to accumulate. Be sure to take care that you achieve proper compaction while placing dirt otherwise you may end up a sink hole in the future. Soil erosion and compaction issues are the most common problem we see with new construction homes. Once the issue is solved, be sure to stabilize the area by either planting grass seed or covering with Mulch, stone or other landscape materials.

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When choosing a grading company to solve your lawn grading issues, make sure they are reputable in your area as well as understand the soil type and geology of your property. Clay soils are superior at sealing out runoff water, however if water is left to stand it will soak in and be retained for a longer period of time. This is the reason many ponds are sealed off with clay soil to remedy leaks and water retention issues. Sandy or Rocky soils will soak in runoff water at a much faster rate However dry out quickly.

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Alternatives To Grading For Landscape Drainage

Other than the use of grading for landscape drainage, there are many below surface drain systems designed to eliminate surface or sub surface saturation. Each system has a Different use and some are commonly mistaken for others. Below is a list of the most commonly used Drainage systems.

• Catch Basins & Surface Drains.
  • Channel Drains
  • Strip Drain
  • Sump Pump
• French Drain Systems
  • Perimeter Drain
  • Curtain Drain
  • Sub Surface
  • Foundation French Drain
• Underground Downspout pipes
• Storm Water Retention Systems Or Drywells

Conclusion

There are many different ways to handle the drainage of your lawn. The solutions mentioned above are most commonly used in the grading & drainage industry. At the end of the day each situation requires a different approach. Be sure if you hire an expert, they posses the knowledge in both fields to best suit your needs.

We may be partial to who we recommend and always advise each homeowner to get at least 3 different opinions and use the knowledge gathered from each to choose the contractor you are most comfortable with.