Proper Land Drainage is Important! - 0 views
started by Urban Friis on 27 Jul 12
started by Urban Friis on 27 Jul 12
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started by Urban Friis on 27 Jul 12
The two types of water supplying a lawn are surface and subsurface. Subsurface water refers to the water underneath the first layer of topsoil which cannot permeate any lower due to the tightness of the soil beneath. Also called the lake table, all soil has this layer water with differences in depth depending on the area. Although a high water table can be a problem in some areas, generally speaking, surface water will be the reason behind excess subsurface water as an excessive amount of surface water penetrating the bottom can improve the water table. Surface water sources are rainfall and irrigation, such as sprinklers, and can be particularly troublesome in urbanized areas that incorporate numerous impervious surfaces.
Streets, driveways and parking lots simply leave nowhere for rainwater to visit. As with a lawn, the runoff will either pool in depressions or flow to soil round the edges causing saturation in another area. When soil reaches 100% saturation, with little or no drainage to assist in excess water removal, not only do pools of water collect, but the saturated soil takes much longer to dry out. This excess water retards plant growth by decreasing aeration within the root zone and decreasing nutrient supplies. Additionally, excess water in the soil will increase freezing damage in the wintertime. Having proper drainage in your property will prevent water from collecting around the structure or home foundations, minimize soil erosion and safeguard your vegetation from death and disease.
Surface and subsurface are the 2 kinds of drainage solutions and both are vital protections for buildings and lawns. Surface drainage means natural pathway taken from the water following rain or irrigation and it is achieved through gutters, downspouts, surface grates, exposed French drains and by shaping and grading your lawn to provide maximum surface water removal with minimum soil erosion. Subsurface drainage refers to pipes and drains put into the lawn which remove excess water that has gravitated underground, most likely through holes in the soil or just from soil saturation. Water travels through soil by capillary action, which can be just like a paper towel - when either side gets wet, moisture will slowly go to the dry side until the entire substance is saturated. When the soil is saturated, subsurface French drains are necessary to remove excess water. By doing this, subsurface drainage keeps plants healthy, helps soil to warm earlier in the spring and instead gives off less water to freeze during the cold months, minimizing frost heaving injury to your home or building.
Problems related to improper drainage
Improper drainage can cause pools of collected water within your lawn and/or around your house or building, both of which pose a threat. When collected near to your foundation, standing water could possibly cause foundation cracks, foundation movement and flooded basements. When collected in your yard, pooling water gives mosquitoes an atmosphere and can leave your grass susceptible to disease.
Foundations: The most costly issue connected with improper drainage is your foundation. Soil naturally expands when it is wet and contracts when it's dry if all of the soil underneath your building expands and contracts uniformly, i am not suggesting to cause a challenge. Damage is performed, however, when only part of the soil heaves or settles. This differential movement is most often as a result of differences in soil moisture. Improper drainage somewhere from the building can leave wet soil that is still waterlogged for days or weeks (or perhaps in worst cases leaves constant water pooled around your foundation walls) while the opposite side from the structure has soil that dries quickly using a rain.
The wet side has expanded, and stays so, as the other side contracts because it dries, and this action pulls the walls of the structure far from one another. Repetition of this process could eventually produce cracks within the foundations, walls and/or ceilings. Foundation repairs are not usually included in homeowner's insurance coverage and will cost just as much as $20,000 to $30,000 or maybe more to fix, excluding cosmetic fixes to drywall, door jams, bricks, flooded carpets, flooring, etc. Whoever has experienced a flooded basement or cracks as a result of heaving can confirm an expensive fix! In addition, the drainage issues which caused the situation will still must be addressed.
Basements: The same issue related to foundations relates to your basement, with all the added problem of letting water into your home from the cracks. Along with damaging carpets, flooring, drywall and furniture, the lake increases your basement's humidity creating the right environment for your expansion of bacteria and mold. Mold enters your home as tiny spores, which need moisture to develop and multiply. They can grow on just about any surface plus they digest and destroy your house while they do. When disturbed, mold spores are let go in to the air and can be inhaled by you you, aggravating asthma attacks and allergies. A small amount of molds produce mycotoxins which can induce nausea, fatigue, headaches and lung and eye diseases each time a individual is confronted with high levels. Furthermore, mites and spiders can proliferate inside a moldy basement as mites prey on mold spores and spiders feed on mites.
Waterproofing your basement can help protect your property and is also a good insurance coverage, but your first distinct defense against a wet basement is improving the drainage within the lawn and all areas all around the home or building. In accordance with most engineers and home inspectors, 85 to 95% of wet basements and interiors of buildings can be created dry by improving exterior drainage around your property or building.
Mosquitoes: We all have been familiar with one of the primary nuisances of the summer but were you aware that mosquitoes need less than an ounce water where you can lay their eggs? While standing water is generally the egg-laying site for mosquitoes, some species lay their eggs on damp soil and, if your lawn has poor drainage, leaves your grass as a perfect home because of these pests. Needing only 2 to 3 days to hatch, your property needs to be capable of dry quickly enough either to prevent females from seeing your yard like a prime location or to dry eggs which were laid.
With girls laying approximately 300 eggs at the same time, your yard can certainly become infested, making you you inside on warm summer nights. Along with the itching and aggravation of bites, mosquitoes bring diseases including West Nile Virus, Malaria, Dengue and encephalitis. Each one is potentially terminal. Your pets may also be at an increased risk, as mosquitoes would be the hosts for heartworm and can communicate this complaint to dogs, cats and other animals. Additionally, West Nile and encephalitis can be transmitted to horses. The American Mosquito Control Association instructs homeowners not only to eliminate standing water around your home or building, but to make certain proper drainage on your own property to remove this potential hazard.
Turf Diseases: As the first impression visitors or customer has of your property or business, it's no doubt vital that you you to have well-maintained and inviting landscaping around your home. Death and disease of grass and plants is not only ugly, it's a waste of money invested in addition to harmful for correct. Excess water on or in your lawn prohibits the expansion of grass, plants and trees by robbing them of these air and nutrient supply and leaving them vunerable to attack by fungi, moss and mold. Fungi, the most common reason behind lawn diseases, are microscopic organisms that spread by air- or water-borne spores. The spores behave like seeds, sprouting to life and infecting its environment when conditions are right.
Rhizoctonia Yellow Patch, Red Thread, and Pythium Blight are a handful of common fungi diseases which come in moist environments caused by extreme soil and surface moisture. Lots of the fungi diseases are hard to manage after they appear and damage may remain for 2 to four years following treatment. While fungicides does apply to help prevent or control lawn diseases, several strains are resistant against fungicides. The best prevention is the lack of favorable conditions, including improving moisture conditions together with, and under, your turf.
Mushrooms likewise need extreme wet conditions to grow. While mushrooms do not harm grass, many of them are poisonous and can be a danger to children and pets that ingest them. Poisonous mushrooms haven't any features to tell apart them from nonpoisonous mushrooms and identification, therefore, is merely possible by those educated concerning the various genera and species.
Erosion: Besides the issues connected with standing water, water moving too quickly off your property causes problems as well. As raindrops fall in your yard, when there is sufficient intensity, the impact will dislodge small particles of soil which can then be carried off through the rain as it flows. This soil will either be carried off to sewers or deposited in another section of your yard, depending on your drainage conditions. Over time, original drainage measures, such as ditches and trenches, may become filled with soil, defeating their purpose and redirecting how water moves on your premises. Erosion is accelerated where plant cover is sparse and spaces between plants become larger, leaving no protection for the soil during intense rains. Proper grades and slopes stop water from carrying away your soil by keeping water runoff in an acceptable rate. Slowing water that is running off prematurely gives soil particles time to settle out from the water and back on the ground before being transported too far away. Additionally, healthy plant life with deep roots protects and holds on to your soil.
Benefits of proper drainage
Structural Protection: Having a comprehensive drainage system set up protects your structure by preventing water's damaging contact with concrete. Water that does not evaporate and isn't absorbed by soil eventually goes somewhere and, oftentimes, it sits under and around your foundations. Drainage solutions can keep the moisture content around your foundation stable and uniform, keeping contraction and expansion down. This maintains the integrity of foundations so helping prevent cracks and water seepage.
Plants and Landscaping: Proper soil moisture is vital for plants and lawns to establish a proper root system. Removing excess water inside the soil deepens the root zone and raises the air on the bottom. The improved aeration, in turn, boosts the availability of nutrients, a few of which require the air to convert chemically before they're available to plants. The deep root system which grows will holds to the soil and protect it from erosion. Additionally, water will not pool in areas of your premises, leaving turf susceptible to disease, and help you keep up with the pleasing aesthetics that you invested.
Recreational Areas: By implementing drainage solutions, theme parks, such as parks, courses and athletic fields, improve traffic ability and increased use of the property. Drains help nature drive out excess water and permit turf to quickly recover from rain. The result is that the recreational area may be open for extended amounts of time as well as for more intensive use, causing increased revenue.
Spring showers are not the only cause of concern
The Midwest is notorious for extreme weather changes with a drought 12 months and floods the following. While St. Louis posseses an average rainfall around 40 inches, in 2008 there were 50.72 inches pour recorded on us, with nearly half of that amount coming between June and September. For those who have weathered winter snow and spring rains, do not let down your guard thinking you are safe for the next year. Summer can sometimes bring surprises and also the added deluge to your soil will simply intensify existing problems requiring more extensive repairs.
A note about water tables
Water table refers back to the depth at which the soil always contains 100% water. In certain areas the lake table is more than the base of the inspiration, requiring a complex system of drains and sump pumps to attract the lake out of your structure. High water tables can cause devastating harm to your foundation or basement and is sometimes cited by professional waterproofers since the reason behind an issue as a result of expensive measures to improve it. The National Association of Home Builders, however, estimates that only 5 percent of wet basements result from high water tables. When you have water damage and mold, you are most probably working with surface runoff problems which can be corrected through slopes, grades and drains on your lawn, together with proper gutter systems. Modern building codes prevent contractors from building basements where water tables are high and if your house or building is under 3 decades old you will be reasonably sure a top water table isn't your problem. For those who have a wet basement, be aware of this matter! Inform yourself by contacting the local building inspector and becoming information about the local water table.
Do you've got drainage problems?
Do that experiment: dig a dent one foot across and 2 feet deep and fill it up completely with water during a dry spell. If the hole drains completely within just a few minutes or in greater than 15 minutes, there is a problem. A more simple method to spot problems is to review your lawn during and using a rain. For those who have water flowing quickly throughout the yard removing topsoil within a rain or pools of water on driveways, parking lots or lawns following rain, then you've got a problem. Other indicators include yellowing plants, yellowing or thin turf although it receives plenty of sunlight and has no obvious disease, fungus or mold around the lawn, stagnate water smell and water seeping through door sills, basements and garages.
Types of drainage solutions
A thorough drainage system will include surface and subsurface drain solutions. Surface drains remove the large amounts water that fall in a nutshell periods of time and subsurface drains remove the excess water distributed around the soil. Both systems work in conjunction to keep the moisture in your soil on the proper level for protection of one's landscaping along with your home or building.
Gutters: Your first distinct defense against foundation flooding can be your gutters! Throughout a moderate rainfall, the common sized roof sheds 160 gallons water runoff per hour. To stop the runoff from being deposited on the floor close to your foundation, a suitable gutter method is essential. Not just is the correct gutter size to your roof area a consideration, but an insufficient number of downspouts matches without gutter system at all. Downspouts are necessary to handle the quantity of runoff houses roof will collect and splash blocks must be helpful to direct the runoff far from home or building and to your drain system. The answer to splash blocks, however, is to install PVC piping to the end from the downspouts to remove water 6-10 feet or more far from home or building. Furthermore, gutters has to be properly maintained to prevent clogs and gutter joints has to be inspected for leaks. Creating a suitable, effective gutter system needs to be the first step within your drainage solution.
Grades: To safeguard structures, the most important grades on your property are the ones within 10 feet of the foundation or basement. This can stop the water you merely diverted from the structure from soaking back with the soil toward your structure. Suitable grades vary based on who you consult but a secure measurement is a 1 " (or more) drop for every 1 foot out for that first 10 feet. This brings about a minimum of a 10 inch slope for the 10 feet closest to your foundation walls. The rest of your yard should contain a continuous slope downward to maintain the lake getting off your foundation.
Surface Drains: Surface drainage can be explained as the controlled removing water that collects about the land from rainfall, irrigation, snowmelt or hillside seeps. As gravity is the primary force driving this type of system, it involves shaping the land using a continuous fall in the earth level to provide a downhill passage for surface runoff in an appropriate rate of flow. For grass drainage channels, or swales, a minimum slope of 1% to 5% is desired. The contours of the land then direct the runoff to a suitable collection site, for example ditches, basins or storm sewers. At the low point of the ditch or interception point, area drains are installed which are attached to a main or submain and prevents the water from pooling on your property. The underground pipes require a minimum slope of 1% or 1/8 inch per foot to keep water moving through them. When the ditch is long, several smaller drains needs to be spaced in a series, as opposed to one large drain in the middle, to aid prevent erosion.
For driveways as well as other hardscapes, channel drains and exposed French drains are perfect. These linear trenches collect sheets of water that run off, as concrete and asphalt absorb none of the water because it falls. The open section of the channel/ exposed French drain is much more than a location drain and is also more appropriate for the greater volume of rain it'll need to get. Additionally, channel drains allow designers to modestly slope hardscapes, as opposed to requiring numerous, extreme slopes to direct runoff to area drains.
Subsurface Drains: While the benefits of subsurface drainage take time and effort to determine since they occur within the soil, the main difference will probably be noticeable within your plants, grass and soil. Subsurface drainage may be the removal of gravitational water in the soil, that is accomplished by placing French drains underground to gather and take away water to a drainage outlet. Subsurface drains do not remove water necessary for plants, only excess water, which flows for the drains by gravity. Sub-Surface French drains consist excavating a sizable trench and lining it with a filter or geotextile fabric, which will help prevent soil particles from entering in france they drain. The trench will be filled with clean rock/gravel plus a proper sized perforated PVC pipe for the application is put within the gravel.
Once the trench is filled with grave, it'll be covered with a layer a permeable filter fabric, installing a combination of top quality topsoil/ sand not only that installing new sod on top (assuming this French drain is going to be located in a grassy area). French drains function when water inside the soil enters the gravel bed, flows in to the perforated pipe and travels through connecting solid pipes with a discharge point. A broad guideline for placing French drains is by using 4 - 6 inch perforated pipes, bury them 18 to 36 inches deep and space them 15-20 feet apart. In the trenches, pipes must maintain a .1% with a 1% slope. Soil construct, acreage and turf usage, however, may require variation from all of these guidelines and a professional can assist you determine the very best solution for your situation.
Discharge Outlets: Once water is collected within the pipes, it ought to be diverted with a suitable outlet to be removed. This outlet can be quite a street gutter, a storm sewer or perhaps an onsite pond. Employing a pop-up drainage emitter, water may be diverted with a water-safe area in your property away from your home or building. Pop-up drainage emitters are opened from the hydrostatic pressure water flowing with the drain pipe, releasing water collected from gutters, downspouts, basins, grates, etc. If placed near the street, the released water can flow on the curb and into the street and never have to drill with the curb. The emitters then close as water drainage diminishes, preventing debris and animals from entering no more the pipe and clogging the device. Home owner or maintenance personnel need to make sure they perform routine maintenance around the pop-up emitters. You can do this by removing the pop-up to ensure there isn't any debris washed down in the roof gutters or surface drains that can potentially slow up the waterflow and drainage in a heavy rainfall event.
Cleanout Connections: It's a good idea to put in cleanout connections on all drainage systems built-into your home. This is commonly overlooked until pipes have to be accessed by cameras or cleaning equipment years following your initial installation. Access points are required for one more three good reasons. 1) Routine maintenance, especially if routine maintenance is neglected because the contractor will have to access the pipe to unclog them for a small charge needless to say. 2) If the systems functionality has declined. 3) If damage has occurred for the drainage system pipes from heavy equipment or excavation during an on-site construction project. Although cleanouts add cost in your project, it is highly recommended to possess cleanouts installed on all downspout connections, all French drain systems and all sorts of long mainline pipe runs over 80' without drain grates in places you can access.
Before contracting to possess you project installed, ensure cleanouts are incorporated into your drainage system. It has been calculated how the cost to cut into a pipe and then patch it because there are no cleanouts is a at least twice the cost as having them installed in consumers. It is sometimes 5-10 times as much when access is needed to a preexisting French drain without cleanout connections. So don't gamble because if you are installing a system with materials that last decades, you undoubtedly will require access; if for nothing else, routine maintenance. A specialist drainage contractor can enable you to determine the most effective cleanout points for your system their proposing for the property.
Finding & Employing a qualified drainage contractor
Doing research on potential drainage installers is important. You should be assured that the contractor is insured and contains the relevant skills necessary to properly install your systems. Be skeptical of "special deals" or the "great deal from your friend of a friend" - these will most likely run you more dollars and headaches in the end.
Tools for Locating any Drainage Contractor: The Eee is a good starting point while searching to get a contractor. They maintain a web-based directory for BBB-accredited businesses in your town. You can check not only just how long a contractor has been in business, but additionally any complaints filed about their operation. Angie's List is yet another useful gizmo for recommendations, as you can get testimonials from actual customers. Although you may "hear of your guy from your friend," check their references online. See what other people's experiences are already and select a pool of potential contractors from the best you'll find.
Portfolio and References: After you've got a listing of potential people for the position, ask to find out a portfolio of the previous jobs and whether you can observe former worksites. If at all possible, see their handiwork in person, perhaps driving with a home or business during or following a rain. This will help you not only to understand their drainage plans for the property, but in order to guarantee you they are able to indeed get the job done right. If you can speak with former customers, ask if they were content with the task, whether or not the contractor stayed within budget and when the project was finished in a timely manner. You should look for the best person for the job, not the best bid. You would like the problem to become fixed upon project completion; you do not want to be dealing with drainage problems or, in worst of all scenarios, legal problems, long after the contractor has left.
Bids: Get a minimum of two bids for your specific job and get them written. Furthermore, be sure you understand the distinction between the bids. Higher bids don't always mean a contractor is trying to obtain additional money into his pocket. Better materials, more skilled workmanship and better reliability may be valued at a somewhat higher price. Keep in mind that, usually, you "get what you pay for."
Insurance: An essential issue when hiring a contractor is his insurance. If the contractor does not carry general insurance or workers compensation, the house owner can attributed for almost any accidents which occur while work is being carried out. To guard yourself, require proof of insurance. Reputable contractors will recognize that you do the research and will not be offended. Be skeptical of the that make an effort to convince you this really is unnecessary - they may have something to cover.
Skills Needed: Make sure potential contractors possess the skills required to do your work. Is your contractor a drainage specialist or merely a landscaper who has dabbled in drainage installation? Can he start using a transit to analyze your slopes if needed? Does he be aware of proper depths and spacing for pipe placement on your lawn? Most significantly, is he diverting your excess water to a suitable outlet? Purposefully diverting water with a neighbor's yard, when runoff didn't already naturally flow to that yard, may result in huge fines. Because the property owner, you will be attributed for your contractor's final result.
Equipment, Supervision & Project Site Management: Discover that will supervise the work and just how often will they be onsite to find out the plans are followed? Will the project continue daily until finished whole time besides weather delays? You should know who to call if you have an issue or problem. Furthermore, does your contractor have access to the equipment needed to obtain the job done?
Products: Which products does the contractor use and therefore are they the best on the market? Be skeptical of contractors that offer a large discount since they use materials left from your previous job. While you might be considering saving a couple of dollars, have you been certain these materials are suitable for you project and needs? Obtaining the project finished with substandard materials that won't last never ends well for your home owner. You might have to offer the system torn up and reinstalled a few years later, squandering your double later on.
Warranty: Ensure there is certainly some sort of a guarantee together with your drainage system installation once it is complete. More to the point feel confident enough using the company that they'll be in operation to satisfy that warranty agreement. See if they are able to give you a past customer you could call to speak to where they'd a warranty issue the contractor successfully resolved for the kids. Many specialized drainage companies give you a at least a 12-month warranty of full functionality, some contractors offer more.
Warning: We are conscious of a family group who hired a contractor that a friend's neighbor had used. Although they met with him and thought he gave the look of a "good guy," they did no research on him or his business and references are not checked. After realizing that no real progress ended up made in spite with the thousands of dollars they'd paid him, they began to investigate. Actually, the friend's neighbor had had similar complaints and was dissatisfied. In the event the homeowners had spoken to folks to whom the contractor had worked, as opposed to going by their impression of his personality, they might have been spared a good chunk of change. In addition to leaving their house a whole mess, they lost all the money initially invested and had to pay somebody else to complete the job. Furthermore, because they we had not done their homework regarding the contract, they'd little legal recourse. The lesson: always err on the side of caution! Usually do not believe that a contractor has your own interests in your mind; examine their previous jobs and, if at all possible, consult people to whom they've got worked. Most people are very happy to let you know about their experiences using a business, whether positive or negative, and businesses using a solid reputation aren't wary of you seeing their previous work.
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REFERENCES:
http://www.netarticleshack.com/Art/718714/185/Studying-Gutter-Options.html
http://www.newagelivingarticles.com/Art/190206/92/Studying-Gutter-Options.html
http://www.tuneinarticles.com/114890/92/Exploring-Gutter-Solutions.html