When you think of landscaping, your mind may automatically jump to lush plants, stone walkways, or patios where you can entertain your guests. You probably also realize that you will need to provide a source of water to your plants in order to keep them healthy. However, there is a third component of a well-planned landscaping project, and many people don’t consider it even though it’s extremely important. In order to ensure your landscaping will stand the test of time, and to protect your property value in general, proper drainage must be considered and professionally installed.
When drainage is not planned and correctly installed, water can puddle and saturate the ground around the property. This leads to a host of problems, such as:
- Risk of disease – many types of mold and algae thrive in very moist environments, and these can be harmful to your plants.
- Pests – many insects use standing water as breeding grounds.
- Difficulty maintaining your landscaping – very wet ground can be difficult to mow, and can even ruin landscaping equipment.
- Loss of chemical treatments – if you use pesticides or other treatments on your lawn, lack of proper drainage can dilute these treatments and render them useless.
- Unhealthy plants – the plants you so carefully chose for your landscaping project are unlikely to thrive in an overly wet environment, and will become unhealthy or die without proper drainage for the soil. Almost no plants can survive with “wet feet” caused by a lack of drainage.
- Damage to your home – in some cases, standing water around the home can weaken the foundation, seep through walls, and cause mold problems in the home.
- Weakened concrete – if the ground around your hardscape is saturated, the concrete can be weakened over time, which can lead to cracking and staining.
- Poor aesthetics – puddles of stagnant water are rarely pleasing to the eye.
- Mess in your home – pets love to frolick in muddy puddles and then track that mud into your home!
- Loss of use – children won’t be able to play in a marshy yard, and you won’t be able to use it for outdoor parties. If you designed your landscaping with the intention of actually using it, improper drainage will ruin your vision and investment.
Considering the number of problems that can result from improper drainage, it’s easy to see how this element of your landscaping must be carefully planned and installed. While it’s always best to have your drainage system professionally designed when you start your landscaping project, we can also correct improper damage in existing properties. If you’ve noticed standing water or perpetually soggy soil around your home, give us a call and we’ll be happy to arrange a consultation.
See below for the results of improper drainage:
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