Creative Solutions for Drainage Problems
By Colin Clement, President, Evergreen Landscape Management

Most homeowners know that too much water can spell serious problems for a property. The good news for the folks who have water in their basement or ponding in their lawns is that there is almost always a way to remediate it. The remediation almost always comes in a combination of three different solutions.


GRADING

Sometimes it can be as simple as adding some dirt to the problem area. Top soil can be added to low spots to eliminate the holding areas where water becomes trapped. This can be true if foundation back fills have settled or finish grades were not perfect when the home or street was originally engineered.
A second common solution regarding the grade is to lower a high point that is preventing water from moving off the property. Sometimes these high points are created by tire tracks in the turf or debris associated with construction of additions or pools.



BURIAL OF GUTTER DOWNSPOUTS

Many times builders will allow all the water from the roof structure of the home to be deposited right near the foundation of the home. This is rarely an acceptable solution for the long-term health of the home. Thousands of gallons of water can be deposited right against the foundation of the home in a single down pour. By connecting the gutters to a system that takes the downspouts to a suitable exit a safe distance from the home or to a storm sewer where applicable, the foundation and perimeter drains are likely to last longer and remain drier. 


FRENCH DRAINS & COLLECTION SYSTEMS

French drain is a broad term that covers systems that are put into the lawn or landscape area where water problems exist to collect and filter water away from the problem area. They consist of perforated pipes buried in porous stone trenches that use careful pitch considerations to collect and draw water away from problem areas and then transport it to areas where it can be managed more easily.  Additionally the placement  of catch basins in the lawn and landscape can expedite the movement of water away from problem areas. These will often also include surface drains in turf areas that allow standing water to enter the system and be directed elsewhere.



Evergreen Landscape specializes in solving drainage issues for our customers. Sometimes they are simple and easy to implement and other times they are extremely tedious and require detailed designs that require precise excavation and cooperation with local storm sewer managers. We have seen almost every conceivable drainage issue and we can help with creating and implementing lasting solutions to most water problems.