Storm Water Drainage Solutions for Homeowners

Construction & Contractors Blog

As a homeowner, you need to be concerned about stormwater drainage. Allowing stormwater to collect around your home can mean damage to the home's foundation, as that water can put pressure on the foundation. Directing stormwater to landscaping features or a garden can also mean keeping those areas well-watered and being able to cut down on actual watering, saving you money. Drainage solutions for homeowners are not always expensive and difficult to install; note a few of these solutions that you might consider for your home in particular.

Simple grading

Grading your property refers to creating a certain slope so that water can drain away. You can have a professional grade your property, or you can grade it away from your home with a heavy-duty garden rake; this is stronger and thicker than a simple leaf rake. Use the garden rake and scrape the ground away from your home, putting more pressure on the rake as you reach the outer edges of your property. This will create small trenches or a small slope on the property that you may not be able to see with the naked eye, but which will encourage water to drain away toward the street.

Catch basin

A catch basin is a simple piece of equipment that you bury just underneath the downspouts of your home. The basin has a grate at the top that allows it to capture water, and it has openings on all sides for pipes. When the downspouts let stormwater flow out, this water is absorbed into the basin and then flows through the pipes on the sides. You can direct those pipes around your property as needed; you might have one pipe that goes to the street or pipes that drain into a garden or landscaping feature. This keeps the water from collecting just under the downspouts and also allows you to direct it where it's most needed.

Trench drains

Trench drains are like catch basins but without the basin. These long pipes are installed underground, with one end just below a downspout. These drains typically have holes in their sides. The water from the downspout enters the trench drain and then, as it flows along, it empties out those holes. This can allow you to direct stormwater across your lawn as needed for watering, and the force of the water flow keeps it from emptying in just one areas. Sections of trench drains snap together so you can create virtually any pattern with these pipes and direct stormwater into any area of your property.

21 July 2016