We completed this lake-front, sloped landscape design last year and just wanted to share an updated picture as the plants have matured. Here are some before and immediate after installation photos: Here is a photo from this spring with the matured pl[...]
Here is a picture our customer gave us of the fireplace, patio, and seating wall they wanted in their yard: Here are some progress and After photos of the Fireplace & Patio we constructed for them, based on the above picture:
What happens to all the rain that falls on your lawn, raised beds and around your house? Poor drainage can damage your home’s foundation, kill your plants and turn a beautiful lawn into a muddy mess.
The best time to see how well your yard drains is right after a heavy rain. If you find pooling water and drenched raised beds, we recommend installing a drain line or two.
There are several different types of drains to draw standing water away from the landscape, including underground pipes which collect water and empty it into the street.
A channel drain — ideal for keeping patio runoff from flooding the nearby landscaping — is installed into the concrete and guides water away from the house and into a pipe, which is below the concrete level. (Also make sure that the patio itself slopes away from the house.) A protective grate along the top of the channel keeps out yard debris. The channel drain is connected to another pipe, which leads water away from the house. We also recommend that pool owners use a channel drain to help keep chlorinated water off the lawn and away from the house foundation.
Puddles of water that drain very slowly not only look bad, but also create a breeding ground for mosquitoes. To solve this drainage dilemma, install an area drain connected to a drainage pipe, which carries the water to the street through a series of underground pipes.
An area drain has a receptacle where leaves and other yard debris collect.
Even raised planters need drainage systems so that excess moisture doesn’t saturate tender roots. Consider using a French drain, which is essentially a perforated drain pipe wrapped in landscape fabric and then covered with rock. The landscape fabric protects the pipe so that soil and roots can’t get in.
A common mistake made by homeowners is installing a downspout along the side of the house so that it drains at the edge of the house. The job of a downspout is to drain water from the roof, but if you don’t redirect it away from the house and into the ground, water funnels into the foundation, drowns out planters or soaks the lawn. The proper way to install a downspout is to slip an adapter onto the downspout and connect a small section of drain pipe. Attach a 90-degree-angled section to the pipe, and to that a long pipe that leads away from the house.
To ensure that your entire yard drains properly and away from the foundation of your house, install an underground drainage system, which includes lateral pipes that are trenched and connected around the yard. The lateral pipes are connected to channel drains, area drains and downspouts. The down line of the drainage system should extend as close to the street as possible.
To install an underground drain system or area drain system, use a shovel to dig trenches for the pipes. Or you can rent a trencher for $120 to $150 per day. Make sure to dig the trenches deep enough that the pipes slope downhill. Place the pipes in the trenches and attach the reservoir. Place a plastic bag in the reservoir so that soil doesn’t clog it.
Once the underground system is in place, start backfilling with dirt to cover the pipes, and replace the grass. Turn on a hose to test whether the system works. If water flows out the opposite end, the system is functioning correctly.
