Water drainage system

A well-executed landscaping plan can provide many things, including beauty. But one of the most underappreciated aspects of superior landscaping is a high-functioning water drainage system that can protect the long-term value of your home.

If the drainage around a property is not effective, then a whole host of issues can follow. These include wood rot, mold and mildew, pest infestations, and—most seriously—damage to a home’s foundation and the hardscaping elements that surround it such as patios, sidewalks, and driveways.

Marshall Landscaping—which serves the area in and around Wilmington, Delaware—understands the ways of water. We can design and execute landscaping projects that will, among other things, get water safely away from your home.

Some aspects of this aren’t too complicated and don’t require professionals.

For example, it’s good to get into the habit of inspecting gutters and downspouts a couple of times a year. If leaves or other debris clog that system, then water that would otherwise flow safely away from your home may instead just accumulate next to it. Gravity will then do its work and pull water down the outside of the foundation wall—until it finds a path to the other side of it. Water is a relentless force and, given enough time and opportunity, it will find a way in.

Of course, water that flows freely from a roof to the ground must have a path away from your home. That’s called positive drainage and is where the landscaping comes into play. The original builder of your home may have understood this—or maybe not. Even if it was part of the plan when your home was built, subsequent changes in the landscape—including the addition of new structures or amenities—may require a new strategy.

In most cases, this is a matter of creating enough slope to carry water—even during downpours—away so that it can join the area’s watershed. Depending on the particulars of a property and its surrounding neighborhood, this sometimes requires grassed drainage routes on your property that can serve as temporary reservoirs during wet spells.

But in some cases, a system of solutions that create underground drainage routes is required. There is a range of such solutions. A weeping tile system, also known as a French drain, is a shallow ditch with a perforated pipe and/or gravel that moves both groundwater and free-flowing surface water. Drain/weeping tiles are a drainage system that is buried near a foundation to move water away from it. A more complex system is a series of buried drainage pipes that slope down to a dry well that collects excess water.

Plants and trees are also an important aspect of water drainage. Understanding the radius of the root system that specific trees and shrubs will develop over their lifetime is important. If planted too close to a home, they can eventually not only damage a foundation, but plumbing services and exterior amenities like driveways and actually prevent water drainage. On the other hand, since trees and shrubs are great at retaining water—weeping willows, red maples, and ash are especially hungry for it—they can be incorporated into a landscape away from your home to serve as beautiful water sinks.

Doing a preliminary inspection with the Marshall Landscaping team is a great first step. If you’re not ready for that, doing your own walkthrough—especially after a heavy rain or in the spring—will give you an idea of where water is collecting and if there might be any problems.

Remember, your yard is an ever-evolving landscape. Big storms, droughts, or nearby construction can alter water drainage patterns over time. Regularly assessing the on-the-ground reality of water flow should be part of your regular home upkeep routine.

Call us for a Free Estimate 302-454-7838, contact us form or email us at office@marshalllandscapingllc.com