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When you own a home, protecting and caring for it are your top priorities. Some protection methods are clear; putting in new, more efficient windows, changing your siding, and installing a new roof are just a few examples. While these are essential steps to ensure your home is protected from the weather and is efficient, one crucial area tends to get overlooked: a water drainage system for house exteriors. Ensuring your home's exterior has proper drainage is also critical to the safety of your home.
Here is what you should know about the importance of drainage for houses, what types of systems exist, and which are the best drainage systems for houses.
Why Homes Need Proper Drainage
Drainage systems for houses are essential for a few reasons. These include avoiding:
Foundation Issues
Ideally, a home's yard will slope away from the property to move water runoff away from the property. Not all homes slope this way; some slope in the direction of the home, leading the water runoff directly to the foundation. Over time, water collecting so close to the foundation can cause it to weaken and become unstable. It can also seep through the top of your foundation, and can create a wet sill plate that can lead to moisture forming on your floors and walls. It can lead to leaks, wood rot, mildew, and more, including basement flooding.
Ground Erosion
In some cases, while water may not reach your foundation, it can still pool in other areas of your yard. Pooling can lead to soil erosion and can damage the grass, trees, and other landscaping. If left too long, the landscaping will die, leaving an unattractive yard to deal with. The standing water can also attract various pests and insects.
Safety and Health Issues
Standing water won't just damage your home and property; it can create an unsafe environment. Pooling water will attract disease-carrying insects and pests that can harm your home and landscaping and spread disease and bacteria to your family and pets.
Freezing water is also a safety concern as someone can slip and fall and injure themselves.
Types of Drainage Systems for Houses
There are two main types of drainage systems for houses: Surface drain systems and French drains.
Surface-level drainage systems for houses consist of ground-level area drains connected to PVC piping. When there is water runoff, water flows into the drains and through the PVC pipes, where it is then transferred away from the home.
French drains also use PVC pipes to help transfer water away from the home. The pipe used for French drains has small perforations and is covered by a mesh sock before being placed in a trench and covered with gravel. Water runoff will slowly trickle through the gravel into the pipe, to be transferred and ensure the ground doesn't become overly saturated with water.
While these are the most common options, they aren't the only ones available. LandScape Drains is a company that specializes in a variety of landscape drainage solutions. They offer two systems that can work as a drainage system for house exteriors.
Both systems are linear and come pre-sloped and assembled, allowing for an easy installation. They are compatible with the LandScape Catch Basin, which can help catch small objects and debris, in order to prevent clogs in the system, and the LandScape Drain Flush Flo and Clean-in-Place automated cleaning features.
A Trench Drain
The Landscape Drains Trench Drain looks and functions like an ordinary trench drain, with a wide opening that allows for a high flow capacity that makes it ideal for homes where flooding is a concern. The LandScape Trench Drain also has decorative drain covers, which allow for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance on your property. It is constructed using T304 and T316 stainless steel to provide a durable, sanitary system.
A Slot Drain
The Landscape Drains Slot Drain has the same general design as the Trench Drain, including the same stainless steel construction, with a notable difference: the width of the channel. The Slot Drain has a slim channel opening, which does not require a drain cover, for a subtle system that can blend more seamlessly with its surroundings.
Don’t Overlook Your Gutter System
Having a reliable drainage system is only part of the equation. Gutters also play a vital role in helping water enter the drainage system. It is essential you invest in high-quality, durable gutters and downspouts that will help direct water toward the drain.
Choosing the Best Drainage System for House and Yard
When water runoff has nowhere to go, it can be incredibly damaging to your property, especially your foundation. Water damage can be costly, especially if it affects your foundation or gets inside your home.
You need reliable gutters and a high-quality, efficient water drainage system for home exteriors to avoid these issues. LandScape Drains has elegant, efficient solutions to eliminate standing water and protect your yard and home well.
Contact us today to learn more about landscape drains and the options from LandScape Drains, and see what is best for your yard.
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