Winter Landscaping Projects – Drainage and Erosion Solutions
Winter is actually a great time to schedule a professional to provide drainage and erosion solutions. One problem to solve off-season and in between snow storms is yard drainage. Not only will it help keep water away from your foundation as snow melts, but if you get it fixed in the winter, you’ll be ready for those spring storms with their heavy downpours.
French Drain
One of the most common drainage and erosion solutions is a French drain. Thought to have originated from simple ditches, the French drain is simply a trench filled with gravel or rock containing a perforated pipe that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area. They are used to solve a variety of issues, from keeping water away from foundations to relieving groundwater pressure behind retaining walls. If you have an area of your yard that simply takes forever to dry, then a French drain may be your solution.
Grading
Sometimes grading is one of the better drainage and erosion solutions for homes in Northern Virginia. Many builders pay little attention to how they grade lots when building new homes, which is a common challenge for residents in Ashburn, Leesburg, Willowsford and Herndon, where an extensive amount of new building is happening. This could leave you with water flowing right into your basement every time it rains. Grading simply adjusts the slope of your yard to a level that will move groundwater away from your home, instead of towards it.
Swale
If a French drain isn’t an option and grading doesn’t fit the problem, then maybe you need a swale. Swales are basically ditches, or places where a landscaper purposefully intersects two slopes in order to create a place to hold water. Swales can really be as simple as a ditch, but they can also be much more complex and purposeful. They can solve a variety of dilemmas, from capturing water for agricultural purposes to stopping erosion through diversion ditches.
If one of your properties landscape issues is drainage, contact Sunrise Landscape and Design to find the drainage solution that works best for you this winter. Our qualified landscape professionals can guide you through French drains, grading, and swales, so that together, we can find the answer that is right for your property. Winter really is a great time to address those important yard projects and prepare yourself, your yard, and your home for the wet days just around the corner.
Sunrise Landscape and Design is Northern Virginia’s premier landscaping company offering a full range of landscaping services. Our landscape and design services include hardscapes, water features, irrigation and landscape lighting. Our property maintenance services will keep your Northern Virginia landscape vibrant and healthy year-round with mulching, edging, garden cleanups, lawn mowing, tree pruning and mosquito/deer control. Contact us today for all your landscape and lawn care needs!