Yard Drainage Systems

Yard Drainage Systems in Charlotte,  Harrisburg and Concord

 Your Harrisburg NC landscaping drainage system should tie together the 3 water source areas of the property; the rainwater landscaping, roof runoff and Basement or Crawlspace water sources.

 

 

Rainwater Landscaping Drainage in Charlotte

It’s important to keep landscape and yards free from excess water, as it may lead to permanent and expensive damage to surrounding property and structures. Oversaturated soil can lead to shifts in the foundation of homes and other buildings, causing cracks and other potentially detrimental damage to your property. Additionally, too much water can lead to muddy areas of standing water, attracting mosquitoes, kill grass and saturates the soil next to your foundation allowing water to enter through cracks or even through concrete block. Moisture trapped beneath your foundation can cause upheaval and foundation movement. In the Charlotte NC area we are blessed with clay soils which are know as expansive soils. Expansive clay soils absorb water more readily than other types of soils.  When clay soils are saturated with water, the soil expands exerting pressure on the house’s foundation.  Conversely, when the soil dries out, the pressure is relieved causing the soil to contract. The constant expansion and contraction of the soil heaving can cause foundation damage, leaking basements and crawlspaces, cracks in concrete block, cracked mortar, cracks in drywall, foundation displacement and other structural problems with the house. Diverting water away from house foundations with the proper slope helps resolve all kinds of foundation issues and the angle at which the ground around your foundation is graded is a start. The EPA recommends the final grade must be sloped away from the foundation by 1/2 inch per foot over a minimum distance of 10 feet. 

Additionally, flower beds adjacent to house can be a problem provided over watering to saturate soils, not only killing plants but helping to damage your home’s foundation.

Yard drainage systems are divided into two types, Surface Drainage Systems and Subsurface Drainage Systems.

The Surface Drainage System is a standard drainage system to take care of excess rainfall. This system works only by gravity, following downward slopes and where the landscape is graded.

The Subsurface Drainage System is also a standard type of drainage system that, although below ground, has similarities to surface drainage systems. It also works due to gravity, but operates with a system of PVC, plastic perforated pipes, or metal pipes along with geo-textile fabric most commonly known as  French Drains. French drain is usually comprised of a perforated pipe which is surrounded by gravel then wrapped in filter fabric to keep mud and particles out. A French drain directs water to a drain rather than dispersing it within the landscape. 

Also within this category is the Dry Well. A dry well is an environmentally-friendly alternative to a French drain, because it discharges the storm water on-site. Downspouts or drains are directed to an underground storage well. The water slowly filters out of the well and eventually ends up back in the groundwater tables. 

 

 

 

Roof Runoff in Harrisburg

If your home lacks gutters, are clogged with leaves, or if the downspouts are not directed away from the foundation properly, excessive water will be dumped into the soil closest to the house. The soil will become over-saturated, a recipe for disaster considering Charlotte’s clay soil. Too much water in the soil causes it to expand and exert damaging pressure on the foundation.

Leaky gutters are easily spotted during a rain event as you will see water cascading down along leaky rain gutter seams or gutter end caps leaking. That additional water falling along side your home’s foundation only adds to the possibility of future foundation problems.

If you live in an area with trees you are probably faced with the annual task of cleaning your rain gutters of leaves, pine needles or miscellaneous debris that has accumulated in your rain gutters. By preventing rain overflowing your rain gutters you help prevent rotting fascia boards, roof damage, damage to windows, doors, patios, landscaping and foundation damage. Additionally the potential for slips and falls increased due to water accumulation on sidewalks, steps or cement porches.

While cleaning the gutters, inspect gutter connections both gutter extensions and connections to downspouts making sure the connections are snug and not able to leak water during a rain storm.

Another common cause for rain water overflowing rain gutters are under-sized rain gutters that cannot handle the water flow generated from large areas of roof. If during a good rain storm you notice water overflowing your rain gutters you may need to upgrade your gutter size to handle the additional flow.

Also, a potential problem are gutters that are (pitched) correctly. The slope should sit at the correct angle, which is at least a quarter inch for every 10 feet of gutter. If you think your gutters might not be pitched properly, it’s easy to tell. Just get up on a ladder after a rainstorm; if you see standing water, you’ll likely need to adjust the pitch. Sometimes this is as easy as bending it into place, but you might need to totally reinstall the hangers, which is a much bigger job.

 

 

By far, the largest cause of excess water accumulating near the foundation of homes is the downspout discharge. Ideally, the discharge of the rain gutter downspout should be at least 6 feet from the home’s foundation preferably emptying into the yard’s landscaped drainage system. The worst case scenario would have the ground sloping towards the house where the water from the rain gutter discharge empties onto the ground saturating the ground next to the home’s foundation. Downspouts that direct water too close to the foundations may cause infiltration problems leading to serious foundation problems.

CCSS specializes in resolving these types of problems … we can handle landscaping problems, yard drainage problems or basement waterproofing. Just give us a call or fill our the information request form.   

Basement or Crawlspace  Sources of Water in Concord

A truly inclusive landscape drainage system for your home should include water discharge from your basement or crawlspace areas. Those would include items like your sump pump, footer drains, and HVAC equipment

Footer Drains

The footer drain (deep French drain) is an ideal system to keep your crawlspace or basement dry. It is built around the perimeter of your house. It is built at footing level. This ensures that it intercepts the water before it enters the basement. This type of outdoor external footer drain is ideal for those with wet basement problems. Externally, the drainage pipe is laid along the foundation footer to catch water prior to entering your basement and is discharged into a dry well or gravity fed to discharge away from the home’s foundation.

The internal footer drain or internal French drain can be installed in your basement or crawlspace to help take care of water infiltration problems from the inside of the structure.Water that has accumulated under your basement slab or that has migrated through the basement or crawlspace wall will be caught by the internal footer drain system and transported usually to the sump pump but can be sent to an outside drywell or gravity discharged to a low part of the homeowner’s yard if conditions are favorable.

Regardless of your basement or crawlspace problem, CCSS can take care of your problem on time and on budget. Call us for your FREE problem evaluation and solution.