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February 22, 2010

Atlanta Water Drainage Issues

Filed under: Atlanta Drainage, Dallas Drainage, Dallas Retaining Walls, Drainage, Retaining Walls, atlanta drainage systems, atlanta water drainage, drainage in Atlanta — Tags: , , , — Mike @ 2:02 pm

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Is soggy, wet grass stressing you out? It is beating down the health of your lawn and damaging your yard. Tackle Atlanta water drainage issues today with the advice of a professional Atlanta landscaper.

Combat bad drainage by taking a complete look at your yard. Things like aeration and top dressings can be done, but most times the problem needs a more extensive solution.

Your landscaper may recommend a permanent drainage system in Atlanta – above or below ground. They will likely install retaining walls to change the lay of the land and improve water flow. Retaining walls might also be needed to bring in better soil or hold back erosion.

For Atlanta water drainage issues bring in the ones who know. Hire a professional landscaper and get it fixed right. For Atlanta water drainage solutions get a free estimate from an EnhanceScape contractor.

January 31, 2010

Erosion in Dallas? Retaining Walls are the Solution

Filed under: Dallas Drainage, Dallas Retaining Walls, Retaining Walls, retaining wall block, retaining walls in dallas — Tags: , , , — Mike @ 3:49 pm

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Whether your Dallas property has erosion issues or severe slopes take away usable yard space, retaining walls can help you. With a well designed and professionally built retaining wall, you can easily reclaim areas for lawns and gardens.

Hard Times Cutting the Grass
Do you find it difficult to mow your yard? Consider how changing the lay of the land can create a better, more workable yard, not just for your mower but for your life. Slopes can be leveled off to create flat lawns and retaining walls can be built into hills to create garden steps or levels. Often this will even improve your gardening conditions when high quality top soil is brought in to backfill the retained area.

Messy Paths and Drives
Is your driveway or sidewalk littered with eroded soil, making a mess that you must continually sweep up? Imagine how a beautiful stone retaining wall built along that driveway or sidewalk would clean up the area and provide an attractive border.

Last for a Lifetime
In Dallas, the beauty of the landscape is never questioned. With a stone retaining wall block you will create that same majestic, enduring look – stone ages gracefully and keeps its strength and endurance for a lifetime.

It is imperative that your stone retaining wall be built in a professional manner, as that will undergird the stability and attractiveness of the product. Ensure that the area is properly excavated and a gravel base is laid for good drainage. When the retaining wall is stacked (unless it’s a poured concrete wall using forms), watch that each course is stepped back a notch (usually ½”) to prevent leaning and forward movement. Also consider the use of deadmen or tiebacks if the wall is of a sizeable height or length. These essentially anchor the wall back into the earth behind, preventing it from falling forward.

Creating an Optimum Area
When you redesign a yard with retaining walls, you have an opportunity to create better soil conditions and growing areas – either for gardens or lawns. Use high quality backfill if your current soil is poor; that way the new ground behind or between walls will be primed for grass or flowers. Imagine a terraced garden look, with a mixture of potted plants perched on the walls, blossoms spilling over the stone and shrubs and bushes planted in the newly leveled gardens. Build your Dallas retaining walls with the finished look of your lawn in mind. Add character with rounded corners, wide flagstone steps and multiple levels incorporated within and beside the wall.

Design and build your dream yard using stone retaining walls in Dallas and solve your erosion and slope issues at the same time. EnhanceScape’s professional Dallas retaining wall designers will work together with you to create optimum conditions in your backyard.

Your Home in Dallas: Drainage is Essential

Filed under: Dallas Drainage, Drainage, dallas drainage systems, dallas water drainage, drainage system in dallas — Mike @ 3:29 pm

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Look across your yard after a heavy rainstorm and assess the performance of your drainage system in Dallas. If you spot soggy areas or standing water, you need to consider tweaking the existing drainage or risk inflicting damage. Bad drainage can harm your landscaping, decks or fences as well as causing water seepage or leakage into your home and basement.

When water can’t effectively drain away from your lawn, either through the soil or down a directed path, it can cause a lot of trouble. Water has enormous power and can erode, seep and leak through even the tiniest gap. When you provide rain water a proper pathway to exit your yard, you’re protecting everything from your home to your lawn.

Aeration is an easy step to quickly reduce water build up in your yard. Often soil can be compacted from traffic or is just too heavy to begin with, and punch-core aeration helps to alleviate that problem. Basically you are punching holes in the top few inches of your yard and allowing the water to penetrate deeper into the soil with little effort. Aeration may be a quick fix, but it is not a long term solution when your home’s improper Dallas water drainage causes recurring problems.

French drains are often a good choice and won’t affect the overall look of your landscaping. French drains are perforated or slotted pipes that can run along a sloped trench through your yard, directed away from your home. The pipes are covered with a fabric or mesh that prevents soil from entering but allows the water to drip freely in and then down the pipe. They are generally backfilled with a combination of gravel and soil. Once you’ve planted grass or gardens over top, they will do their work completely out of sight.

Be careful to plan well where your drain will empty. It’s generally not a good idea to aim it at the neighbor’s yard and you will need to be careful about draining directly to the street. As long as the water is far enough away from your home and has no ability to drain back towards it, your drainage will be effective.

Dry beds or swales can also be used effectively to direct water away from certain areas. They are more noticeable and may interrupt with your landscaping, but will solve the drainage issues well. Also consider adding drainage directly at the base of your downspouts. Acting like a dry well, a deep hole dug at the base and filled with gravel will deliver the water down into the ground and away from your gardens and grass right away. Splash pads may work too, but are often overwhelmed in severe rainstorms.

Be sure that your home is well protected against water damage. Have a licensed contractor help you create decent, Dallas drainage systems in your yard. With some forethought, planning and professional installation you will tell that water exactly where to go. For Dallas drainage issues, consult the professionals at EnhanceScape to work out the best solution.

 

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