Drainage Protects Landscapes, Boosts Business

By Louis F. Teran, NDS Inc.

A photo taken at Yale University in Connecticut shows an iron drainage grate suitable for light-vehicle traffic. The same grates can be used at low points in hardscaped areas?EUR??,,????'???but trucks and other heavy vehicles require stronger, more expensive manganese-bronze or galvanized-steel grates. Photo by Erik Skindrud

By adding drainage systems to landscape projects, a landscape contractor can grow business and increase profitability while improving his or her reputation and avoiding potential liability.

Without proper drainage, excess irrigation and rainwater can cause damage to a homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s property, which could be as minor as a yellow lawn spot or as extensive as a crack in the building?EUR??,,????'???s foundation. Any change to a landscape inevitably changes the flow patterns of the excess irrigation and rainwater. The new flow patterns are difficult to predict, and it is even harder to predict how the new flow patterns will develop over long periods of time. This can lead to soil erosion and may create low spots or direct pathways to the building?EUR??,,????'???s foundation.

This domed ?EUR??,,????'??atrium?EUR??,,????'?? drainage grate is not suitable for lawns or open spaces but can help maintain drainage when placed in a low area where water pools or flows rapidly. Photo courtesy of NDS

Preventing Problems

Until such damage is visibly apparent, most homeowners never consider a drainage system as a method to protect their property. However, research shows that when drainage is recommended by the landscape contractor as a preventative measure, most homeowners accept this recommendation without hesitation. Homeowners rely on the expertise of the landscape contractor to ensure their landscape and property will be well protected from water damage and less susceptible to water damage in the future.

While proper grading of the terrain is often an effective technique to redirect water away from the property, without a drainage system, grading alone can lead to erosion of the landscape and deterioration of the plant life. As the expert, the landscape contractor should be combining a drainage system with proper grading to achieve optimum drainage of excess water and to ensure that the homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s property is protected from water damage.

Channel drains are available with plastic, galvanized-steel or cast-iron grates and either steel or plastic frames. Flanges on the bottom of the channel provide a lip for anchoring, which ensures a straight installation and prevents floating.

When designing a proper drainage system, it is helpful to consider the topography of the area. Low spots in the landscape benefit from the installation of a catch basin that has a sump area to prevent clogging of the drainage system by catching debris before it enters the drainage pipe. For example, NDS, Inc. offers square catch basins in 9” and 12” and the Spee-D catch basin, which is a smaller round basin ideal for use in flower beds or pedestrian traffic applications. Each catch basin is available with a grate to accommodate load ratings ranging from pedestrian to heavy traffic.

The Right Parts

Also, every planter area requires a catch basin with an atrium grate installed. Atrium grates are domed to prevent clogging from debris and mulch that are often found in these areas. Ideal for applications where there is no traffic, atrium grates require less maintenance and handle more runoff water than a flat grate. Channel drains are recommended for driveways and patios to function as a roof gutter to collect the large volumes of water that flow across hardscapes. Finally, every downspout should safely discharge the water into a catch basin and away from the foundation of the house. By using a catch basin in downspouts instead of connecting the downspout directly to the drainage pipe, the catch basin prevents debris from the roof from entering and clogging the drainage system by catching it before it enters the drainage pipe.

A computer illustration shows some features available in an integrated irrigation system. At far right, channel drains can be positioned to eliminate storm flow back under garage doors. At upper right, grates and basins help divert heavy flow away from home foundations. At center, a basin well helps puddles disperse and percolate into the ground.

Good for Business

In addition to providing customers with an effective drainage plan, the landscape contractor can save on cost and increase profits by installing a drainage system in conjunction with other landscape projects. This is much more cost-effective than installing a drainage system as a stand alone project for a number of reasons. First, the contractor?EUR??,,????'???s crew and equipment are already on the site. Second, the same trenches used for other aspects of the landscape project may sometimes be used for the drainage system. Finally, the drainage materials can be purchased in the same place as the other materials for the landscape project, which saves time and reduces transportation costs.

Louis Teran is the product manager for drainage products at NDS, Inc. More info: www.ndspro.com

Irrigation Insights

14: Percent, the number of ?EUR??,,????'??poor drainage?EUR??,,????'?? problems reported at parks in Michigan on a state agricultural statistics service survey. Almost 1.9 million acres of lawn and turf were maintained in Michigan in 2002, the year of the survey.

9: Percent. Results from the Michigan survey show that nine percent of the lawn service companies reported poor drainage as a major lawn care problem. On the other hand, 74 percent of the respondents said drought was a major lawn care problem.

Source: Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service