Beautiful landscaping evokes images of healthy green lawns, vibrant plantings, and polished hardscapes. Another critical aspect of landscaping may go unnoticed until the damage is done: Rainwater drainage. Drainage solutions from Heinen can even enhance a landscape design – or be hidden below the surface.
Rainwater drainage is often the unsung hero of a well-maintained landscape. When excess water from rainfall is properly managed, it prevents soil erosion, pooling water, plant damage, and even foundation damage. Having the proper drainage control in place is crucial and when properly installed, it can be practically invisible. In fact, the drainage professionals at Heinen have several methods for addressing excess rainfall-related issues. While some methods go unseen, others are hidden in plain sight – disguised as a landscape element. Either way, properly installed drainage solutions can have a critical impact on maintaining a healthy lawn and plantings while preserving property value by moving water away from a home’s foundation.
French Drains and Dry Creek Beds
A dry creek bed made from river rock assists with drainage and attractively hides pipe below.
A French drain can be compared to how a gutter on a house moves water from high to low elevation, but in this case, rainwater is moved underground away from the home’s foundation typically to an outlet area close the the street and into city storm drains. For a French drain to work properly, it’s important to first grade the ground surface so the elevation near the home is higher than the planned water egress point. Gravity is essential to all drainage systems and French drains are no exception. If it’s not possible to raise the grade nearest the home, it is critical that the underground drain be trenched deep enough to allow a gradual slope decline underground all the way to the point where the drain opening can emerge at a lower point on the property – again preferably near a curb and city storm drain.
A variation on the French drain is the dry creek bed solution. In this installation, a perforated pipe is placed inside a trench (again, graded to angle downhill). That trench is protected by filtration fabric and then covered with attractive pea gravel, river rock, or a combination of both. For visual interest, small boulders are often added to the installation on the periphery of the covered drainage pipe area. The appearance of the installation on dry days is that of a decorative dry creek bed. However, during a downpour, excess rainwater easily passes through the stones and the fabric and is whisked away underground through the perorated pipe to a lower egress point, again near a curb or storm drain.
Tribeca Permeable Pavers from Unilock.
Permeable Pavers
Hard surfaces around a home, like a patio or terrace, can create drainage issues because water cannot pass through traditionally paved areas. Large concrete patios or driveways have quite broad surface areas – therefore they catch a great deal of rainfall. Even when sloped properly, the torrents of rain that exit concrete patios can lead to flood management issues, with runoff that can potentially damage other parts of the property.
By installing pavers instead of concrete, water can easily pass through the spaces between each paver – spaces which are filled with either small rocks or sand – where it is absorbed into the soil below. There are hundreds of permeable paver solutions available, with a wide range of textures, shapes, and colors that make them a versatile and attractive option for complementing the overall look and feel of a home’s outdoor spaces.
Native plants develop deep root systems that absorb more water than non-native varieties.
Rain Gardens
One of the most eco-friendly drainage solution options is to create a rain garden. A rain garden is a strategically depressed area lined with rocks and porous soil and filled with native plants. Because it is lower than the surrounding areas, water naturally runs into the rain garden, where native plants help absorb it. A rain garden works as a kind of filter for rainwater, as well as providing shelter and food for local wildlife. While rain gardens do fill with water during and directly after rainfall, they are designed to effectively drain it away within 24-48 hours.
This retaining wall redirects water and provides extra patio seating.
Retaining Walls
The options for using retaining walls as both a functional drainage solution and an aesthetically pleasing addition to your landscaping are almost endless. Retaining walls assist in drainage control in several ways, first by changing elevations and letting gravity do its job by diverting rainwater away from lower ground. Additionally, the back side of many retaining wall installations contain crushed rock and perforated piping, much like a French drain, and assist in giving the rainwater adequate time to be fully absorbed into the soil and redirected away from a home’s foundation.
Retaining walls also offer homeowners the opportunity to incorporate a unique and eye-catching feature into outdoor spaces. They can be stacked at different heights to create visually interesting, tiered plant beds, and can even be constructed to integrate extra patio seating as part of their design.
Proper drainage plays a critical role in the health of your landscaping and the value of your home. Cleverly designed drainage solutions protect property while tastefully enhancing the appearance of outdoor spaces.
