Singing in the Drain

Regarding landscaping, there is little Pristine doesn’t do. We’ve got you if you want a complete 3D design before your brand-new garden or hardscaping installation. And, if what you want is the maintenance of your trees, shrubs, flowers, or lawn, the only limiting factor is the season.

But regardless of what we do for you, your landscape does have one limiting factor that can undo it all – drainage problems. Luckily, if your yard has standing water or is prone to flooding, we have the solutions to get it to be what you want it to be.

Do you have a drainage issue, or how to fix it? We’ve got all the answers on properly draining your Kankakee landscape.

How Do You Recognize A Drainage Problem?

The most obvious sign of too much water is flooding. If that’s where you are, you know you have an issue. But luckily, there are signs to look for before this extreme event.

The first sign of poor drainage is usually in the health of your lawn. You may see yellow or bare areas in your grass, and while there can be many culprits, one is a drainage issue. It’s best to have a professional diagnose it rather than guess!

A more unmistakable sign of water not draining is standing water on your lawn or soggy, marshy conditions. Particularly concerning is if this is only on the part of your lawn because that means it’s not just from hard rain.

Moving up in severity, the following symptom to observe is erosion. When dirt washes away from a particular spot, that’s probably because that spot is getting all the water.

What Issues Does Poor Drainage Cause?

Poor drainage can have a multitude of adverse effects on your home and life.

Landscaping

The first area to suffer will likely be your landscaping. As grass dies from overwatering, it will lead to soil loss and compaction, which will then cause more drainage issues exacerbating the problem. Of course, it’s best if you can catch water problems at or before this stage.

You may notice a problem before your grass dies if you see mold or another plant disease. But, again, get help diagnosing your issues’ cause because many factors can cause lawn disease.

Home

In a worse scenario, water may be going into your home. That can cause property damage, sometimes severe. You must contact a professional at the first sign of flooding in your home!

Health

Finally, if you get too much water in your home, it can lead to mold growth. Some molds are deadly. Others can affect the health of specific individuals who are more sensitive to it.

Mold remediation is an involved and expensive process. Like most situations, prevention is preferable to cure!

How Do We Fix Drainage Problems?

There are two basic ways to fix drainage problems, often used in tandem. Which you use will depend on your particular issue and the extent of it.

Grading

If the water issues on your property are due to a slope, grading may be the best solution. Grading involves changing the shape of your land so that water runs smoothly and collects in the right places. Grading can include changing a slope or filling holes to even your land.

Depending on the size of your issue, grading can be a fairly substantial change to your property. But sometimes, it’s the best way to solve flooding.

Drains

The other way to solve flooding and standing water issues is to install a drain. Drains come in many shapes and sizes and are a technology you’re likely familiar with due to indoor plumbing.

Outdoor drains work similarly to your indoor ones. In their simplest form, drains are just holes or trenches in the ground with a grate over them to prevent clogging. But within that basic idea are many variations.

Most drains act on gravity and have a reservoir beneath the ground. French drains ditch the reservoir (pun intended) and fill the trench with sand or gravel. Still, other forms of drains have active components that pump the water.

Typically water that goes into drains is then naturally allowed to slowly seep into the soil so it won’t cause problems for your home and yard. You may also direct water to a specific part of your property that needs it, like a particularly thirsty plant.

Drainage Solutions

So do you believe you have a drainage problem? First, let Pristine diagnose it for you. Then, we will help you find the best solution for your home!