Standing water in your front or back yard is unsightly, and it could pose a threat to your family’s health. Mosquitoes and other disease-carrying pests lay eggs in standing water, and mosquito larvae are not desirable visitors to your property. Proper drainage will prevent soil erosion, improve plant health and protect your home’s foundation, but there are some downsides to consider. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of landscaping for drainage.
Pro: Landscaping for Drainage Will Protect Your Property From Water Damage
Standing water in a yard can pool around a building’s foundation and seep into every nook and cranny, and that can cause structural problems. Repairing foundations can be eye-wateringly expensive, so it’s an issue that’s best avoided. A trench or catch basin can manage excess water to protect your home and prevent foundation damage.
Con: Landscaping for Drainage Is Difficult
Landscaping for drainage involves a lot more than digging a trench. Waterlogged property must be inspected carefully to identify low spots, and extensive grading may be required to ensure excess water flows directly to trenches or drains. Then there’s the digging. Rain-sodden earth is extremely heavy, and removing it can be backbreaking work. That’s why most people leave landscaping for drainage to skilled and experienced professionals.
Pro: Landscaping for Drainage Will Make Your Garden Look Better
A little water is good for a garden, but standing water kills grass and plants. Water forces the air out of soil and deprives plant roots of oxygen, but plants are resilient. Plants that appear to be beyond saving often spring back to life when the ground beneath them is drained, so it may not be too late to save your garden. Proper drainage will make your yard look better, improve your property’s curb appeal and allow your kids and pets to play without getting covered with mud.
Con: Landscaping for Drainage Can Be Costly
Installing, maintaining and repairing drainage systems can be costly if the problem being addressed is a serious one. Landscapers with experience in this area will be able to inspect your property and identify the problems they encounter, and overcoming those problems is sometimes expensive. Water flows downhill, so drainage pipes sometimes have to be run under structures or paved driveways. If you want to know how much landscaping for drainage will cost before work begins, make sure that you deal with a company that has experience tackling these projects.
Our Landscaping Professionals Are Ready to Help
If you want to remove standing water from your property, the experienced professionals at Willow Tree and Landscaping Service are ready to help. We have been providing Hatboro residents with landscaping design and installation services since 1983, and our drainage experts can solve your problem and bring your garden back to life. Call us today for a free estimate, and then start thinking about the things you will do when the water is gone.
