We Can Help You Fix Pooling Water On Your Lawn Or Landscape
We install and repair landscape drainage systems
Drainage System Installations And Repairs
We install and repair landscape drainage systems
One of the keys to keeping your landscaping (and property) in good shape is ensuring you have proper drainage in place. Drainage issues can cause premature erosion, property damage, damage to buildings and foundations, and they can be very expensive to repair. Depending on what your drainage issues are there could be a number of ways to address the problem and solve it once and for all.
What Type Of Drainage Problem Do You Have?
- Is there water pooling up on your property?
- Does your property have soil erosion due to heavy rain?
- Do you have soft spots in your lawns or gardens?
- Do you have standing water around your foundation?
- Is your driveway or parking area a wet mess when it rains?
Without proper drainage in place your landscaping and lawn areas can be prone to flooding, it can drown out your expensive plants, erode away expensive hardscaping, and even cause damage to your structures and their foundations.
Harvest Outdoor Living is a landscaping contractor based out of Bel Air, Maryland and serving Harford County and the surrounding area. We specialize in installing lawn and garden drainage systems including drainage swales, french drains, and more. We offer real solutions for properties with a drainage or standing water problem.
Many of our clients properties suffer from poor drainage or have drainage systems that just weren’t implemented correctly from the start which has led to significant erosion problems, water pooling, soft spots, and flooding in their lawns, gardens and landscapes. We can help solve these problems by developing a solid plan for your property.
What Is A Drainage Swale?
A drainage swale is a shallow channel or depression that is designed to carry and manage stormwater runoff. It is typically found in landscaped areas, such as along the side of a road or where a culvert outflow is located. Swales are used to intercept and convey excess water from storms or other sources to a drainage outlet, such as a storm drain or a natural waterway.
Drainage swales are often used as an alternative to traditional stormwater management systems, such as underground pipes, because they can be more visually appealing and have a variety of additional benefits, such as providing habitat for wildlife and helping to reduce erosion. Drainage swales are typically lined with river rock or with vegetation, such as grasses or native plants, which helps to filter pollutants and sediment from the water as it flows through the channel.
What Is A French Drain?
A French Drain is an ingenious and effective drainage solution used to redirect water away from areas that are prone to excess moisture. Named after Henry Flagg French who popularized it in the 1850s, a French Drain consists of a trench filled with gravel or rock containing a perforated pipe that directs water away from a specific area.
The French Drain's primary purpose is to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating and damaging building foundations, landscapes, and other structures. It's commonly used in areas with poor soil drainage or in places that experience heavy rainfall.
Here's how it works: Water flows into the trench, is collected by the perforated pipe, and is then redirected to a more suitable area like a storm drain or a less critical part of the property. The rock or gravel in the trench not only assists in filtering debris but also aids in the even distribution of the water flow.
A French Drain can be a crucial element in residential and commercial properties to manage water efficiently, prevent flooding, protect structures, and maintain landscape integrity. By providing a controlled pathway for water, a French Drain helps keep your property dry, stable, and free from potential water-related damages.
Interested in installing or learning more about French Drains? Reach out to our drainage experts today, and we'll guide you through the best solutions tailored to your property's needs.
What Is A Drainage Swale?
A drainage swale is a shallow channel or depression that is designed to carry and manage stormwater runoff. It is typically found in landscaped areas, such as along the side of a road or where a culvert outflow is located. Swales are used to intercept and convey excess water from storms or other sources to a drainage outlet, such as a storm drain or a natural waterway.
Drainage swales are often used as an alternative to traditional stormwater management systems, such as underground pipes, because they can be more visually appealing and have a variety of additional benefits, such as providing habitat for wildlife and helping to reduce erosion. Drainage swales are typically lined with river rock or with vegetation, such as grasses or native plants, which helps to filter pollutants and sediment from the water as it flows through the channel.
Drainage System Installation and Repair
- Drainage system design
- Drainage system installation
- Underground drainage and piping
- Drainage swale installation
- French drain installations
- Drainage system repairs
- Drain box and catch basin installation
- Downspout drainage systems
- Stream and creek beds for channeling water
- Drainage problem correction
Does Your Property Have Water Drainage Problems?
Drainage issues should be addressed during the landscape design process and before your actual landscape is installed. Because every property we work on is different a good landscape designer will take the time to understand how water may flow from your property, what type of soil conditions you have, and they will also know and understand the rainfall in your area and/or how high the static water table might be. Knowing all of these factors can help us plan out an effective drainage solution for your specific property.
It’s often during sustained and heavy rainfall when a drainage problem will surface. After a few days of rain, a property with poor drainage will become obvious. You’ll visibly see water pooling in low spots, your lawn or gardens will be muddy, you may see erosion taking place, and a host of other problems. If the water table (sub-surface water) is high in your area, then rainfall only makes the problem that much worse.
Drainage Problems We Solve
High Water Tables
A high water table can pose a challenge for any landscape. The water table is water that lies close to the soil surface. It can vary depending on where you are located. If you have a high water table then the low lying areas of your landscape can often have pooling water. Often the best solution for a high water table is to plant appropriate trees, shrubs, and other plants that are capable of handling these wet, boggy, conditions. These are often plantings that natively grow in riparian areas.
Another option to solve a high water table drainage problem is to raise the lawn areas or planting and garden bed areas up. You can do this by mounding up areas with additional soil and appropriate plantings to keep it held together or you can even used raised garden beds.
Excess Water Pooling On The Surface
If your property has clay-based soil then you may have problems with surface water pooling up. Clay is a very dense material and doesn’t allow for good drainage. Surface water issues can often be solved by properly grading the property away from the home and into a swale or french drain that can channel the water away from your property and into an existing storm drain or drainage ditch of some type.
One of the most popular and effective drainage systems to install for a surface water problem is the French drain. This is a time-tested drainage solution that gathers water and channels it to a place underground (usually a trench filled with gravel and perforated pipe) where the water can take its time percolating down through the soil.
More Ideas For Solving Your Drainage Problems
Careful Construction Practices – Often drainage problems surface after extensive construction or site-work has been completed on a property. Activities such as removing and placing fill, property grading, and digging of foundations or footings can alter the drainage on a property. When construction occurs on your property care must be taken to avoid compaction of the soil and also to make sure that your property is graded to channel water away from low-lying areas and your home or buildings foundation.
Regulate Your Irrigation System – Many irrigation systems are setup to deliver water to a lawn, garden, or landscape over a set period of time rather than on the needs of those specific plants. It’s a good idea to set your irrigation to meet the needs of your specific landscape rather than set it on a timed schedule. For example, if you’re irrigation system runs for an hour in the evening, but the plantings are sufficiently watered within 15 minutes, that extra 45 minutes of watering doesn’t make much sense and likely contributes to the poor drainage issues.
Check For Broken Plumbing Or Sewer Lines – In some cases, poor drainage, or pooling, standing water can be the symptoms of a broken, clogged, or corroded sewer or drain line. If your drainage issues are accompanied by a foul sewage smell, then this could be part of your problem. We also see pooling water caused by broken municipal water pipes or sprinkler pipes. The broken piping causes the excess water to pool near the surface.
Adapt Plantings To Site Conditions – If your property is continually suffering from drainage problems due to a high water table then it’s a good idea to make sure your plantings are “drinkers” you want to carefully select plants, trees, and shrubs that require lots of water or that thrive in excess moisture.
If you’d like to schedule a consultation to discuss your drainage system or to correct drainage issues you might be experiencing with your property we’d be happy to meet with you. Please call 443-766-4831 or fill out our online form and we’ll get right back to you.
I would absolutely recommend Harvest Outdoor Living! Tom was extremely nice, professional and polite throughout the entire project. He worked with us to come up with the exact design we wanted within our budget and was so patient throughout the whole process. He was always on time and even started the project earlier than expected. He pays close attention to detail and him and his team work quickly and were very efficient. We will definitely be hiring Harvest landscape again for future landscape and hardscape projects. We are extremely satisfied and just love our new patio and fire pit so much!
Tom and team did a fantastic job on our patio. Totally changed the look and use of our backyard. Quality work from beginning to end. Highly recommend.
I had asked Tom about cutting back our mulch bed out front and adding a stone retaining wall - was very happy with the results! I also love that he used the plants we had and rearranged them to make them feel new - it helped frame the space while also helping us to keep within our budget. Will definitely be reaching out to him and his team again.
Tom really listens to what you need done and his expertise is evident. He's done an excellent job with the yardwork and helped me out twice. He's a keeper!
Tom was great to work with! He worked with me quite a bit to come up with a plan for my landscaping and used 3D rendering to show me example photos of what the work would look like! He built a beautiful retainer wall and put in lovely plants to spruce up the look of my home. There was excellent communication throughout the entire project. Thanks so much Tom! Will absolutely recommend you to others!!
Very professional and dependable. With an eye for detail, my yard has never looked better! Looking forward to future projects with Harvest!
Our neighbor recommended Tom and we are happy we called him. He stopped by our property and give us great ideas on how to create new garden beds and installing trees, as well as regrading and establishing our lawn. He was very diligent in his work and even came back to fix some issues that was caused by heavy winds. We will definitely use his services again and will recommend Tom to anyone we know.
I have used Harvest Landcare for 2 years now for my spring clean up and mulching. He also trimmed bushes in the fall. Very attentive and responsive and does great work. Highly recommend.
Harvest Landcare has done several mulching and landscape projects around my house. He is reliable, priced right and has a lot of attention to detail. I highly recommend.
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