Winter can wreak havoc if you live in an area that drops below freezing. Snow strains your roof, ice snaps tree limbs, and plumbing pipes often burst.
People don’t think about the damage snow and ice does until it’s too late. That’s why it’s important to consider your backyard drainage right now before winter gets here.
You can protect your home this winter in more ways than one by following a few steps. These steps keep your patio landscaping looking fresh and your foundation secure. Keep reading to learn how!
Backyard Drainage Problems in Winter
While most of us head inside and forget about our outdoor spaces as the cold settles in, snow, sleet, and ice come out to play. If your yard isn’t properly draining, this precipitation erodes your foundation and kills your plants and lawn.
Throughout winter, water is freezing and thawing. This creates pools of water and solid ice in yards without proper drainage.
Freezing temperatures cause standing water in your blocked drainage system to solidify. With this, you run the risk of components of your drainage system cracking.
Your patio also needs certain preparation to keep up its appearance. This includes any pavers and furniture.
How to Prepare
Many of the above risks can be mitigated by a few preventative measures. It helps if you’ve paid attention to how your yard drains during earlier months.
Check Your Yard Gradient
Everything should be sloping away from your home. There shouldn’t be any dips or holes, especially near your foundation.
It may require some backyard landscaping to correct the gradient. A retaining wall can help. But, your yard may need regrading.
Install a Drainage System
If you know that you have drainage issues, the most important step is getting a drainage system in place. The system helps move water away from your home.
As snow melts, it won’t have the opportunity to refreeze with a drainage system. While snow is insulating, ice has a different effect.
It’s best for your plants to remove the possibility of sitting in frozen water.
Clear All Debris
There’s no point in a drainage system that’s blocked by leaves, grass, and other debris. The pipes will simply back water into your yard again.
Clear everything out of and off your drainage. This includes checking your gutters as well!
If your gutters aren’t draining properly, water is spilling over the sides. That erodes the soil by your foundation, which causes pooling.
Water by your foundation finds its way into your home and basement through cracks. Now you have a flooded basement.
Remove Snow
Don’t let snow pile up by the sides of your house. Take a shovel and spread the snow further away from your foundation.
It sounds like an annoying task. But, it’s better than your house sinking in eroded soil.
Get Started Today!
Don’t wait until winter is here to take care of your backyard drainage. It becomes more difficult when the ground freezes.
Set yourself up for success by doing some preventative winter landscaping. Take a look at some of our landscaping services and contact us today!