Water can pose a serious threat to your property, especially if your landscape has vulnerabilities. In this issue, we describe how proper grading helps to keep your home dry as well as what signs indicate that your property needs regrading:
Grading & Its Benefits
Slopes and hills form naturally and don’t always correlate with drainage issues. Grading refers to the leveling or smoothing out of these minor ridges. If you want to maintain a level yard, grading is the solution for you. This can absolutely be an aesthetic decision, but can make a great difference in the drainage performance of your landscape.
While a naturally sloped landscape may sound pleasant, it can wreak havoc on homes. As we’ve discussed before, even minor hills direct stormwater runoff into or through your yard. That runoff usually carries pollutants, trash, and eroded materials, and it can leave standing water.
All of our solutions to drainage issues can protect your home from those dangers. But where many of those services call for new fixtures in your yard, regrading does not.
Signs That Call for Regrading
While you can always contact Drainage & Erosion Solutions and ask for a drainage inspection, you are your yard’s first line of defense. By learning the signs listed below, you can spot them early.
- Gradually exposed tree roots, which are due to topsoil erosion. You may first perceive these roots as lumps or bumps in your yard.
- Standard “wear and tear” to yards, from utility work, tree/shrub removal, and high-traffic patterns. These actions create depressions for water to gather in.
- Pooling water on hardscapes and driveways, which can crack and otherwise damage these structural elements.
- Mold and fungus growth in your yard, which tend to form around standing water and support mosquito colonies.
- Pooling water around your house’s foundation.
- A dramatically unlevel landscape, having a sloped lawn that directs rainwater towards your foundation can become a major problem.
The indoor signals pointing to a regrading solution all revolve around water in your basement or crawl space. We’ve discussed our basement waterproofing services in past blogs, remember to look out for mold or high humidity as early warning signs of a larger water issue.
Protect Your Home with Washington, DC’s Landscape Grading Professionals
Both landscape erosion and water drainage are natural events that occur whether we like it or not. However, you can combat their effects and shield your home with assistance from Drainage & Erosion Solutions. We offer professional landscape grading, waterproofing, drainage swales, and more to Washington, DC residents. With our expertise, we can keep your home in working order for years to come. Call us today at (703) 534-1949 or fill out our online form.
