Turfs Up Sod offers affordable drainage solutions in multiple ways to reduce drainage problems on your property. Failure to correctly fix a drainage problem now will cost you more later. Ignoring these issues can quickly result in major repair costs and loss in property value.

 

The slope of the land around your home can contribute to your drainage issues. If the land slopes toward your home, consider installing a drainage system to direct flow around and away from your foundation. The goal is to divert storm water away from your foundation and other sensitive areas. Below are some solutions we provide, so please Contact Us to have a qualified professional come take a look at your unique situation.

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• Foundation drains divert storm water away from your building’s foundation. Foundation drainpipes are perforated and usually surrounded by gravel. The pipes disperse the water (instead of discharging in a concentrated area) and the gravel contributes to infiltration of the water. The gravel can be wrapped with a layer of filter fabric to prevent the drain from clogging with sediment.

• Roof drainpipes are not perforated, and are not connected to the foundation drain system. They should be connected to convey water to the city’s storm drain system, to a dry-well or directly to a water-body.

• Catch basins are connected to storm drainpipes. They are concrete structures (either round or rectangular) with metal grates on top. Catch basins capture debris that could clog the pipes in a storm drain system. You can help the system by checking the catch basins in your neighborhood after a heavy storm. Use a broom or rake to remove any leaves or debris that have blocked the catch basin’s grate.

• Yard inlets are connected to storm drainpipes, but are much smaller than catch basins. Metal and plastic yard inlets can be purchased at a local hardware store, or they can be made of concrete.

• Trench drains are used to capture storm water flowing over a larger area like a driveway. Trench drains convey rainwater to the City’s storm drain system.

• French drains can be installed anywhere on your property that collects water. French drains are constructed with a perforated pipe. Gravel and filter fabric surrounds the pipe, similar to foundation drain systems.

• Drywells can be installed in areas that cannot be connected to a storm water drainage system. Drywells are filled with gravel and surrounded by filter fabric. Water flows into the wells and infiltrates into the ground through the gravel.

• Sump pumps are intended to be used as a backup system, and need electricity to function. When the sump fills with water, the pump turns on.

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DRAINAGE TERMS TO KNOW

affordable drainage solutions...

COLLECTION BOXES
Typically 9″X9″ or 12″X12″ drains that are set in the ground. The top of the drain (grate) is located slightly below ground level. Surface water enters through the grate and collects in the box. A pipe is connected to the collection box below ground which directs the water away. Also referred to as Catch Basins.

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COMBO DRAIN
A French drain and surface drain used in conjunction with each other in the same trench to remove excessive ground and surface water from around a foundation.

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DISCHARGE
Refers to the disposal of the water collected by a French or Surface drain.

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DOWNSPOUT
Downspouts are usually vertical and extend down to ground level. Ideally, the water is piped to a sewer, or let into the ground through seepage. Most  drainage problems come from the collection of rain water off the roof into downspouts, and oftentimes, the downspouts are conveying the water right onto the foundation.

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FRENCH DRAIN
This is a trench covered with gravel or rock that redirects surface and/or groundwater away from an area. A French drain has perforated hollow pipe along the bottom to capture water that seeps down through the upper gravel or rock. French drains are common drainage systems, primarily used to prevent ground water from migrating under the foundation. Ground water under a foundation can cause movement beyond seasonal norms. French drains are also used behind retaining walls to relieve hydrostatic pressure.

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GRADE
A grade (also called slope, incline, gradient, pitch or rise) of the area around a foundation refers to the inclination of the ground from the horizontal. Negative grade means the slope is towards the foundation. Positive grade, or sloping away from the foundation, is desireable to help prevent unwanted foundation movement.

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PERCOLATE (PERC)
When a liquid filters gradually through a porous surface or substance.

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POP UP VALVE
Sometimes act as the discharge point of a drainage system, opening easily when needed to allow water to flow freely from the pipe and away from structural foundations. The patented spring-loaded cap opens with the hydrostatic pressure of water flowing through the drain pipe, then closes as the flow diminishes.

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RETAINING WALL
A wall designed to hold or retain soil. It is typically used in home construction where large quantities of fill dirt is used to “level” a construction pad site. Without a retaining wall to support the fill dirt, the foundation would be undermined by soil erosion or slumping. The addition of a French Drain at the base of a retaining wall is often necessary to reduce hydrostatic pressure on the wall system.

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ROOT BARRIER
The act of cutting off the roots of trees that are growing near a foundation and installing a barrier to prevent their reestablishment in the area where they are not desired is called installing a root barrier. Theoretically, a root barrier can minimize the amount of moisture loss from the soil to the root system.

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SUMP PUMP
This is a pump used to remove water that has accumulated in a water collecting sump. Sump pump systems are used when a drainage system (French or Surface) is unable to be discharged with gravity alone. In that case, water is channeled to a collection area known as a sump. Once the collection water reaches a certain volume a submersible pump is used to pump the water away.

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SURFACE DRAIN
Surface drains consist of a series of collection boxes or catch basins and a solid pipe. The are designed to collect and transmit water that is accumulating on the surface (around a foundation.)

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SWALE
Drainage swales also play a role in residential rainwater, directing water from downspouts or driveway run-off to a yard drain or street storm drain. Like agricultural ditches, drainage swales not only safely control water flows, but carry with them fertilizers and other pollutants from your roof, lawn and gardens.

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