Drainage Issues Caused by Recent Heavy rains in Georgia

Drainage issues are very common in clay soil areas such as northeast Georgia and due to recent heavy rains and localized flooding, these issues are on the rise.  These days, more and more people are dealing with drainage problems in their landscapes and making it a priority to contact a drainage consultant in order to deal with the issues properly.  Vision Landscaping has had a record number of calls concerning drainage problems in the past two months.

The first step to correcting a drainage problem is to find where the water is coming from.  The best time to do this is directly after a major downpour.  Once the storm has cleared and it is safe to go outside, locate your gutters and downspouts.  Determine how much water is flowing and where it is going.  Most often, gutters and downspouts are installed on the home where it is most convenient, not where it is best for good site drainage.  Is the water flowing away from the house, back toward the house or under a crawl space?  Is the water from the downspout forming a stream that is running through your landscape or forming large puddles that are settling in your landscape?

Another common cause of poor site drainage is improper site grading before construction or landscape installation.  Land must be graded so that water runs down hill away from the home or site where is puddles.  Determine which way the slope of your property is going.  You can purchase an inexpensive level at your local hardware store.

Another main cause pf poor drainage is the type of soil.  Some soils, particularly clay soils, drain more slowly than other soils.  With heavy rains and drainage issues, comes soil erosion problems.  One way to test your soil to see if you have drainage issues is to dig a hole about 8 to 12 inches deep, fill full of water and let it drain completely.  Wait a day and fill it again.  Record the time it takes to drain completely out.  If it drains within one hour, you have great drainage.  If it takes a few hours, you have adequate drainage.  If it takes more than ten to twelve hours or even overnight, you have a drainage problem.

Whatever the level of concern, Vision Landscaping can diagnose, offer advice and repair any drainage issue, problem or concern you may be having in your landscape.

Visit our website at www.vision-landscaping.com.

Written by: Mandy Reese, Vision Landscaping