Poor stormwater drainage can cause extensive problems in residential property. If this water is left stagnant, it will penetrate the foundations of your buildings and compromise the structural integrity. Moreover, the stormwater can accumulate on your landscaping, causing damage to the driveway, sidewalks and even the lawn. Therefore, if you have been experiencing drainage issues, you should consider making significant changes to resolve the problems. Here are practical tips on improving the efficiency of stormwater drainage in your home.
Install Reliable Drains
Stormwater drains are designed to collect the runoff and redirect the water away from your important structures. Therefore, you should install a drainage system to help you manage the run off around the site. Generally, most of the stormwater comes from paved areas such as the driveway and sidewalks. However, if you do not have a rain harvesting system, the water will also flow from the roof. Ideally, you should install trench or channel drains in an area where the water collects after running off. You can purchase simple plastic or metal drains or build concrete alternatives.
Minimise Property Paving
In ideal circumstances, when it rains, the water will be absorbed by the ground. This limits stormwater runoff and prevents flooding. Unfortunately, modern homes have a lot of nonporous paved driveways, sidewalks and patios. These will not allow absorption of water. Moreover, excess stormwater will stress the drainage channels and cause premature deterioration. Therefore, you should consider minimising the paved space and consequently, its impact in your home.
Where possible, keep the driveway and the sidewalks short. You should also use gravel or semiporous stones to create walkways and even driveways instead of the usual hard surfaces. The material will create attractive surfaces that allow drainage. Consider diverting some water to free draining areas in your home, like your garden. You should also think about growing grass along the paved areas; this area will absorb the runoff overflowing from the hard surface.
Limit Land Disturbance
If you are planning on improving your landscaping or building new structures, you should avoid disturbing the natural shape and slope of the land. For example, it is not advisable to level the land or cut an existing slope. These disturbances will change the amount of runoff, increase the total sediment and even alter the direction of water flow. Therefore, you should try to work with the land without making dramatic modifications. This will help you have fewer problems related to stormwater drainage, including flooding and erosion.
