Water, the Bringer of Life and Destruction

Posted March 4, 2013 in Blog, General

Water can be beautiful, and every living thing needs it to survive. But water can also be an incredibly destructive force, even when it moves slowly in small amounts. Give it enough time, and water can carve great canyons. It can also seep into your basement to ruin your holiday decorations or given enough time, undermine your home’s foundation. Water can be the bringer of both life and destruction.

Simple landscaping mistakes can cause big problems.

For instance, despite what you see on HGTV, re-doing your backyard in 30 minutes isn’t quite as simple as it seems. Sure, you can slap down a few paver stones and plant a couple of bushes, and before you know it, you’re napping in a hammock on a shady Sunday afternoon. But if you fail to install the patio properly, and you can wake up to the nightmare of water seeping into your house.

“Always pitch water away from your home’s foundation,” said Joshua Gillow, owner of MasterPLAN Landscape Design & Installation. “Some people, even some contractors, don’t understand this and will install a paver or concrete patio so the water either sits on top of it, or eventually finds its way back to the foundation. This can cause water damage in the basement.”
Improperly installed downspouts and sump-pump drains can also cause problems.
“Always run concentrated water sources under your patio or landscaping, away from the foundation,” Gillow said. “Never have them spill water onto your patio or walkway, or they can fail in just a water spoutfew short years. Drain pipe is cheap when compared to the tens of thousands of dollars you may pay to remediate a basement damaged by water.”
 If you feel that you are in need of landscape design solutions for your property, give MasterPLAN Landscape Design a call.  We can create a custom 3D design plan for your home and property to take care of your possible issues and turn you into the prettiest house on the block!

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