Landscape Irrigation - Lawn Drainage
About Lawn Drainage
Introduction
Lawn drainage for your landscape is essential should you begin to notice excess water on the lawn. The presence of excess water on your lawn can lead to serious problems such as large muddy areas where grass ceases to grow or fungal disease. A beautifully maintained lawn is an important factor of having a manicured landscape. Should you start to notice an excess in water days after heavy rain, a lawn drainage system should be considered to prevent further damage. Total renovation or replacement of a lawn can be very costly; therefore it is best to tackle the problem before it is irreversible. Test your Lawn Drainage
One significant indication that you may have a drainage problem in your landscape is if the neighbor’s land slopes downwards to your property. This means that in heavy rain, the natural flow of the water will flow right into your property.
There is one effective way to test whether a lawn can not properly drainage excess water. Dig a number of holes in the lawn, approximately six inches deep, fill the holes with water, and monitor the amount of time it takes for the water to drain from the holes. If this time is in excess of 2 hours, you may need to look into complimenting a lawn drainage system. Install a Drain
If your lawn drainage tests show signs of poor drainage, installing a drain will assist in properly draining the water under the lawn to one directional point. The key to installing a drainage system is to remember that you must allow for the water to travel from the surface to the drain. As water will always flow to the lowest point, for the drainage system to work adequately, you must find the lowest point of your landscape, preferably away from the home, and install a ditch or a soakaway. To achieve this, all the pipes must slightly descend by at least 10mm for every meter of pipe.
The best way to install a drainage system is to first sketch a plan once you know where your lowest point of the landscape is situated. Dig a trench and lay pipes that are perforated on the top to allow the water to enter freely and be sure to lay the pipes descending to your lowest point.
Place a layer of gravel over the pipes and then fill with back soil. You will find detailed step-by-step instructions in this section on how to install a sufficient drainage system.
Install a Soakaway
A ditch or a soakaway will provide an area for the excess water from the lawn to be drained into one place. The pipes of the drainage system must lead to a soakaway. A soakaway is simply a hole, filled with coarse rubble and stone, where the pipes are led to. A soakaway should be a minimum of five meters away from the home or any habitable structure.
A sufficient drainage system is essential to maintain a manicured landscape. Creating your perfect landscape involves a lot of time and money so it is important to properly care for it. The lawn is the first focal point of any landscape so it must be immaculately maintained. Water drainage is a common problem but can easily be solved with the installation of a drainage system.
