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Proper drainage is necessary to keep your yard healthy. Drainage problems can escalate to health issues such as mold, which can grow virtually on any substance when moisture is present, and mosquitoes, which breed and carry many diseases including the West Nile Virus. Most drainage issues can be eliminated by placing drain basins in problem areas and hard pipe the drainage to the street. We do not recommend "French drains" because the concept is to add a perforated pipe into a trench and cover it with sand or gravel to facilitate the water away from the area and into the soil. These do not work very well in our area since our soil is clay and the water does not have anywhere to dissipate to. The use of a drain basin and hard pipe to the street takes the water directly off the yard. We also tie in the downspouts from the home into the system to take even more water off the yard.
A downspout tied into the hard pipe takes more water away from the yard
How to Prevent Moisture Problems Moisture, and therefore mildew, can be controlled to a degree by arranging landscaping so that natural breezes can flow near the house and dry the siding if it becomes wet from rain or dew. Keep shrubs away from the walls. Gutters and downspouts, as well as a moderate roof overhang, will help. Give special attention to air movement patterns on northern exposures where sunlight cannot assist in drying. On sidings which may have a tendency to absorb moisture from rain or dew, a semi-gloss or gloss latex or oil paint with an appropriate primer is recommended. When wood siding is stained or left to weather naturally, use a water-repellent (often combined with a wood preservative) finish. These products are available in hardware/paint stores.
Contact Information
Telephone:
P.O. Box 591449
General Information and Sales:
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