Is Your Landscaping Causing Water Damage?

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

Swale to the rescue!

Landscaping around your home is a beautiful thing! … or is it?!

Yes, indeed it can be beautiful, however, there are some things to consider when landscaping that may have lasting effects on your home.

What many people do not know is that depending on the area, position, and path of your landscaping, there may be factors that are causing water to seep into your home or basement. When bushes or shrubs are too close to the home, it can cause serious leaks from the draining of that tree or plant running into the side of your home.

Some preventative measures to keep your home looking beautiful:

SWALES

A swale is a depression that is created at the bottom of a slope to direct water away from your home when landscaping. Think of this as a trench of sorts. Building a swale into your landscaping is a great way to prevent future water damage. Just be sure that they are allowed in your area and carefully determine the position.

Find more on how to create a swale here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAY5jixv0Gc

RAIN GARDENS

Creating an area in your yard that serves as a place for access water to pool is a great way to minimize damage to your home. For a rain garden, you want to choose the lowest point of your yard and make sure it is at least 10 feet away from your hose. You will want to pick plants that require high moisture levels for this project.

LAY MULCH

Another wonderful and fairly simple way to protect your home is to lay down mulch in your landscaping area. There is, however, a few caveats with this. You want to make sure that you choose a heavy mulch that will obstruct the flow of fast-moving water. Lay the mulch at least 6 inches away from the siding of your home, this will help prevent any rotting on your exterior!

There are other ways to use landscaping to your advantage when it comes to home protection. When planting, use your resources, and of course, if you happen to get any unwanted water in your home, call SERVPRO of Black Hawk County! Happy planting!