Landscaping: 4 Ways to Prevent Flooding

4/26/2020 (Permalink)

Four Landscaping Options to Divert Water Away From Your Home

When you take pride in your Bal Harbour, FL, home, you make sure you have a quarterly checklist to keeping Mother Nature from damaging your home. When it comes to outside flooding coming inside from a rain storm, keeping gutters, downspouts, and drains clear is necessary. Along with general maintenance, adding some curb appeal can also prevent water from entering your home. Below are four landscaping options to divert water away from your home.

1. Rain Gardens
An eco-friendly and relatively easy rain drainage option is a rain garden. A flower bed in the right place provides an outlet for water to pool during the storm while slowly absorbing into the soil. These should be located a minimum of 10 feet from the home and where runoff typically flows to.
2. Swales
These are simply a way to redirect drainage via a depression in the landscaping. They can be used to lead water to rain gardens or other areas that drain well. They are designed to naturally contour around a slope and can be complemented with rocks, grasses and shrubs.
3. Pervious Paving
While sprucing up the patio or creating a boardwalk, using porous paving materials can keep water from pooling. They have tiny gaps that allow water to seep through and drain into a gravel layer below. Typical options include pavers, porous concrete and plastic grids. All have their own aesthetic, allowing for personalization while providing a drainage solution.
4. Mulch
Keeping outside flooding at bay may just mean sprucing up existing areas around the home. If bare soil is visible around the house, it may no longer be able to absorb much water. Adding a thick mulch, which comes in many colors, can help absorb storm runoff.
If outside flooding issues aren’t taken care of, your home can very quickly develop water issues that require extensive repairs from a water remediation and restoration provider. By doing a little sprucing up outside, you can protect your house while giving it added appeal.