Protect Your Home From Storm Damage With Landscaping

5/30/2022 (Permalink)

Avoid Storm Damage by Following our Tips.

Heavy rainfall can lead to outside flooding and standing water indoors if your Cedar City, UT, yard is not adequately landscaped. It doesn't take much water indoors to do a lot of severe damage.

Therefore, it's essential to ensure that rain can drain away from your house to flow to a better location. There are several relatively simple ways to protect your home and its contents from stormwater runoff.

Ways To Prevent Indoor Water Damage From Stormwater Runoff

1. Install an Ecoroof

Roofs are the most significant contributor to rainstorm runoff, but green roofs significantly reduce this drainage. Home and other building owners have been using green roofs for years, but they haven't become prevalent yet. However, these roofs are becoming increasingly popular because they are now more affordable and easier to install.

Over the years, owners of eco-friendly roofs have found that the green cover on their flat or slightly sloping roof preserves the roof's life. It also reduces energy costs by better insulating the home.

2. Develop Driveway Drainage

If you have a concrete or asphalt driveway, you can add rain drainage to either or both sides of the driveway. You can also consider constructing a driveway of a different material, such as gravel, that allows for easier drainage.

3. Redirect Rainwater With a Swale

A swale is a natural or man-made depression in the ground that directs water flow. When landscaping, you should ensure that the excess water is directed appropriately somewhere safe with a high tolerance for moisture. Swales can work even better when you slow the water's drainage path. This can be done by planting deep-rooting plants on the inclines and covering the lowest point of the depression with rocks.

Restricting the draining water will prevent outside flooding.

4. Spread Heavy Mulch

Mulch can cause problems when it spreads by clogging drains, and it can be an annoyance to clean up. Standard mulch chips are easily spread by heavy rains as the water pools. Hardwood mulches are typically heavier than others and are better at staying in place. You can also get man-made types of mulch that can be helpful.

5. Create a Rain Garden

A rain garden provides a place for rainwater to pool when it rains heavily and then slowly drain back into the soil. A typical rain garden is between 50 and 100 square feet. A well-performing rain garden will have plants in the middle that can best tolerate remaining submerged in wet soil. Plants located around the edges will not hold as much water as those in the middle. It's also best to use native plants to create the most low-maintenance version of a rain garden.

6. Redirect Your Rain Spouts

Install downspout diverters to redirect rainwater from your home's gutters to lower ground. Correctly positioning these diverters will prevent water from pooling around the perimeter of your home, which ultimately leads to the need for the services of a water damage restoration company.

Outside flooding issues at your home can soon lead to major indoor moisture problems such as structural damage or mold growth. Keep your property protected by implementing these rain drainage solutions.