Do You Have A Drainage Problem?

Many home owners do not realize how important yard drainage is until they run into a problem. Properly installed drainage prevents water from pooling, whether it's on your lawn, or under your pavement and foundation. Once water begins to affect these areas you may be in for cracks in your foundation. Standing water in your yard will leave your lawn susceptible to disease and give mosquitoes ample breeding ground. Excess water stunts plant growth and increases plant damage from freezing in winter months. Prevent costly repairs to your home and landscaping by addressing your property's drainage needs today.

There are two types of drainage and they are both equally important in keeping your lawn and home safe. Surface drainage is the pathway water takes naturally through surface grates, gutters, downspouts, French and exposed drains. Subsurface drains are drains and pipes in your lawn that remove excess water underground.

Do you have a drainage problem? One way to tell is if you have standing water in your yard after a rain or watering. Maybe your plants are yellowing. Perhaps the earth around your foundation is receding. Do you have a waterfall gushing off of your roof when it rains? Don't ignore your roof's gutters, they also aid in channeling water into a safe areas around your home. Clogged gutters can result in water ending up in all the wrong places, ruining your landscaping.

If you would like your current drainage system assessed or if you need a drainage system installed, contact Houston area Laird Landscaping for assistance.

How Well Do You Know Your Sprinkler System?

Do your sprinklers hit the sidewalk, street, or driveway? What time of day do you water your lawn? If you have a sprinkler system, does it turn off on rainy days?

These are all questions you should ask yourself when looking at your current sprinkler system. You could be wasting hundreds of gallons of precious water every day by not knowing the answers to these questions.

Despite having cooler temperatures and a rainy summer, long term predictions point to more challenging summers ahead for Houston, Texas. This is a prime example of why we should all try to conserve water when possible.

Here are a few tips to help us all conserve water:

• Install a rain sensor to prevent your sprinkler system from working on rainy days.
• When water runoff occurs, try watering your lawn in two or more separate increments with a half hour in between to allow the water to soak in. 
• When water hits areas that you didn’t intend to water, like the driveway or street, turning sprinkler heads or reducing the water pressure can sometimes help. Moving sprinkler heads is also an option. 
• If you have yellow or brown spots on your lawn, this is typically a sign that the area is not receiving enough water (or you have an unnecessarily friendly neighborhood dog). This is another situation where the sprinkler heads need to be moved or additional sprinkler heads should be installed. Extending watering time in these situations is not recommended. 
• Patches of grass that are greener than the rest can be a tell tail sign of an underground leak.

Having a well maintained sprinkler system will not only keep your lawn looking beautiful, it will also help the environment. You can lower your water bill and aid in Houston’s water conservation, simultaneously. Call Houston area Laird Landscaping for assistance with any of your sprinkler system needs. Does your lawn lack a sprinkler system altogether? We can help with that too!