As many homeowners know, the weather has a major impact on the structural integrity of your property. Rain, snow, and wind are just a few of the elements that can cause issues ranging from flooding to breakage. While you can’t plan for every weather event, you can prepare for the common experiences expected in the Nashville area, including snow and ice in the winter and rainfall the rest of the year.

How Does Winter Affect Landscape Drainage?

When the temperatures turn cold, the snow and ice that are likely to visit can wreak havoc on your residential landscape drainage systems. A crack in a French drain pipe can widen as ice expands in the gap, which leads to a malfunction in the drain once the temperatures warm up. The excess weight of snow and ice can stress the structural integrity of buildings, walls, and other aspects of your home.

With the approach of winter, snow and ice appear and melt intermittently—all that water has to go somewhere. When snow quickly melts, the sudden increase in water can strain your yard’s drainage solutions, especially if they’re older. The material or layout may be unable to handle the increased volume of fluid, leading to massive puddles of water that create unstable and unsightly ground. Near your foundation, risk of basement floods or stability issues increases when the ground is saturated with snow melt. Plus, any melted snow that creates saturated areas may re-freeze overnight when temperatures dip down, creating a hazard for you and your family the next morning.

If you haven’t performed regular maintenance, landscape drainage solutions could have blockages that cause a backup of moisture. Twigs, leaves, and debris from autumn could clog up the PVC piping underneath the ground, especially if it wasn’t professionally installed in a manner to prevent buildup.

In fact, if the drains were not installed properly, a host of issues could plague your property year-round and not just during the cold season. Heavy rains in the summer could amount to further deterioration of your yard and property, including erosion of the ground. With the uptick in property sales and purchases, many people are living in homes that may not have a clear history, which can lead to unexpected issues such as broken pipes. If it’s your first winter in your new home, you won’t know for certain how your property will handle the change in seasons. Even if things appear to be well maintained at a surface level, there’s no telling what’s going on below.

Greenway can help prevent this through a number of approaches. Drainage landscaping done correctly is an impactful way to prevent moisture-related damage to your landscape and home. There are several options available depending on the unique needs of your land.

A common way of handling excess water in your landscape is with a French drain. This is a pipe that is set deep within a trench and covered by gravel, allowing water to seep down from the surface and be guided away, preventing it from standing in one spot. Installing a French drain is far from simple—it takes precise calculation to set it deep enough, angle it correctly to guide the water somewhere it won’t collect, and ensure it stays structurally sound over time. This labor may include the need for heavy machinery as a method of digging the trench. Choosing the right type of material, including the makeup and size of the pipe, may mean the difference between a drain that functions effectively and one that’s a waste of money.

Another option is a retaining wall. This prevents the ground from eroding or washing away. Often combined with a French drain, it helps prevent distortion of your yard over time. Just as with the French drain alone, designing and implementing a retaining wall is complicated. Considerations must be made for the height, material, and positioning of the wall so that it helps maintain your yard for years to come.

Some properties can utilize a simpler option known as a swale. Swales are gentle slopes that are subtle enough they may not be noticed, but they are angled to allow water to roll away instead of sitting still. While less complicated than a retaining wall or French drain, creating an appropriate swale still requires experience and thoughtful planning, otherwise you swap one problem for another.

In some cases, a combination of these approaches may be appropriate depending on the topography of your land. By partnering with expert contractors like those at Greenway of Nashville, you’ll be able to accurately determine which landscaping water drainage solution will keep your home and yard in great condition, no matter the weather or time of year.

Can Cold Weather Affect Drains?

When it comes to environments impacted by cold weather, drainage systems can be affected in different ways.

French drains will need to be placed deep enough that they are below the frost line; if the drains are too shallow and the ground freezes, the water in the drain will turn to ice and remain blocked. As surface snow melts but the deeper drain remains frozen, it will render the drain useless, and flooding will ensue. If a drain has to be placed closer to the surface for any reason, insulating the pipe may be necessary. Getting a drain far enough into the ground typically requires high amounts of manual labor or equipment capable of excavating enough ground, along with the expertise to avoid disrupting roots or cables.

Areas prone to prolonged or severe colder temperatures may need drainage piping installed at a steeper angle. The steeper the angle, the faster water flows, and the less time it spends in one spot. Increased velocity of flow will decrease the likelihood of the water in the drain freezing.

Installation of a dry well at the end point of the French drain piping may also help when large volumes of snowmelt begin to flow. This creates an underground collection area that helps to disperse the fluid more easily. A dry well is a form of container or drum that holds the water and controls its release into the surrounding earth to prevent oversaturation.

The type of material the French drain is made from will also play a role in its hardiness against winter. While corrugated pipes may be cheaper and more flexible, they’re also more likely to clog and less durable. PVC pipe (polyvinyl chloride pipe) is a superior option, as it can better withstand the seasons for a longer period of time. It’s far more durable, less likely to clog, and more efficient at allowing drainage to flow. The professionals at Greenway only use PVC for their projects so that their customers are left with a product that will stand the test of time and weather.

“Work with skilled Nashville hardscaping and outdoor construction professionals who understand your vision and respect your schedule. Contact us for a free quote!”

Protect Your Drains and Yard from Cold Conditions

It can be overwhelming trying to determine how to best protect your home and property from damage and to ensure your winter is filled with enjoyment instead of dread.

Greenway of Nashville has the experience to evaluate existing drainage systems, ensure they’re functioning properly, and install new ones if your existing ones aren’t repairable. If you don’t have a residential drainage solution, Greenway is happy to help you protect your property by evaluating your landscape recommending the appropriate solutions, and installing drainage solutions with guaranteed success.

At Greenway of Nashville, we ensure proper drainage solutions are implemented correctly the first time, so you don’t have to deal with unsightly and dangerous recurring wet spots in your yard.

Our mission is simple: to provide high quality exterior work that our clients across Nashville can both enjoy and depend upon. Give us a call at (615) 238-4574, or complete our form so we can schedule a free, no-obligation onsite visit.

Read more content related to:

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• The Benefits of a Retaining Wall for Your Property