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Our Quality Drainage Systems
Here is a little bit of our philosophy on building drainage systems. This philosophy is based on years of experience seeing first hand what works and what does not work.
01
No Corrugated Tubing
Corrugated tubing is cheap and easy to use which makes it the go to product for most landscapers. It does have several drawbacks however. It does not have the same flow characteristics as smooth PVC pipe of the same size. It also clogs with debris much easier. It cannot be cleaned out with a sewer snake as easily as PVC and it is more prone to settling with the soil and creating low spots that later fill with sediment to create clogs. The only exception is using corrugated pipe to connect your gutters to the PVC pipe underground. It's flexibility makes it the only good option for this application. PVC is slightly more expensive, but your drain system may last twice as long.
02
No Pop-Up Drains
Pop-Up drains are another landscaper's favorite because they are quick, easy to install, cheap, and best of all the customer has no idea that they will be a maintenance nightmare! They quickly clog with sediment and have to be cleaned out regularly. That is if you can find them because your grass will grow over them and then you will never see them again. You will, however, always know they are still there because of that constant soggy spot in your lawn.
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A drain system should allow water to flow as freely as possible and choke points like Pop-Up drains inhibit water flow. We recommend going straight through the curb if possible or creating a spillway or simply having an open pipe for water to run out of. This will mean less maintenance and less chance your drain system will clog in the middle of that big spring storm.
03
Use Atrium Grates
Atrium grates are rounded instead of flat like most drain grates. Leaves and grocery sacks are a flat grate's number one enemy. They can collect on top of a drain rendering it useless. Atrium grates are different however. Due to their 3D design leaves and other debris collect around the base, but they generally will not work their way up on top of the grate to clog it.
A Bonus Word of Advice
Standard procedure for many landscapers is to quickly dig a trench and throw down some corrugated pipe and a few basins. Then they cover it up and ask for a check. If the customer asks to see it work it will work fine.....for a while. At least until he can cash his check. You see, what happens is the careless contractor will not make sure that the whole run is all downhill and that there are not any low spots along the way. If there is a 2" dip somewhere along the line in a year or two that dip will fill with silt and reduce the flow by 1/2. That will probably mean the customer will end up having to hire another contractor to come in and redo the whole system. This is why it is best to leave the corrugated pipe behind. There are better options.
