If your Kensington MD property suffers from drainage and erosion control problems, there are a multitude of solutions available. The first question though, is how do you know? There are a number of signs, including:
- “Squishy Yard Syndrome,” which keeps your ground soggy for days after a thunderstorm
- Evidence of soil buildup at the bottoms of hills, on driveways, patios and walkways, especially after rains
- Streams of running water at various points around your property during a thunderstorm
- Constantly having to replace mulch, because it keeps getting washed away
- Standing water on your patio, driveway, and/or sidewalks
- Cracks in basement walls or foundation
- Water leaking into your basement
Once you know what to look for, the next logical question is why does it matter? The answer lies in the last two items on the list above.
Cracks in basement walls or your foundation are extremely worrisome and if left unchecked, will only get worse with time. Eventually, you’ll be facing extensive, expensive repairs. That’s not something you want, and that’s not something we want for you.
We’ve been proudly serving the area since 1997, and over the years, we’ve solved Kensington MD drainage and erosion control issues of all shapes and sizes for hundreds of clients, and we’d be happy to make your issue a thing of the past.
To do that, the first thing we’ll need to do is come to your property and assess the severity of your Kensington MD drainage and erosion control issues. In some cases, the solution might be as simple as strategically planting the right kind of ground cover.
Where that’s concerned, there are tons of great options, so it mostly comes down to what direction your tastes and preferences run to. Broadly speaking, there are three basic options: Shrubs, colorful creepers, or ferns. Here are a few possibilities to consider in each category:
Shrubs
- Elderberry
- Silky Dogwood
- Ninebark
- Or Red or Black Chokeberry
Colorful Creepers
- Joe Pye Weed
- Violets
- Woodland Phlox
- White Wood Aster
- Virginia Bluebells
- Or Great Blue Lobelia
Ferns
- Royal Fern
- Wood Fern
- Lady Fern
- Cinnamon Fern
- Or Christmas Fern
It’s awesome when we can solve your Kensington MD drainage and erosion control issues with something as simple as well-placed ground cover, but it doesn’t always work out like that. Sometimes, something more is needed.
Not to worry. There are plenty of other things we can do. The next step up from a simple ground cover solution is a strategically placed retaining wall. They’re so common in this part of the country that your eye probably just passes right over them without noticing, but if you start looking for them specifically, you’ll see them just about everywhere.
They do two important things for you. First and most obvious to the eye is the fact that they prevent soil erosion by serving as a physical barrier that prevents it from moving downhill. Second, and somewhat less obvious, the presence of the wall itself serves to redirect water so that it’s not running down straight to your house, where it can damage your foundation.
Sometimes though, even that’s not enough to completely solve your Kensington MD drainage and erosion control problems. As good as retaining walls are, they’re even better when working in tandem with some kind of drainage system.
Generally speaking, drainage systems come in two flavors: aboveground and below ground. Both work the same way, which is to say that they collect water and shunt it to a safe location in your property, well away from anything it could potentially damage.
Whatever the severity of your issue is, a survey and assessment of your property is the first step. Once we’ve got a good handle on the scope and scale of the problem, we can make recommendations about how best to fix it and gain an understanding of your preferences where ground cover is concerned.
Armed with that information, we can develop a detailed project plan that includes a no-obligation estimate so you know exactly how much it will cost to fix your drainage and erosion control problems. Assuming you’re comfortable with everything, we can put the plan into action and before you know it, those problems will be a thing of the past.
Most people have a long list of landscaping they’d like to do to improve the aesthetic of their property. Fixing these kinds of problems definitely falls into the category of “must have” rather than “like to have,” but if you’re planning to have that kind of work done, it’s worth mentioning that there’s tremendous value to take the opportunity to have a master landscaping design document drafted.
This document captures all your landscaping goals and puts them under a single umbrella. The unfortunate reality is that most people can’t afford to do all the landscaping they’d like to do in one go. The master design document allows you to sub-divide your wish list into bite-sized projects that can be prioritized and tackled incrementally. Its true value lies in the fact that it ensures that when the last piece of the landscaping puzzle falls into place, all the elements hang together to create a cohesive whole.
While fixing drainage and erosion control problems definitely tops the list, you’ll want to make sure that any future landscaping work you do blends seamlessly with the work you’ve already had done, and we can help with that too! Give us a call when you’re ready to begin. You’ll be very glad you did.
