Patios and outdoor entertaining areas can offer a lot of benefits, including increasing property value and making your backyard practical for entertaining friends and family. Usually, these spaces are relatively flat which means drainage is essential to prevent pooling water. Stormwater management is key to keeping the area usable year-round and preventing flooding, which can cause future issues.
Stormwater Management for Backyard Entertaining Areas
There are a variety of drainage solutions options for your patio area or outdoor entertaining area. These solutions can be completely customized to your needs and aesthetics.
Trench Drains
Trench drainage are the ideal solution as they are versatile and efficient in draining stormwater away from the area. Trench drains can be customized with aesthetic gratings or with a slot style grate for seamless aesthetics. Channel drains are the foundation for any efficient drainage systems, and are perfect for yard, patio, driveways, walkways or outdoor entertaining areas. Options for customizing trench drain solutions include sizes, gratings, features and even curves.
Perimeter Drainage or Point Drainage
Perimeter drains will drain water from the central area of your area to the edge and drain it into your sewer or other wastewater system. This may not be an efficient solution for someone retrofitting drains, as the slope of the area needs to be correct for water to run toward the drain.
Similarly, point drainage draws water to the centre of your area, or another point in the patio. In most cases, point drainage is more inexpensive as you use fewer grates. The slope of the area will need to be graded correctly.
Sufficient Gutters and Downspouts
To avoid standing water and pooling issues, your home must have a proper gutter and downspout system. Gutters keep precipitation from ponding against your foundation, as well as keeping water from damaging roof sections and other vulnerable parts of your property.
Maintenance is vital and should be done at least once a year to avoid blockages.
Why is water management important?
Outdoor areas and patios are often build close or right next to your home, so drainage issues that lead to ponding will directly impact the foundations of your home. This can cause lasting, costly damage. Water management for all areas of your property, including driveway drainage, is critical for safety and longevity of your home.
It can be costly to repair drainage issues in outdoor spaces, so ensure your chosen solution is durable and installed correctly.