You rely on your home’s Denver sprinkler system to keep your lawn in good condition. But sometimes, all that water can do more harm than good. When this happens, your lawn will show signs of root rot and won’t be able to grow to its full potential. Though it can be an issue with your sprinkler system that’s causing the excess water buildup in your soil, that’s not usually the case. Often, it’s due to bad drainage on your property. Without proper drainage, your yard can’t get rid of excess water easily. Luckily, bad drainage is easy to spot if you just know what to look for. Here are some of the most common warning signs.Â
Pooling Water Around Downspouts
Your home’s gutters are designed to funnel excess water from the roof away from your home. When they’re working properly, all that water should flow away from your home’s foundation and toward a designated drainage area. But if you have drainage issues, you’ll notice puddles and pools of water collecting around the base of your gutter system’s downspouts. That water can lead to fungus growth and root rot around your landscaping as well as increase the risk of foundation problems around your house. You’ll need to call your roofer to get the gutters fixed to deal with this type of drainage issue.
Soggy Patches in the Grass
Poor drainage doesn’t always show up in obvious places. Sometimes, it surprises you when you’re walking across the lawn in the form of a soggy and slushy spot in the grass. Take a walk around your yard and pay attention to the way the grass feels under your feet. If it’s sturdy and doesn’t leave your shoes soaked between watering sessions, you’re likely in good shape. But if you notice a squelching sound with every step or end up stepping into a puddle in the middle of the yard, you have a drainage issue. The best thing you can do is contact your local landscaping pro and get them to take a look at your lawn. They may be able to add drains around your yard to reduce the amount of buildup you see.
Your Foundation is Becoming More Visible
Your home’s foundation is one of the most important structural elements of the house. Under normal conditions, it’s partially underground and often gets covered up by your landscaping. But if you have drainage issues in your yard, the soil around your foundation can start to wear or erode away. When this happens, you’ll notice the foundation itself becoming more visible on the outside of your home. Over time, your foundation can start to absorb water and weaken. When this happens, you’ll see an increase in cracks along the exterior, elevated moisture levels indoors, and possibly even mold growth inside.Â
Consistently Wet Walkways
You know what your walkways look like immediately after the sprinkler system kicks on. They’re likely wet, especially along the edges that border your lawn. After a few hours, the water they absorb should dry. If you notice that parts of your walkways take an extremely long time to dry or are almost always damp, you likely have bad drainage in your yard. Even if your lawn is in otherwise good condition, you’ll want to get this fixed as soon as possible. Letting your walkways stay wet encourages the concrete or pavement to break down quickly. This results in costly repairs and could force you to redo your driveway or sidewalks far sooner than you otherwise should need to.
Warped Floors
Believe it or not, poor drainage in your yard doesn’t just impact the health of your landscaping. It can also creep into other areas of your home. Over time, this excess moisture can cause the floors inside your home to bow or warp. While it’s not necessarily a safety issue, it can make your home feel like a funhouse. If it’s addressed quickly enough, you may be able to save the floors themselves. But if you leave it to sit too long, that warp could end up being permanent. This could force you to have to replace your flooring, costing you hundreds of dollars that you otherwise shouldn’t have to spend.Â
Topsoil Moves After Rainfall
When your yard has proper drainage, rainfall soaks into the soil and hydrates your landscaping. This helps you save money on your watering bill, but it also helps keep your garden beds in good shape. When you have poor drainage in your yard, you’ll likely notice piles of soil, mulch, and dirt collecting on your walkways or even on your lawn. That’s because it floats away on the water that doesn’t soak into the ground. Soil erosion can be a serious problem if you let it continue for too long. Over time, the roots of your plants will get exposed and will become more susceptible to the weather, pests, and plant diseases. Getting your drainage issues fixed will help preserve the life of your garden beds as well as the lawn itself.
The Best Thing You Can Do Is Check
When it comes to monitoring your yard’s drainage, preventative maintenance is key. Check your yard a few days after every major rain storm and be mindful of the way your walkways look every day. If you notice any of these signs, take the next step and get the damage repaired as quickly as you can. The sooner you get your bad drainage fixed, the healthier your plants will be.If you think your drainage issue is due to a flaw in your home’s sprinkler system, don’t ignore it. Contact the team at Water Solutions Sprinkler Service as soon as possible. We’ll inspect your system for any signs of leaks and loose connections that could be contributing to the water buildup in your yard.
If we find any damage, we’ll help you make sure the problem gets fixed once and for all. Remember, you should be able to rely on your sprinkler system to keep your lawn lush without worrying about puddles and mud throughout your yard.Â
As a homeowner, you have to deal with utility bills every month. While most people know their average electric bill off the top of their head, they typically don’t think about how much they pay for water every month. For most families, this amount comes to about $70 each month. But when you’re in the middle of the growing season, that number can be significantly higher. The best thing you can do is try to lower your water bill whenever possible. Here are a few simple tips from you Denver sprinkler pros to help you save water without hurting your landscaping.
Invest in a Sprinkler System
If you don’t already have a sprinkler system, the best thing you can do for your home is to get a system installed. Sprinklers distribute enough water to keep your lawn happy and healthy without wasting a drop. The spray covers a larger area than you can by hand-watering and only turns on when it can do the most good for your plants. Even better, modern sprinkler systems have built-in rain sensors that keep the system from running when the soil is already wet. The less it has to run, the more water you’ll save.
Â
Watch for Puddles
Even the most well-maintained sprinkler system can develop a leak. And when it does, you’re going to be wasting water every day. The longer that leak goes on, the more money you’ll shell out on your water bill. Take a look at your lawn and check for puddles or soft spots between watering. If you notice anything that looks out of place, call your sprinkler repair team and get them to inspect your system as soon as possible.Â
Don’t Overwater
If your sprinkler system is watering your lawn and landscaping, it should be giving your plants all the water they need to grow well. This means you won’t need to water them after the system cuts off unless they’re outside the spray pattern. Overwatering isn’t just bad for your utility bill—it’s bad for your plants, too. Frequent overwatering can cause the roots of your plants to develop root rot and mold. This can eventually cause those plants to underproduce new growth or die outright.
Â
Collect Rainwater
In Colorado, you’re legally allowed to collect up to 110 gallons of rainwater to use in your garden or on your landscaping. Use this to your advantage! Set up rainwater collection barrels around your downspouts and collect the runoff that hits your roof. The more water you collect, the less you’ll have to pay for to keep your flower beds and landscaping looking pristine. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t ever feel like you can rely on your rain barrels alone. There’s no guarantee that Colorado springs and summers will get tons of rain in the first place. Keep your sprinkler system tuned up and ready to go just in case.
Â
Plant the Right Plants
It should come as no surprise that some plants need more water than others. In most cases, these plants will be ones meant to grow in wetter and more humid climates. Instead of filling your landscape with those extra-thirsty plants, consider choosing drought-tolerant or native plants. These will be able to thrive even during dry periods and will require far less water than other plants. If you’re not sure which plants to incorporate and which to avoid, contact your landscaping pro and ask for advice.
Invest in Mulch
We've mentioned mulch quite a bit in the past and for good reason: it helps set your garden beds up for successful growing seasons quickly and easily. But that’s not all it does. It also helps keep the soil moist so you can skip watering more frequently without causing your plants to fail. Even better, it insulates the roots from extreme weather, keeping the soil cooked in summer. This helps you reduce the amount of water you need to use by reducing the amount of moisture evaporating as the soil heats up. All you need is a thin layer spread evenly over your garden bed.
Â
Decrease the Size of Your Lawn
If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners’ association, you may not have this option. But if you’re able to do whatever you feel like to your home’s exterior, it may be best to decrease the size of your lawn. Grass needs a lot of water to grow in Colorado. Depending on the size of your lawn, this could cost you hundreds of gallons each year. By decreasing the size of your lawn even by just a few cubic feet, you can dramatically decrease the amount of water you need to keep your grass hydrated. You can get creative with it. Add gravel to create a unique hardscape design, plant native Colorado grasses to create a decorative border, or even plant trees to add privacy and value to your home. The only limit is your imagination.
Â
Let Your Grass Get a Bit Taller
The shorter you mow your lawn, the more the sun can dry out the soil. When this happens, you’ll find yourself needing to water more often, increasing your home’s overall water consumption. Instead of cutting your grass as short as you possibly can to reduce the amount of time you spend mowing each month, let it grow a little taller. This will let the grass blades shade the soil, keeping it from drying out quickly. While you may have to mow a little more frequently, you’ll end up spending far less on your water bill month after month.
Â
Try These Tips for Yourself
Saving money is always a priority and cutting down your home’s water consumption is one of the best ways to do it. Even better, you’ll reduce your home’s environmental impact over time. These tips are just a starting point, but they should be enough to help you lower your bills and keep your landscaping looking great during the growing season. Just make sure to get your sprinkler system tuned up and ready to go for the upcoming growing season now.
For homeowners, landscaping can make or break the way your home looks. This is true whether you plant exotic flowers in garden beds or build a design with native plants and grasses. No matter what types of plants you choose, you’ll always have to keep them properly watered. Unless you enjoy spending hours hand-watering your entire yard and lawn, you’ll want to think about working with a Denver sprinkler installation team to make watering simple. Before you start thinking about your options, ask yourself these important questions.Â
Â
What do you want to achieve with the sprinkler system?
Sprinklers are a great option for yards of any size, but they’re not always the best system for every type of landscaping. Think about what you’re hoping to do with a new sprinkler system. Are you looking to make watering your lawn something you never have to think about or do you want the system to water your garden beds? Remember, most flower beds do best with different types of irrigation systems. But your lawn can and will benefit from the type of watering an automatic sprinkler system provides.
If you’re looking for a way to irrigate your flower and garden beds, you can always combine different methods for those beds. Keep in mind that trying to use a system like a drip irrigation for your lawn is NEVER a good idea. The constant soaking of the soil can lead to root rot in your turf, putting your entire lawn at risk. If you have existing drip irrigation lines close to your lawn, let your sprinkler installation team know. They may want to remove those lines before installing your new sprinkler system.
Â
Do you have someone who can install it for you?
Installing a sprinkler system isn’t something the average DIYer or even an experienced handyman can do. It takes a lot of experience and knowledge to know where to install the system, run the water lines, and make sure everything is up to par. Installing it on your own is a great way to accidentally destroy your lawn and landscaping.
Get estimates from multiple companies and take the time to get to know the contractors you’re thinking of working with. The best companies are fully licensed and insured and always stand by their work. Remember, the last thing you want is for a company to install the system incorrectly and refuse to pay for the damage they caused.
Â
What’s the warranty like on the system?
Different manufacturers offer different warranties on their sprinkler systems. This means that you’ll want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of each system you’re considering for your home. Ask your sprinkler installation pro to explain each warranty. As a general rule, you want a warranty that also covers the cost of parts and labor. Without those, you’ll still have a high price to pay for any repairs, even if they’re caused by faults in the sprinkler system itself.
You can also ask about the manufacturers they trust and recommend most. Remember, your installation and repair team has worked with different brands in the past. They know which companies honor the warranty easily and which ones can be tough to work with. When in doubt, listen to their recommendations.
Â
What do the designs look like?
Installing a sprinkler system takes time and planning. Without a firm design in place, you may not get sprinkler heads placed where they’ll do the most good. This can end up causing part of your yard to consistently stay underwatered while other parts get more water than they need.
Before you agree to the installation, don’t hesitate to ask about the designs. Reputable contractors will happily walk you through the system and explain why they’re planning to install the system that specific way. They should also have a plan for your control panel.
Remember, if your control panel isn’t easy to access, it will be hard for you to set up your automatic sprinkler system or change the programming as needed. If you’re hesitant about anything, from the placement to the design itself, say so before you start the installation. Your contractor may be able to make adjustments or can explain why the layout is the best choice for your yard.
Â
Does it have a rain sensor?
We may not get a lot of rain in Denver, but it’s enough to make watering your lawn unnecessary at times. If you run your sprinklers as normal after a heavy storm, you’ll end up making the lawn soggy at best. Before you commit to a particular system, make sure it has a rain sensor.
The rain sensor monitors moisture levels in the soil. After heavy rains, it sends a signal to your control panel to cancel the scheduled watering time for that day. Once the soil dries out, it will resume the watering cycle as normal. Without the rain sensor, it’s up to you to manually adjust your programming.Â
Â
Is an automatic system the best choice for you?
Ultimately, people want different things in their yards and landscaping. The same holds for their irrigation systems. Think about what you want out of your system and make your decision accordingly. Keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong answer and installing an automatic sprinkler system is an investment. However, it adds value to your property and makes caring for your landscaping far easier and more pleasant.
If you’re not sure it’s the right time, don’t rush to a decision. Weigh your options, think about your budget, and wait to install the system until you’re ready. The last thing you should have to deal with is feeling like you installed something you won’t use.
If you’re ready to learn more about an automatic sprinkler system or know it’s time to make the upgrade at your home, don’t put it off. Contact Water Solutions Sprinkler Service and let our team help you find the right system for your yard.
Â
Â
June 2, 2021
May 10, 2021