Dangerous Property Conditions Due to Erosion

How Landscapers Can Save Money For a Home Owner

Erosion is a serious challenge to overcome and affects every home owner differently. Melting snow in the spring along with rain will usually reveal problem areas of each property. Rain gutters are designed to channel run-off water from the roof away from the main structure, but does not help with any other part of a home owner's property or landlord's apartment complex. Proper grading, landscaping and retaining walls can be the best solution.

Key areas to examine for erosion and potentially expensive or hazardous situations are along driveways, walkways or stairways. Despite gutters directing some of the rain or melting snow away from the building's foundation, the water run-off will follow the easiest and most direct path to lower elevations. Soil underneath the edges of a driveway or stairway being carved out and washed away is a very common occurrence.

Unfortunately many property owners will attempt to backfill the voided area, which in effect is treating the symptom, but not the source of the problem. Proper grading is of major importance when originally developing a parcel of land. Many jurisdictions will place limits on the grading of land in efforts to preserve the nearby ecosystem. In many situations where erosion is a problem, re-grading the land may not be a feasible option. Should this be the case landscaping using retaining walls, plants and trees will often be the best and only solution.

While many property owners are able to perform basic gardening tasks, tackling a large project, such as a retaining wall, is best left to the professional landscaper. There are several reasons for hiring a landscaping company aside from the obvious fact that stones are very heavy and difficult to move into place. Depending upon the size of the retaining wall, the wall will need to be properly reinforced and supported in order to eliminate the potential for toppling over and causing serious injury or death.

There is one trap in which the property owner will usually fall when attempting to correct an erosion problem. Rather than coming at the problem head on and fighting nature, incorporating the natural flow of water and land into the overall landscape design will usually lead to a more inexpensive and better result. Even experienced landscape contractors and builders will fail to recognize this tendency. Of course budget will almost always be a major factor in the options presented to the home owner.

Occasionally, however, working with nature may not be a realistic possibility. While home owners enjoy more freedom of artistic creativity with their own landscaping, commercial properties can be more limiting with the overall design. Relying on the experience and knowledge of an established landscaping company will be necessary in order to minimize the costs of any landscaping installation.

For more information on landscaping, irrigation and property maintenance visit Advanced Irrigation of Albertville, MN. Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

7 Questions You Should Ask About Watering Your Lawn

When it come to taking care of your lawn, there are many factors to be considered. After all, you need to make sure that you choose the right type of grass for your region, to use fertilizers that are healthy for the grass as well as safe for the environment and to keep the blade of your lawn mower sharp and set to the right height. These are just a few of the many jobs that are a part of having a beautiful green lawn.

Of course, once you get your lawn planted and looking beautiful, you have to be sure to water it as often as necessary. So how can you determine the amount of water necessary? There are many options from watering hoses to irrigation systems that can keep your lawn the verdant green that you desire. Here are some common questions regarding watering your lawn.

1. When is the best time to water the lawn? As a general rule, early morning is best.
2. How much and how often should the lawn be watered? Depending on the type of soil you have and the type of grass seed planted this can vary. Many experts say an inch per week. However, as every locale gets a different amount of rain and experience its own unique evaporation and transpiration the amount of water needed can vary
3. Is it necessary to buy a timer? No, but it does make it easier to maintain that your lawn gets watered on a regular basis. You can choose from high-tech or low devices or simply have an irrigation system installed then set the timer accordingly.
4. Is every sprinkler the same? No. Besides the sprinklers that come as part of an irrigation system, you will find many types of sprinkler systems that each have their own special characteristics and features.
5. Are there any alternatives to watering using an irrigation system or sprinkler? Yes. You can also use wetting agents which are either liquids or granular compounds designed to retain water.
6. Is there alternative to the "traditional" lawn that requires less watering? Yes. Some homeowners opt for xeriscaping which is a Greek term meaning "dry scene". It is especially popular in regions of the southwest where landscaping is done by using plants and grasses that are drought tolerant. However, be sure to test a small area of your lawn to see what type of wetting agent is best for your region.
7. What about a yard that slope? What is the best way to water it? Depending on the angle, this can be a special challenge; however, a sprinkler set on a timer is typically the best method. To get even saturation, divide your slope into sections then set the irrigation system to run in multiple cycles at shorter intervals.

Learn more about irrigation and sprinkler systems by visiting Advanced Irrigation of Minnesota. Article independently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.