What is Land Grading and Why is it Important?
Land grading is the leveling of land by either spreading out dirt or adding in more dirt to create an even surface – it is also one of the most important components of a construction project.
Once the land is cleared, this intrinsic step must take place as it helps prevent possible future damage caused by water drainage issues and erosion. It is important to remember, as well, that even if your property is already built, we can still work to ensure these issues don’t occur.
Solving Drainage Issues
Most times when construction is taking place, the ground is not a level surface throughout. Therefore, the land must be graded correctly in order to ensure that water will be channelled away from the building or structure – after all, you wouldn’t want your basement flooding, would you?
A proper team, like the proficient group at Osborne Construction, will ensure that the area is properly marked out and that proper drainage channels are created. This ensures that in the future when heavy rainfall occurs, the water will flow away from your structure, as opposed to pooling within or around it.
TYPES OF DRAINAGE PATTERNS
Most drainage types can be recognized by two different patterns; ‘Rear to Front Drainage’ and what’s known as ‘Split Drainage.’ For split drainage builds, the front of the property is drained to the municipal road in front of the property whereas the rear of the lot is drained towards the rear of the property. A portion of the rear drainage will naturally enter onto neighboring properties that use rear to front drainage. Please note that rear to front drainage lots will handle larger volumes of water due to flows from neighboring lots.
Apron Swales:
Typically 3 to 5 meters from the back wall of the house on the lot. This swale runs parallel to the back wall of the house across the width of the property and connects to the side yard swales to direct water to the road.
Sheet Drainage:
All lot surfaces are designed and constructed to water in a particular direction away from the house which in known as the slope or grade. Sheet drainage allows for rainwater to flow to a lower elevation with the ground absorbing some of the rainwater as it flows. This is also know as infiltration.
Sheet Drainage:
All lot surfaces are designed and constructed to water in a particular direction away from the house which in known as the slope or grade. Sheet drainage allows for rainwater to flow to a lower elevation with the ground absorbing some of the rainwater as it flows. This is also know as infiltration.
Connected Swales:
For urban subdivisions the lot sheet drainage is mostly directed to swales on the common property line. A swale is a “V” shaped channel in the ground that connects the sheet drainage flows and efficiently directs water to an appropriate outlet, whether that be a public road or other infrastructures.
Eavestroughs and Downspouts:
Rainwater and melted snow falling onto the roof of a home is collected by eavestroughs and directed to the ground directed by downspouts. Downspouts may be connected into the storm sewer or may drain directly onto the property. If downspouts are not connected to the storm sewer, they should run into an extension pipe and/or splash pad to keep water moving away from home.
Eavestroughs and Downspouts:
Rainwater and melted snow falling onto the roof of a home is collected by eavestroughs and directed to the ground directed by downspouts. Downspouts may be connected into the storm sewer or may drain directly onto the property. If downspouts are not connected to the storm sewer, they should run into an extension pipe and/or splash pad to keep water moving away from home.
Solving Erosion Issues
If interior flooding wasn’t bad enough, improper grading can also lead to erosion of the land that is surrounding your building, and also the land your building is built on. Steep slopes, and even small bumps in the land, can lead to an unstable foundation that eventually erodes due to various environmental factors such as excess water or wind.
Osborne Construction assures you that our team properly compacts the surface area in order to limit the risk of erosion.
Why Osborne Construction is Best for the
Proper grading takes a high attention to detail, thorough knowledge of the surface matter, and expertise in the area of drainage systems. Our team has years of knowledge and experience and is happy to provide you with a fast and efficient service. We are both licensed and insured, and we offer many services that combine well with grading such as excavation, retaining walls, stump removal, and land clearing.
Our specialists inspect every worksite and create accurate slopes that help to keep water away from the building and prevent erosion of the foundation. If you are unsure if your property is draining properly, please contact us and we will be happy to come out and evaluate your property.
WHAT MAKES US A
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Client Testimonials
"Mark and his team did a great job on our new landscaping project. They dug out and prepared new flower beds for planting, prepared sidewalks for flagstones, and helped with drainage issues on the driveway. Their expertise and attention to detail are just what we needed so we could do the next steps of the project ourselves. I would highly recommend this business for any exterior work!"
“Mark and his crew completed the work on my property on time and on budget. Their expertise really showed when planning my project, scheduling everything, and working carefully in a tight space. I'm really happy with the results, and would gladly work with Mark again in the future!”
“Osborne construction did an excavation, fill, and concrete job on over 5500sqft of driveway and patio space around my home. He finished on schedule, and left the job site clean and ready for the next phase. They're easy to communicate with, and are very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend them. !”
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