Olson Outdoor

Here is a cautionary tale about how not to approach a drainage problem and what it takes to fix it. The first pic shows how someone tried to use catch basins to divert water back to a series of sump pumps which pumped water out to the street. They are nice and deep, with large pumps, and THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH A DOWNPOUR. This, the homeowner continued to have flooding issues even after spending plenty to have this done. The fourth pic shows a pipe that starts nowhere and goes nowhere, because why not, right?

The last pic is the start of making it right by GRADING. Grading is the optimal solution for flooding. In this case we have 8” of natural fall from the back corner of the house to the street(we used a transit to determine the grade). Thus, we are able to create a swale that not only allows about 10” of fall from the top of slab to the bottom of the swale, but also allows us to have about 2” of fall per 10’ towards the street. No pumps, no basins, just properly sloped earth for the water to flow.

We will also be adding new gutters and plumbing the downspouts into a 4” PVC line that leads to a pop up drain past the front corner of the house. In addition, we will install an 8” high steel border at the property line to help divert water from the neighbors lot towards the street. Belt, suspenders, check.

If you want to pay once to fix a drainage issue this is how you do it. Call us anytime at 512-937-5262 or message me. Michael Olson with Olson Outdoor.

Here is a gate we just finished. With all metal to metal connections and a metal frame it won’t sag, and stained cedar wood is always beautiful.

Laying artificial turf is all about the prep. When you start with a compact and level base you get a good finished product. This kind of turf is great for shady areas, especially if you have dogs or kids. Call us at 512-937-5262 or drop an email to [email protected]. Estimates are always free.

We do a lot of drainage work, and French drains are almost never the solution. However, when we were digging to lay down base for this stone patio we found a wet area by the corner of the stairs and planter, so we installed a perforated pipe in a gravel lined ditch that leads to a pop up drain. This will carry away any excess ground moisture in this area.

We also installed the small channel drain you see and will drill holes in the planter for it to drain out and not stain the flagstone. It is the little details like this that make a big difference in the long run.