Drainage Tips For Homeowners
Grading of your property should be the first step prior to any landscape items being installed.
Make sure you & your landscaper have a clear understanding of how your property will be graded to direct storm runoff away from property.
We have been on countless Drainage remediation projects, consultations & Landscape renovations. The story is usually the Home Builder blaming the Landscape or Pool contractor & the Landscape or Pool contractor blaming the Home Builder for the Drainage problems.
Unfortunately, many times the homeowner is left footing the bill of often several thousand dollars because the Builder or Unlicensed Landscaper or Pool builder have gone out of business & are nowhere to be found or the warranty has expired.
The truth is that it is usually a combination of all of the contractors involved that contribute to drainage problems.
You as the homeowner should be vigilant in making sure that during every step of the building process that all contractors are paying attention to Grading, Drainage & Erosion control.
Expansive Soil
Unlike earthquakes, floods, landslides and other geological hazards, expansive soils render substantial damage amounting to billions of dollars and yet few people are aware of this hazard.
Expansive soils affect almost every state, including Arkansas. In Arkansas, certain soils that have an expansive clay component are susceptible to causing damage to property.
Expansive Clays in Arkansas
Expansive clays in Arkansas are a source of concern because they shrink and swell according to their moisture content. If this uneven shrink and swell is not considered during construction, structures such as houses can literally break apart. Highways are also susceptible to damage from expansive clays resulting in higher maintenance costs.
- Many expansive soils problems can be accommodated through engineering techniques employed prior to construction.
In Arkansas, the clays of the Porters Creek Clay of the Midway Group are highly expansive. The Porters Creek Clay outcrops in a narrow but continuous belt along the Fall Line from just south of Hope to near Arkadelphia and intermittently from Malvern to near Batesville.
