Before starting a backyard deck project, have you taken into account the importance of including water routing and drainage to avoid expensive do-overs in the future? "The Importance of Water Routing and Drainage for Your Backyard Deck Project
Avoid Costly Mistakes: Why Water Routing and Drainage are Essential for Deck Building
In this blog, we provide essential information for those planning to embark on a deck project, backyard landscape remodeling, or renovations in Calgary. We highlight the importance of checking the grading under the deck to ensure positive slope towards the outside of the deck, routing water away from the deck, and avoiding waterlogging, sinkholes, and other issues that may require costly fixes. By following our advice and taking preventive measures, customers can save money and hassle in the future
Maximizing Long-Term Value: Incorporating Water Routing and Drainage in Your Backyard Deck Plan
Cautionary Advice for Deck and Landscape Projects in Calgary
If you're planning to embark on a deck project, backyard landscape remodeling, or renovations, it's crucial to take note of the grading under the deck.
Check Under the Deck:
It's essential to ensure that you have a positive slope towards the outside of the deck to avoid issues in the future that may cause you to remove the deck and route water. This step applies to almost all types of decks in Calgary, whether pressure-treated, composite, or vinyl.
Importance of Checking Under Vinyl Decks:
Even if you have a vinyl deck, it's still necessary to check under the deck to avoid any seepage into your basement or surrounding window wells.
Water Routing:
In both new home builds or existing homes, always ensure that you route the water away from under the deck, unless your deck is at your lowest grade and you have a French drain system. This system captures the water and moves it to the lowest spot in the yard and not to your neighbors or side yards. If you're routing water to the side yards, you also need to continue the routing to avoid any sinkholes.
Avoiding Deck Heaving:
Unfortunately, we've seen an unfortunate trend in the wrong doing of decks, where big hills under decks and against foundation walls cause a dip that allows water to go to the foundation wall. When planning a deck project, we advise you to check the surrounding deck elevations and ensure that positive slope is achieved under your deck. If not, then you need to have a plan in place to avoid waterlogging by the deck posts or under the deck, which might make the deck sink or heave in the winter.
Preventing Deck Damage:
To prevent such problems, you can have washed rocks under the deck and a trench drain that routes water to act as a catch basin, but not a localized catch basin that captures runoff water and moves it to a spot in your yard that could water shrubs or trees or a water garden.
Before or during deck installation, always check and ensure that you have taken all the necessary steps to avoid issues that may require costly fixes, such as water seepage into basements, erosion by corners of the house, heaving issues with the deck, and collapsed decks. Taking preventive measures can save you money and hassle in the future.
We wish you a successful deck project or backyard remodeling and renovations in Calgary!