3 Ways To Make Home Landscaping Flood Resistant

7/29/2022 (Permalink)

Three Home Landscaping Tips

The landscaping surrounding your home can be more than ornamental. If you reside in a flood-prone area of San Antonio, TX, you may want to pursue any or all of these three home landscaping tips for diverting outside flooding away from your home.

1. Adjust the Grade
Many homes that are located in flood-prone areas are situated on high ground or constructed on raised foundations. If water still accumulates around the foundation of your home during heavy rains or flooding, you may want to add swales. These channels dug into the landscape can redirect the course of water away from the foundation of your home during a heavy rainstorm or flood event.

2. Check the Drainage
The water that filters down from the roof of a home should also be directed away from the foundation. Gutters should connect to downspouts, and diverters can be useful for making outside flooding flow toward features such as swales, rain gardens or drainage rather than pooling around the foundation where it has the potential to damage the structure or interior of your home.

3. Cultivate Natural Barriers
Rain gardens and other natural plant barriers can be highly effective for managing water flow. The ideal location for these features is at least 10 feet away from the foundation of your home or in swales. Plant root systems slow the flow of water over the surface of the ground and absorb moisture to make rain drainage more effective. These gardens should ideally contain local plants that require a minimal amount of maintenance between rains.
Outside flooding poses major water damage risks. As heavy rainfall accumulates and bodies of surface water overflow, contaminated water may spread across flood zones in San Antonio, TX. If your home is located in or near one of these zones, flood-resistant landscaping measures may prove useful for limiting the severity of flood damage.