Drainage systems are critical to the effective management of water runoff and must be a key consideration in backyard landscape design. Without a reliable drainage system in place, you'll find yourself with standing water that may find its way into places it really shouldn’t be (like your basement or under sidewalks).
Standing water is detrimental to the appearance and safety of your yard or commercial space. It can destroy greenspaces, while eroding concrete patios and causing significant damage to a building’s foundation.
So it stands to reason that choosing the right drainage solution for your landscape design is crucial. While there are many options available, they’re not all equally effective or visually pleasing.
Here’s what you need to know.
Types of Yard Drainage Solutions
Choosing the right yard drainage system is essential to protecting your home, yard, or commercial property. With so many options available, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Here are some of the more traditional backyard drainage solutions you'll find on the market:
Swale drains
One option for drainage is a swale drain, which is essentially a shallow ditch lined with turf grass or a similar vegetation. Swale drains are broader and shallower than other drain systems and help control and slow down water runoff. They help prevent flooding, puddling, and soil erosion, and can help prevent storm drains from being overwhelmed.
French drains
French drains are subsurface drain structures that consist of a perforated pipe, installed flat in a yard using a sloped trench. Typically, they help move water runoff from the highest point of an area to the lowest, connecting to a sewer, cistern, or swale drain.
These drains tend to start at the foundation of a home (weeping tile) or other structure and redirect water from that area, helping the water flow naturally along the path of least resistance.
Traditional Trench Drains
Another option for lawn drain drainage solutions is a traditional trench drain. Trench drains are essentially long, round or square drain channels that are set into concrete.
These drain channels can be narrow or wide, depending on your needs, and are covered with a grate, which allows water through while preventing most large debris from entering the channel.
Unlike other drainage systems, trench drains work by stopping water runoff as completely as possible by catching it and carrying it along the channel to a catch basin or sewer.
While fairly effective, traditional trench drains can be rather unsightly, and their grates are heavy and prone to wear and tear, including rust and breakage (especially if only made of galvanized steel or a lesser material).
Slot Drain: A Modern Solution
While the above-mentioned options may have served their purposes in the past, there is no need to rely on them anymore, as there is a more effective and better-looking option available.
The Slot Drain is a modern take on the traditional trench drain system, with some key differences:
Design
Traditional trench drain systems are unattractive and somewhat bulky in design, cutting into the surrounding landscaping and disrupting the aesthetic. They also require a four-way slope around them in order to function properly.
Slot Drain features a sleek, linear design that comes pre-sloped for easier installation. The grate-free design allows the Slot Drain system to blend seamlessly into any landscape design without creating an eyesore and without ever clogging. With openings as narrow as 0.5 inches, these systems can also be ADA-compliant and high heel-proof.
The 6000 Series and 7000 Series models are both ideal for landscaping — the 6000 Series offers a low profile where depth is a concern, while the 7000 offers our slimmest opening as our premium landscape drainage solution.
Durability
The Slot Drain is more durable than other drainage systems on the market, thanks to options for stainless steel construction, as well as a reinforced lip. The 6000 Series and 7000 Series can both withstand heavy vehicle traffic up to Load Class C, which is strong enough for even some industrial facilities.
The stainless steel construction also means it is resistant to things like rust, corrosion, and bacteria. Unlike other systems, the durability of Slot Drain also means it is less likely to have issues with flooding or overflowing, as the various flow rate options ensure that the system can always function properly. (Flow rates begin at 11 gallons per minute per linear foot (GPM) and go up to 27 GPM, depending on the slot opening width.)
Ease of maintenance
Homeowners want yard drainage solutions that are easy to maintain. Slot Drain offers easy maintenance in two ways: first, manually cleaning the Slot Drain system requires only a brush and paddle to ensure the drain channel is free of debris. The 6000 Series and 7000 Series also feature the option for our Flush-Flo accessory, which allows you to connect a water line in order to flush the drain channel either manually or automatically.
Our an easy-to-empty catch basin catches any debris or small items and prevents them from entering the sewer, including items that may be lost in the drain such as rings or keys.
Improve Your Landscape and Lawn Drainage with Slot Drain
Without the proper lawn and yard drainage solutions, a backyard or commercial property may be open to serious damage.
Soil erosion, foundation issues, and countless other problems can arise from either water accumulation or the wrong drainage system. Slot Drain is easy to install and maintain and offers more durability and a better design than other lawn drainage solutions on the market.
Questions?
Contact us today for more information on our low-maintenance, highly durable, sleekly elegant landscape drainage solutions.
