DON’T WAIT FOR THE YARD TO FLOOD
7 Drainage Checks You Can Do This Weekend
BUILD SMART WITH RAYNEAU
Building Better Starts Here.
You know how it goes.
The sun is out, the yard looks fine, the gutters are sitting there quietly and that little drain by the driveway doesn’t seem to be bothering anybody.
Then we get one good Saint Lucian downpour.
All of a sudden water is running across the yard, the gutter is overflowing, the drain can’t take anymore and everybody is outside trying to figure out where all that water came from.
Most times, the problem didn’t start with the rain.
The rain simply exposed it.
That is why this Friday on Build Smart with Rayneau, we are not asking you to start some big weekend project. Give yourself about 20 minutes, walk around the property and see whether your drainage is really ready for the next heavy shower.
Here are seven places to check.
1. Start With Your Gutters
Look up.
Leaves, dirt and all kinds of little things find their way into gutters. Once enough of it builds up, water cannot move freely.
And when the gutter cannot carry the water, where does it go?
Over the side.
That water may end up running down your walls or collecting right beside the house.
So check for leaves and debris. Look for sections that are sagging or pulling away. If you can see signs that water has been overflowing, don't ignore them.
A gutter is there to carry water, not store it.
And please, if you cannot reach it safely, get somebody who can. No gutter is worth falling off a ladder for.
2. Check Where Your Downpipes End
This is one homeowners sometimes miss.
Your gutter may be clean and the downpipe may be working perfectly, but if that pipe is dumping all the roof water right next to the house, you have only moved the problem from the roof to the ground.
Stand by the end of the downpipe and ask yourself:
Where is this water going when it rains hard?
Is it being carried away?
Or is it creating a muddy patch against the wall?
Water coming off a roof adds up quickly. Make sure it has somewhere sensible to go.
3. Clear the Yard Drains
That drain everybody walks past every day deserves five minutes of attention.
Lift the cover if it is safe to do so and look for leaves, mud, plastic, stones or anything else stopping the water.
Don't wait for the rain to tell you the drain is blocked.
You already know what happens next.
Water starts backing up, the driveway begins flooding and then somebody is outside in the rain with a piece of stick trying to clear the drain.
Do it while the sun is shining.
It is easier.
4. Look for the Places Water Likes to Sit
After rain, some sections of the yard dry almost immediately.
Others seem to hold water forever.
Those low spots are telling you something.
Look around the driveway, steps, patio, pathways and especially along the walls of the house.
If you regularly see water sitting in the same place, don't just accept it as part of the yard.
There may be a drainage or grading problem that needs attention.
You may not solve it this weekend, but at least identify it.
That is how proper maintenance begins.
5. Remove Anything Blocking the Water’s Path
Sometimes we create our own drainage problems without realising it.
A pile of leaves.
Some leftover construction material.
A bag.
A plant pot.
Pieces of timber.
Even soil washed down from another part of the yard.
Anything sitting across the natural path of runoff can force water in a completely different direction.
Take a walk and clear the obvious obstacles.
You want the water moving toward the drain, not around it.
6. Look for Signs of Erosion
Water does not only flood.
It digs.
If you notice small channels appearing in the soil after rain, stones moving downhill or soil washing onto the driveway, pay attention.
That little trench may get deeper every time heavy rain falls.
Look especially around slopes, drains, walls, pathways and areas where downpipes discharge.
If water keeps taking soil with it, eventually something else may lose support.
Small signs today can become expensive repairs later.
7. Make Sure Water Is Not Heading Straight for the House
Now stand back and look at the property.
If heavy rain begins falling right now, which way will the water move?
Toward the drain?
Toward the road?
Or straight toward your front door?
Pay close attention to garages, patio doors, low entrances and areas where the land slopes toward the house.
This is really what the whole exercise is about.
Water has to go somewhere.
Your job is to make sure that somewhere is away from the vulnerable parts of your home.
That’s Your 20 Minutes
You don't have to dig up the yard today.
You don't have to replace the entire drainage system.
Just check it.
You may only need to clear a gutter.
You may find a blocked drain.
You may notice that the downpipe needs extending.
Or you may discover something that requires a plumber, contractor or other professional.
Whatever you find, you are better off finding it before the next heavy rain.
That is what Build Smart is really about.
Not waiting until something breaks.
Not waiting until water is already inside.
Not spending unnecessarily because a small maintenance job was ignored for too long.
Clear it. Check it. Direct it. Protect your home.
This weekend, give your property twenty minutes.
The rain will eventually come.Make sure your drainage is ready when it does.
BUILD SMART WITH RAYNEAU
Whether you need gutters, PVC pipes and fittings, sealants, drainage products or the right tools to get the job done, visit your nearest Rayneau Construction & Industrial Products Ltd. branch and speak with the team about your project.
Vide Bouteille — 458-7246
Corinth — 458-7247
Monchy — 458-7248
Babonneau — 458-5759
For pumps and selected equipment for those bigger water-management jobs:
Rayneau Rentals & Sales
714-7368 / 450-RENT
rayneaurands@rayneau.org
BUILD SMART WITH RAYNEAU
Building Better Starts Here.
