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a trench drain on a commercial property can help prevent soil erosionThink about the last rainstorm that came through the area.

Did you pay attention to how the stormwater flowed on your Atlanta commercial property? Were there puddles that collected in some low spots on hardscapes or between hardscapes and lawns?

Maybe water always collects there. Maybe puddles even pooled in areas you didn’t expect. Is rain flowing in repeated patterns down slopes causing strange curvy or roughly shaped lines in your lawn?

And, worst of all, are you seeing all this excess water in some areas causing lawns to yellow or brown and some plant material to perform poorly with wilting leaves and stunted growth?

Commercial property managers often underestimate the critical importance of drainage in their landscapes. Poor water flow can erode soil, threaten plant material and cause damage to building foundations. Where land is flat, soils are dense with clay or water tables are high, a well-designed drainage system is top priority.

And most hardscapes on commercial properties often experience more runoff than landscapes due to the lack of water absorption.

Trench drains can be a great solution for this runoff. With trench drains, you can accelerate the movement of water or intercept and redirect subsurface water. Water always takes the path of least resistance, so it would much rather travel through drain pipes than force its way through soil or collect on hardscapes.

First Thing’s First: What Are Trench Drains?

If you have standing water in a concrete or hardscape area, water coming into a section of the building or a linear stand of water at landscape and hardscape boundaries, a trench drain could be a great solution to control water on your Atlanta commercial property.

trench drains are used when two areas meet and cause water to flow where it shouldn’tTrench drains are used when two areas meet and cause water to flow where it shouldn’t—for instance, when two hardscape areas or hardscape and landscape areas or building thresholds and hardscapes.

With trench drains, we uses subsurface channels with slotted grates that allow water to flow into the primary or secondary drainage system. These grates can be made of plastic, precast concrete or metal. The visible grates can be plastic or metal and can come in standard types or decorative ones to match the look of your commercial property.

Installation of trench drains can be more complicated, depending on your property’s specific layout. If trench drains are used during new construction, they will be set prior to concrete or hardscaping being installed, making it a bit smoother. If we need to retrofit an area for trench drains, a section of hardscaping may need to be cut out so the drains can be set and mortared and caulked into place.

The Cost To Install A Trench Drain

A trench drain can vary in cost based on quite a few factors. First, whether the property is a new construction or retrofit will make a difference because we’ll have to possibly conduct more installation if we don’t get on the property when it’s being newly built to ensure the trench drain works properly.

Also, the channel material and grate type (plastic, metal or precast concrete) used can impact overall price. For these reasons, trench drains can range in cost between $30 per linear foot to $150 per linear foot.

Trench Drains Done Right

trench drains reduce pooling stormwater on commercial properties

A trench drain is a fairly technical installation procedure, especially to get it done right so it’s directing water away from favorable hardscaped and landscaped areas. There are quite a few mistakes and shortcuts that can be made in the process:

  • not using a vehicular grade drain in parking lots

  • not using a large enough drain to accommodate the flow rates on your property

  • using plastic grates in highly visible areas instead of metal or decorative grates

  • not setting the trench drain at the correct elevation to perform as it should

Make sure to ask the contractor you’re using how much experience he or she has with correcting drainage on commercial properties so you know you’re getting quality work that will be done right the first time.

HighGrove Has Solutions For Your Landscape Drainage Problems

HighGrove Partners water experts would be happy to walk your property and discuss your drainage needs. We can make those troublesome puddles disappear. Give us a call at 678-298-0550 or use our simple contact form to set up a meeting with our team. In the meantime, for more landscape tips, be sure to subscribe to our blog.

Last modified: June 3, 2021

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