Prime
Do not let water destroy your compound
If a path is not created for water, it may affect the compound. PHOTO/NET
What you need to know:
The rainy season brings along many challenges. One of the most irritating for home owners, is the destruction of their compounds by excessive water after a downpour. How can this be prevented?
I did not know how dangerous water that came into my compound was. The fact that I was not living in a water logged area made me think that the strength and beauty of my walls would never be touched by water, until I started seeing the bottom of the walls getting affected.
When I called in an expert, they shared that a lot of rain water was being soaked into the ground and was making the walls damp. This was both from the runoff that came into the compound from my surroundings when it rained and also from the roof.
To fight this, I was advised to install concrete so that water can runoff.
Solomon Katumwa a construction engineer, notes that it is therefore important that as one plans their compound including all landscaping, water damage precautions to the compound are taken.
In some cases where the runoffs are vicious, gulleys are likely to be created.
Know your water flow
Since every compound is likely to have it’s own approach, Katumwa says that knowing one’s water flow is the first step to solving these water problems. “Water always has a path where it flows to. One’s house may for example be at a lower altitude than their neighbours’ houses and so this means that they will be receiving more runoffs from the surroundings. Such a case may need a serious water channel that receives this water other than letting it into your compound,” he explains.
On the other hand, water may be flowing from your end to the surroundings or one may just have a flat compound with little quantities and flow that may not need very serious interventions. All these factor into what solution will work
Consider water destination
Denis Kizza, a landscaper from Homers Landscapers shares that one has to look into their runoff water drainage and where it is going. “Does it go through a channel to outside or is it going into your sewerage system? Some people dig holes near the house to receive the runoffs. In the event that you are using such drainage holes, they need to be covered to avoid accidents but also stagnant water around the house is a good breeding ground for mosquitoes, which are dangerous to the health of your household. If not covered, these drainage systems can be treated.
This may also necessitate a conversation with your immediate neighbour where water is flowing to, to devise means of properly channeling it, because it might be destructive to them.
Slanting the compound
Among the most common solutions is having the compound slanted, depending on the water flow. The idea is to have water moving from the compound as soon as possible.
“Depending on one’s budget one can have a flat compound and have perforated drainage under it where the water flows to. On the other hand, some clients slant the compound so that water runs off gently to either the sides of the compound,” he explains.
Alternatively, the compound may be slanted to one side to have water flowing to one side where a drainage channel has been built to take the water away.
“We however, recommend that when slanting the compound, it is not given a sharp slant that causes water to move at a very high speed since this can increase soil erosion especially for a compound with only soil or grass. The slanting should just allow for gentle flow of water,” says Kizza.
To avoid incoming water, the ground should always slope away from your home in all directions. Locate the high and low points of your home and use extra soil to slope the yard away from your house. This way, water will flow away from your home, preventing flooding in your home.
They also advise people with gardens in the compound that using mulches in the garden to prevent water from flowing toward the house and compound.
Catch some of the water
Robert Kimuli, a roofing contractor says that one of the ways to reduce the water that is getting into your compound is by trapping some of it before it gets there. “Water harvesting not only helps you have extra water for use in your home but also helps keep water from the roof from pouring into the compound. This will mean buying a water tank, or making a water reservoir and installing gutters on the roof that connect to the water tank where water directly goes,” Kimuli says.
So, for beautiful compounds that last, minimising damage of water runoffs should be put into perspective.
