Spring rains give the outdoors a cool and refreshing feel–and while it’s calming to listen to the pitter-patter of raindrops, it won’t do to relax too much. You should take a look at your garden and landscaping afterward to check whether the soil around them is still intact. It pays to take steps that prevent, or at least reduce, soil erosion during spring rains. This way, you can maintain the topsoil that allows your plants to thrive better, and you can prevent contaminants, such as fertilizer and pesticides, from washing away and ending up in the water supply.
Universal Roofing & Exteriors, the trusted expert in gutter and siding installation services, shares some of the ways to keep your soil from eroding during a spring rainfall.
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Stabilize the soil in steep areas. You should focus on sloped areas of your property because the soil in them is usually lacking in minerals and nutrients. Terracing can help, but it’s a bit labor-intensive. Consider using baffles, or barriers, to slow down or divert water from flowing directly downhill. Partially buried timber and stones can serve as baffles. You can also use riprap, which is a rough, loose stone that is generally embedded or loosely spread onto the slope.
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Mulch exposed ground areas. To create great mulch, use shredded bark, wood chips, rock, gravel, leaves, and pine needles. Apply it to exposed patches of soil, or along slopes to help keep the soil firmly in place.
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Check the placement of your downspouts. When the downspouts are not correctly positioned, they’ll discharge a gush of rainwater onto your garden or yard, potentially washing away its soil. It’s an indirect way spring rainfall can erode the soil in your property. For this reason, it pays to have a reliable gutter and siding contractor like Universal Roofing & Exteriors check your downspouts–along with your gutters–and perform the necessary fix that allows them to drain smoothly and properly.
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Install ground covers. Plants and shrubs are the most effective method of anchoring the soil in your property. But you’ll need to use the right kinds, of course. Perennial native plants, wildflowers, clump-forming ornamental grasses, and lawn daisies are ideal because they’ll adapt quickly to slopes and unimproved soil. Creeping thyme, sweet woodruff, poppies, and certain types of succulents will work, as well.
From quality skylight and roofing installation to professional gutter and siding replacement, Universal Roofing & Exteriors will definitely deliver. We’ll help keep your home and property safe and damage-free with our range of exterior home improvement solutions. Call us today at (317) 257-0779 or fill out this contact form to schedule your consultation. We proudly serve the areas in and around Carmel and Indianapolis, IN. We’d love to hear from you!
