Building & Drainage Materials

On a localised level properly draining water away from the area surrounding a property be that a home or a warehouse is massively important. Inadequate drainage can lead to issues such as damp or worse subsidence.

Neglecting to install a proper drainage solution can lead to walls cracking as the seasons change and rainfall swells the soil around a property or washes away the ground supporting foundations.

The key goal of most drainage systems is to get water away from the property as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Sustainable drainage is where rain water is managed in such a way that it does not overwhelm local drainage infrastructure reducing the likelihood of flooding.

Porous Surfaces - Large areas of tarmac or concrete do not under normal circumstances allow for any water to drain through them, this leads to water running off the surface. During heavier rainfall this will quickly overwhelm drainage gullies and channels causing large puddles or even flooding.

By switching these surfaces out for porous alternatives you allow water to drain through the entire area. This helps to ensure that drainage gullies are not overwhelmed by water running off from a huge area.

Retaining Water Flow - If you absolutely must use a concrete or tarmac surface that is not porous you can use large holding ponds to collect the water during a storm that then can drain gradually into the water course in a controller manner.

Slowing Water Flow - Rooftops represent a huge amount of surface area that collects rainwater during a storm. Planted roof systems are a modern solution that delays how quickly rain water makes its way to soakaways and local water courses. This delay stops soakaways and even gutters being overwhelmed, gradually releasing the water over a matter of hours rather than minutes.

The most notable impact of not using proper and sustainable drainage methods is flooding.

This can be localised flooding, where a patio, driveway or roadway becomes covered in water that has no where else to go as the ground does not have the drainage capacity to get rid of it.

On a larger scale, the water that cannot be collected makes its way very quickly to local water courses and causes wide scale flooding. This can impact households and businesses by causing significant damage as rivers and streams burst their banks.