One of the most important aspects of caring for your lawn is ensuring that there is sufficient drainage in place to lower the chances of water logging. Excess water is one of the most common causes of lawn trouble and it can be prevented.

Whatever drainage problems you may be experiencing don't hesitate to call.

Drainage Systems

Sub-Surface Drainage

Subsurface drainage systems have many different names, including Herringbone drainage systems, parallel drainage systems, fan and natural contour sub-base drainage systems, but they all do the same thing: remove water and lower the water table away from a saturated lawn a building foundation or a flagged area. Areas with excess subsurface and surface water can be identified by wet spongy areas in your lawn, water standing on the surface, even when there has been no rain or irrigation, it is possible to have a subsurface water problem. Sub-surface water is an area underground that literally traps water in – for example - an underground bowl. These areas can be caused by several reasons and are much more difficult to correct. Intercepting and moving this water can be handled through various drain systems as indicated by the chart

Where Should the Water Go?

The first thing to do in deciding about whether or not additional lawn drainage is required is to find out where the excess water is coming from and where should it be going to? It is easy enough to say that high rainfall is the problem but perhaps there is a problem with existing drainage in and around your lawn. If there is already pipe work in place it is worth checking this thoroughly for damage with might allow the water to escape into your lawn. Whatever drainage system is installed, a positive outlet is always required.

Secondly it is worth investigating where the water is going? Is it collecting at a central point in your lawn? Is there surface flooding? All of these questions should be addressed as answering them will give you a good starting point in your quest to put the problem right.

If your lawn is not flat and runs on a slope it is worth seeing where the water stops because - as we all know - water cannot travel uphill so there will be a point at low level where the water collects.

Whatever drainage problems you may be experiencing don’t hesitate to call.

Pipe Drainage Systems

Pipe drainage systems are usually based on one of four main designs. Herringbone and Grid systems are the common, however, Fan and Natural systems also have a place within certain circumstances.

Herringbone

This system provides for a main central pipe, which runs down a slope, which has lateral pipes connecting to it at acute angles.

This type of design is typically used on areas that are irregular in shape and will include large rectangular lawns and large general amenity playing fields etc.

An advantage of a herringbone design is that less depth is needed for excavated drains to achieve the necessary falls.

However, the disadvantages are that the designs are more complicated than the Grid system. In addition if the pipe system is later upgraded with sand-gravel slits, then there will be a variable slit length before the slit discharges its water because of the angled layout of the herringbone design.

Grid (also called Gridiron or Parallel)

This system has a main pipe, or pipes, at the perimeter of an area with laterals joining the main pipe either at right angles or an acute angle.

The main pipe will either run along or near to the line of the fall of the land.

The lateral pipes will typically cross the fall of the land in a diagonal fashion. This type of design is typically used on regular shaped areas such as football/rugby pitches and bowling greens. A grid system is probably the commonest type of system that is installed in turf areas because it is easier to install, has less junctions than a herringbone system and can also be easily upgraded with the addition of sand/gravel slits.

Fan

This system is used for small or irregular shaped areas. Typically this would be a localised low lying wet area and may also include parts of a golf fairway. A golf green may also be considered, however, a herringbone system would be used in the majority of cases. All pipes in a fan systm are laterals that connect directly to an outlet.

Natural (also called Random or Contour)

This can be used on 'natural' amenity grasslands and golf fairways. These systems of pipes follow the natural contours of the land, with the main pipe being installed in the low areas and laterals connecting to it from adjacent areas.