Keeping your landscape neat and intact is every homeowner’s priority – but this may prove difficult to do once winter transitions into spring. Snowmelt from your roof and gutters, along with the occasional spring rain, can erode the soil on your lawn and gardens, resulting in a muddy, unsightly mess. But that’s not all either: soil erosion can wash away topsoil and its beneficial microorganisms and nutrients, and contaminants, such as fertilizer, pesticides and petroleum products can end up downstream and into the water supply.
The good news is that soil erosion can be mitigated in a number of ways.
- Install baffles or barriers. They can slow down, and even obstruct, water from flowing directly downhill. Baffles generally consist of partially buried timers and stones that are laid parallel to the slope. Using riprap – rough, loose stones that are embedded or spread loosely onto the slope – can also produce the same results.
- Add plants and turf grass. Another effective slope control method is using plants and turf grass. Because their roots help anchor the soil, they can prevent it from washing away during a torrent. Your best options are wildflowers, clump-forming ornamental grasses and native perennial plants since they adapt quickly to the slope and unimproved soil. You might want to consider using turf grass as well. Most options can germinate fast, helping stabilize the soil as you wait for perennial grasses to establish themselves in your yard.
- Improve your home’s draining areas. This means your gutter system, which can cause rainwater to back up and overflow and damage the soil on your landscape when their draining ability is compromised. Check them for leaks and clogs, and loose hangers. If the gutter system is already old and failing, water will not drain properly when it rains. Instead, the runoff will splash forcefully against your landscape, leading to soil erosion.
When in need of newer, better gutters for your home, look no further than Gutter Helmet® of Piedmont. We’ll keep your lawns and gardens in good shape with our top-tier systems. And, if you want to ensure your new gutters can stay clean and clog-free, you can also turn to us for exceptional Gutter Helmet gutter protection.
Our Gutter Helmet gutter guards come with a patented nose-forward design that allows only rainwater to flow smoothly through your gutters – everything else, such as leaves, pine needles and other loose debris, are shed to fall harmlessly to the ground. You no longer have to worry about congestion when you choose Gutter Helmet of Piedmont for your gutter protection needs. We serve the areas in and around Charlotte, NC. Call us today at (844) 204-1015, or fill out this contact form to schedule your consultation.
