Landscape Drainage Solutions

We can correct pooling water on your property

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We Can Help You Fix Pooling Water On Your Lawn Or Landscape

We install and repair landscape drainage systems

Drainage System Installations And Repairs
We install and repair landscape drainage systems

Maintaining the health of your landscape—and by extension, your property—hinges significantly on the efficacy of your drainage system. Inadequate drainage can accelerate erosion, inflict damage on structures and foundations, and result in costly repairs. There's a variety of solutions to tackle drainage woes, each tailored to address specific problems, ensuring that these issues are resolved effectively and definitively.

What Type Of Drainage Problem Do You Have?

  • Is there water pooling up on your property?
  • Does your property have soil erosion due to heavy rain?
  • Do you have soft spots in your lawns or gardens?
  • Do you have standing water around your foundation?
  • Is your driveway or parking area a wet mess when it rains?

Without proper drainage in place your landscaping and lawn areas can be prone to flooding, it can drown out your expensive plants, erode away expensive hardscaping, and even cause damage to your structures and their foundations.

Martinez Landscaping & Pine Straw is a landscaping contractor based out of Charleston, South Carolina and serving Charleston County and the surrounding area.   We specialize in installing lawn and garden drainage systems including drainage swales, french drains, and more.  We offer real solutions for properties with a drainage or standing water problem. 

Many of our clients properties suffer from poor drainage or have drainage systems that just weren’t implemented correctly from the start which has led to significant erosion problems, water pooling, soft spots, and flooding in their lawns, gardens and landscapes.  We can help solve these problems by developing a solid plan for your property.

What Is A French Drain?

French drains stand as an elegant solution to managing excess water in your landscape, offering both functionality and simplicity in design. Essentially, a French drain is a slightly sloped trench filled with gravel and a perforated pipe that diverts water away from your property. The beauty of this system lies in its operation—the pipe collects water over its entire length and channels it smoothly away from areas prone to waterlogging.

These drains are particularly adept at preventing water from pooling around foundations and in gardens, making them an invaluable asset in landscapes that suffer from poor natural drainage. By installing them beneath the soil's surface, particularly in low-lying areas where water tends to collect, a French drain works discreetly to safeguard your property's structural integrity and the vibrancy of your green spaces.

Commonly, French drains are implemented in areas where a gutter downspout may deposit water too close to the foundation, at the base of a sloping yard to prevent runoff from soaking the garden beds, or around patios and driveways to avert standing water that could lead to surface damage or slips.

For properties nestled within Charleston, Folly Beach, Goose Creek, Isle Of Palms, Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Sullivan’s Island, and Summerville, incorporating French drains can be a strategic move to enhance the longevity and enjoyment of your outdoor spaces, ensuring that excess moisture finds a pathway that steers clear of your valued landscapes and structures.

What Is A Drainage Swale?

A drainage swale is a shallow channel or depression that is designed to carry and manage stormwater runoff. It is typically found in landscaped areas, such as along the side of a road or where a culvert outflow is located.  Swales are used to intercept and convey excess water from storms or other sources to a drainage outlet, such as a storm drain or a natural waterway.

Drainage swales are often used as an alternative to traditional stormwater management systems, such as underground pipes, because they can be more visually appealing and have a variety of additional benefits, such as providing habitat for wildlife and helping to reduce erosion. Drainage swales are typically lined with river rock or with vegetation, such as grasses or native plants, which helps to filter pollutants and sediment from the water as it flows through the channel.

Drainage System Installation and Repair

  • Drainage system design
  • Drainage system installation
  • Underground drainage and piping
  • Drainage swale installation
  • French drain installations
  • Drainage system repairs
  • Drain box and catch basin installation
  • Downspout drainage systems
  • Stream and creek beds for channeling water
  • Drainage problem correction

Does Your Property Have Water Drainage Problems?

Drainage issues should be addressed during the landscape design process and before your actual landscape is installed.  Because every property we work on is different a good landscape designer will take the time to understand how water may flow from your property, what type of soil conditions you have, and they will also know and understand the rainfall in your area and/or how high the static water table might be.  Knowing all of these factors can help us plan out an effective drainage solution for your specific property.

It’s often during sustained and heavy rainfall when a drainage problem will surface.  After a few days of rain, a property with poor drainage will become obvious.  You’ll visibly see water pooling in low spots, your lawn or gardens will be muddy, you may see erosion taking place, and a host of other problems.  If the water table (sub-surface water) is high in your area, then rainfall only makes the problem that much worse.

Drainage Problems We Solve

High Water Tables

A high water table can pose a challenge for any landscape. The water table is water that lies close to the soil surface.  It can vary depending on where you are located.  If you have a high water table then the low lying areas of your landscape can often have pooling water.  Often the best solution for a high water table is to plant appropriate trees, shrubs, and other plants that are capable of handling these wet, boggy, conditions.  These are often plantings that natively grow in riparian areas.

Another option to solve a high water table drainage problem is to raise the lawn areas or planting and garden bed areas up.  You can do this by mounding up areas with additional soil and appropriate plantings to keep it held together or you can even used raised garden beds.

Excess Water Pooling On The Surface

If your property has clay-based soil then you may have problems with surface water pooling up.  Clay is a very dense material and doesn’t allow for good drainage.  Surface water issues can often be solved by properly grading the property away from the home and into a swale or french drain that can channel the water away from your property and into an existing storm drain or drainage ditch of some type.

One of the most popular and effective drainage systems to install for a surface water problem is the French drain.  This is a time-tested drainage solution that gathers water and channels it to a place underground (usually a trench filled with gravel and perforated pipe) where the water can take its time percolating down through the soil.

More Ideas For Solving Your Drainage Problems

Careful Construction Practices – Often drainage problems surface after extensive construction or site-work has been completed on a property.  Activities such as removing and placing fill, property grading, and digging of foundations or footings can alter the drainage on a property.  When construction occurs on your property care must be taken to avoid compaction of the soil and also to make sure that your property is graded to channel water away from low-lying areas and your home or buildings foundation.

Regulate Your Irrigation System – Many irrigation systems are setup to deliver water to a lawn, garden, or landscape over a set period of time rather than on the needs of those specific plants.  It’s a good idea to set your irrigation to meet the needs of your specific landscape rather than set it on a timed schedule.  For example, if you’re irrigation system runs for an hour in the evening, but the plantings are sufficiently watered within 15 minutes, that extra 45 minutes of watering doesn’t make much sense and likely contributes to the poor drainage issues.

Check For Broken Plumbing Or Sewer Lines – In some cases, poor drainage, or pooling, standing water can be the symptoms of a broken, clogged, or corroded sewer or drain line.  If your drainage issues are accompanied by a foul sewage smell, then this could be part of your problem. We also see pooling water caused by broken municipal water pipes or sprinkler pipes.  The broken piping causes the excess water to pool near the surface.

Adapt Plantings To Site Conditions – If your property is continually suffering from drainage problems due to a high water table then it’s a good idea to make sure your plantings are “drinkers” you want to carefully select plants, trees, and shrubs that require lots of water or that thrive in excess moisture.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation to discuss your drainage system or to correct drainage issues you might be experiencing with your property we’d be happy to meet with you.  Please call 843-817-4903 or fill out our online form and we’ll get right back to you.

Consultation
Amber Stewart
Amber Stewart
November 2, 2023

Mr.Carlos Martinez and his crew has done an excellent Job on Manicuring beautifying my families mulch bed. We are truly satisfied. They are and excellent and Reasonable company and deserves the price he is asking for.

Lisa German
Lisa German
June 1, 2023

I can't say enough about Mr. Martinez and his team. They did a wonderful job! He was very professional. Quality work, competitive pricing and just an overall positive experience. I highly recommend his services!

Zach Miller
Zach Miller
April 26, 2023

We were hosting a wedding shower at our house and even though it was raining, Carlos and his team showed up on time and were able to make the yard look great even though we weren't able to provide them much of a heads up. Will definitely utilize his company again moving forward.

David Warren
David Warren
March 17, 2023

Carlos and his team are amazing! Always quality work and great with scheduling! They have great pricing and will treat your yard just as well as you do! 5 stars!

Kevin Trunkle
Kevin Trunkle
February 25, 2023

Our yard looks better than ever. They were right on time and did a great job. Thanks again.

priscilla wangcharoenrat
priscilla wangcharoenrat
May 30, 2022

Delivered good quality pine straw to our backyard. 👌

Diane B
Diane B
March 30, 2022

Placed order for pine straw delivery one day and it was delivered bright and early the next day! They even helped carry it from the curb! I call them every year for straw.

Brad Balkham
Brad Balkham
November 24, 2021

Carlos did an excellent job taking care of our landscaping and pine straw on extremely short notice. The timeliness, quality of work and value were exceptional. Highly recommend!

Natalie Bikulege
Natalie Bikulege
October 12, 2021

Carlos and his team drove all the way to Greenville and did an amazing job. We have been looking everywhere for a landscaping company to help us and no one was responding. Carlos and his daughter responded right away and worked us in as quickly as they could. He gave us great advice and we couldn’t be happier!!

Barry Sigal
Barry Sigal
July 21, 2021

Did a great job. Would use again

Dahlia Guerrero
Dahlia Guerrero
May 23, 2021

Great service beautiful work!!

Elizabeth Reigart
Elizabeth Reigart
April 5, 2021

Outstanding service, high quality product. Definitely will continue to use in the future. Thanks, Carlos for an excellent experience.

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