Is your commercial property underwater? Stormwater can damage your commercial property and increase maintenance costs, but it doesn’t have to be that way. By updating your stormwater management system, you can keep everything dry, safe, and looking its best.
If you’re interested in learning about stormwater control, you’re in luck! We’ve written a handy guide to 9 signs of bad stormwater management, and how to address them. Read on to learn more!
What Is the Main Cause of Stormwater Damage?
Stormwater in and of itself is not usually responsible for property damage. Occasionally you’ll have a leaky roof or foundation due to structural issues, but those issues are quickly resolved by repairs.
Stormwater damage happens more slowly, and you may not even notice it until it’s too late. What causes stormwater damage to occur?
The majority of the time, it is a grading and drainage issue on your property. Improper drainage means that stormwater builds up in undesirable places, causing damage to concrete and other structures.
Bad grading can also increase stormwater damage. Too high of a slope can lead to faster erosion and washouts, while too low of a slope leads to slow drainage.
In order to fix stormwater management issues, you will likely need to adjust your grading and drainage on your site. A cost-effective way of controlling stormwater drainage on a site without regrading is to increase the permeable surfaces.
This includes planting more landscaping, using permeable hardscaping, and using natural features such as trees and rocks to slow down the flow of water. The more hard surfaces you have on-site, the more water you will have to deal with.
Let’s take a further look at what all this water can do to your site, and how to identify it.
1. Damaged Hardscape
Stormwater management is a very important issue to address in urban areas. Stormwater can cause many problems, including water damage to hardscapes like concrete and pavers, cracked concrete, or damaged pavement. This can lead to further deterioration of the surface or even structural damage to the building.
You can check for stormwater management issues by investigating the hardscape around your property. Discoloration, cracks, and pits in concrete or other pavers could indicate a water issue. Shifting hardscape materials (such as uneven sidewalks) could also indicate issues with stormwater being trapped onsite.
2. Erosion
The two main issues that erosion causes are water quality and safety. Stormwater runoff can carry pollutants from parking lots, sidewalks, and other surfaces into rivers, lakes, and streams which can contaminate the water supply and harm wildlife.
Erosion can also lead to flooding by affecting the drainage system of the property. Mud and water-swept debris clog drains and culverts, not allowing water to escape.
Erosion also damages the land around your commercial building by removing valuable topsoil. This can degrade the structural integrity of the ground around your building and lead to further issues.
There are many ways to control erosion from stormwater. If you have an area that is prone to erosion, consider using some geotextile mesh or establishing some landscaping. The mesh or plant roots will hold onto the soil and keep it from being swept away.
3. Water Coming Indoors
If your building is located on a low grade, chances are higher that stormwater may get in. Water flows downward, and if your site is situated in a low point, that’s likely the first place that water is going to go.
Unfortunately, indoor building materials are not meant to withstand stormwater. This can become a very costly issue, very quickly. Damaged flooring or even foundations are an expensive headache.
There are two main stormwater solutions for a scenario such as this. The first is to regrade your site and improve the drainage around it. This can often be expensive but might be necessary if you are in a flood zone or low point.
The second is to increase water infiltration around your building. Planting more landscaping and using permeable paving surfaces gives water a chance to soak into the ground instead of through your building’s front door.
4. Sinkholes
Sinkholes occur due to a number of stormwater management issues. Erosion of the soil underneath your paving is one potential culprit. Even water that we cannot see can cause erosion underground.
Another potential culprit is standing water and loose soil. The weight of this water over time will push the paving and weak soil down, causing depressions.
Unfortunately, once a sinkhole forms, there is no quick and easy repair. The area will have to be dug out, and you will have to address the cause of the sinkhole before filling it in and repaving it.
5. Silt Deposits
Another sign of bad stormwater management is areas of silt and mud deposits. This reveals a combination of two issues: poor water drainage and soil erosion.
You may notice silt deposits near landscaping areas. This means that water is draining out of your landscaping and taking topsoil with it.
Not only is the silt unsightly, but it can also stain your hardscape and clog drainage if it is allowed to continue to build up. Additionally, it could pose a slipping hazard for people walking on your paving.
To prevent silt deposits, you must first address why your landscaping is not retaining its water and topsoil. Using geotextile mesh to prevent soil erosion is a great start.
You can also evaluate the plants you are using and replace them with larger plants. The increased root and ground coverage will trap more water and soil in the area, leading to less runoff.
6. Damaged Landscaping
Sure, plants need water. But too much water can be bad for them as well, especially stormwater. Stormwater runoff can have negative impacts on plants and landscaping due to pollutants. Plants can also drown from being overwatered.
There are several signs to look for in plants when evaluating your stormwater management system:
- Wilting, droopy plants
- Discoloration on leaves (a sign of too much runoff fertilizer intake)
- Dead plants
- Mold and mildew on plants or on the ground
- Shallow rooting on plants from soil erosion
- Plants being ripped out of the ground
In order to prevent the negative effects of stormwater on landscaping, there are several things that can be done. One way is to use rain barrels and other rain harvesting technologies to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that reaches the landscape.
Another way is to limit the amount of time that water sits on the ground by using porous paving materials in parking areas, driveways, and sidewalks which will absorb excess water before it reaches the plants and landscaping.
Smart rain garden construction can help you trap and filter stormwater to use for watering your landscaping. This not only helps with stormwater control but can also help cut down on water bills during hot, dry months!
7. Exposed Roots On Trees
Similar to damaged landscaping plants, trees are also a way to gauge stormwater management issues on your property. If water is eroding the soil, tree roots may become exposed.
This can lead to a number of issues. First, exposed tree roots are a tripping hazard and also make landscaping more difficult. They are also unsightly.
Second, exposed roots are not getting the nutrients and water uptake that they need to keep the tree healthy. Roots need nutrients from the soil and also uptake water that is absorbed in the soil.
Finally, exposed roots are a dangerous foretelling of falling trees in the future. The more shallow the roots, the less firmly the tree is anchored to the ground. A strong storm could send that tree crashing into your commercial property, leading to expensive removal and repairs.
Adding more dirt on top of the roots does not address the problem and will likely just lead to more soil erosion. You will need to address the grading around your trees to ensure that no more soil is being lost around the roots.
8. Standing Water
Standing water on your site is a telltale sign of issues with your stormwater management systems. This is the number one indicator of a grading and drainage issue.
Good grading and drainage on a site mean that water is either being moved off-site or absorbed into the ground. Any standing water that isn’t meant to be there is an issue.
Standing water causes quite a few issues. It can damage and discolor hardscape, seep into building foundations, and act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. It is also unsightly and can also smell bad.
9. More Insects
Many species of insects love water. Larvae from species such as mosquitoes actually require water to hatch and grow. Standing water and overly moist soil from inadequate drainage can lead to mosquito infestation.
Other insects seek higher ground to escape stormwater. Silverfish, spiders, and cockroaches in your building might be a sign of standing stormwater or overly-saturated soil.
While an increase in insect activity on your property may be a bad sign for your stormwater management, there are some species that are desirable. Dragonflies and mayflies are important parts of the ecosystem and thrive in moist environments.
This isn’t to say that leaving standing water for these insects is a good idea. But if you notice more creepy crawlies around your property after heavy rains, you might have an issue with stormwater on your site.
Improving Your Stormwater Management
Stormwater management is a tricky balancing act. Even the best-graded site can shift over time to become a wet nightmare. Make sure that you are evaluating your site on a regular basis for any of the aforementioned signs of stormwater issues.
If you are looking for professional stormwater management system installation and maintenance, we offer a suite of commercial services. These include stormwater management, landscaping, and general construction.
Contact us online today, or call us at (719) 570-1599 for a free cost estimate. We look forward to working with you!