3 Minutes Read
When people have an area in their community where they can gather, it creates strong connections and an even stronger local identity. Civic spaces are places where residents can come together to support ideas, debate topics, celebrate special events, host community and cultural events, and so much more.
Civic spaces combine landscape and hardscape design to create the perfect gathering space for the entire community to enjoy. A lot of thought goes into creating the ideal civic space; so you will want to take every measure to maintain them, including installing hardscape drainage solutions.
Civic Spaces and Drainage
There are two primary reasons for including hardscape drainage in a civic area design: protecting the space from water damage and ensuring the community's safety.
Heavy rainfall and melting snow can result in large amounts of water that can create puddles if it has nowhere to go. Over time, this can result in erosion, leaving ditches in the soil and cracks and holes in the paved areas. During colder months, if water gets into the damaged parts of paved areas, it can freeze and expand, widening the cracks and making the issues significantly worse.
This damage is not just unattractive–it is dangerous and can result in serious injury, which is why proper drainage is critical. These spaces see year-round use, so you want a reliable drainage system to protect them and keep them looking beautiful.
Commercial Hardscape Options
When looking for civic space drainage, you need to consider a few hardscape drainage basics: quality, efficiency, and appearance. The system you choose needs to be a reliable, high-quality system that does not take away from the design. Here are 5 hardscape drainage ideas to consider for your community's civic space
1. Trench Drains
A trench drain is the most traditional hardscape drainage choice. These systems can efficiently handle large amounts of water runoff, redirecting it from the ground through a subsurface channel covered by a metal grate.
The Trench Drain from Landscape Drains is a durable, stainless steel system that sits flush with the hardscape to create a safe walking area for pedestrian traffic. It comes with a catch basin that makes it easy to retrieve small objects that fall into the drain and has the option to choose from one of three decorative grates for a more personalized design.
2. Spot Drains
A spot drain is another option. Unlike trench drains, which are one elongated drain, spot drains use small, single drains connected through pipes underground.
Spot drains are smaller than trench drains, so the ground must slope towards the drain from all sides. These slopes create an uneven surface which can cause a feeling of instability.
3. Permeable Pavers
Permeable pavers differ greatly from the hardscape drainage basics of trench and spot drains. These are pavers designed to slowly redirect the water from the surface back into the soil. This helps reduce your dependence on storm sewers and also reduces the number of pollutants in the water runoff.
It is an attractive and environmentally-friendly option but costs more than traditional pavers. These pavers also require extra maintenance to avoid becoming clogged with sand or other fine particles. They are weaker than options like asphalt, and heavy objects can cause the pores to collapse, making them ineffective for drainage.
4. French Drains
A French drain is a subsurface drain system that redirects water runoff to a designated outlet. It is one of the oldest drainage options and is simple in design: it consists of a lined trench that houses a perforated pipe covered with gravel. Runoff trickles through the gravel into the pipe, where it moves to the designated outlet, which can be anything from a storm sewer to a swale.
Unlike other options, it is not necessarily the most subtle option in terms of hardscape drainage solutions. It is also the type of hardscape drainage that requires the most work to install, including extensive excavation. You want to hire an expert to ensure the system is done correctly.
5. Slot Drains
A more discreet hardscape drainage system is always an ideal solution. That is where the Slot Drain from Landscape Drains comes in: a sleek, linear system that lies flush with the surrounding hardscape. Unlike other systems, Slot Drain has a channel opening so small it doesn't require a drain cover–but is no less effective.
The Slot Drain system comes in various models meant to fit different needs, with their 7,000 Series ideal for civic spaces. It is easy to install and maintain and offers the same catch basin system as the company's Trench Drain system.
Maintaining Your Community's Civic Space
A civic space can become the heart of the community with the right dedication to design and maintenance. It isn't just about keeping the area clean but ensuring high-quality, functional, and attractive hardscape drainage solutions are in place. You want to have a solid understanding of the hardscape drainage basics when you are considering your options in order to make the best choice for your civic space.
Landscape Drains offers systems with the durability and functionality necessary without sacrificing aesthetics. Contact us today to find the best solution to your civic space hardscape drainage needs.
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