Crunchy brown grass, gardens suffering, water tanks low... that's our current predicament here in Matakana. In these times it's easy to forget about getting your property prepared for the wet season – but now is actually the right time to do it!
Here's our advice on what to do now, to prevent issues arising and to capture all that valuable water to use where and when it's needed:
1. Storm Water
Now is the time to make sure your storm water drains aren't blocked.
Get a plumber to check and clear your storm water pipes using their high pressure hose that will blast debris, roots and soil build up.
Think about putting in a detention tank to slowly release the storm water. This ensures your pipes wont get overloaded and possibly backed-up dealing with storm water. We recommend chatting to Tanksalot.co.nz, a great local company.
Image via HERE
Image via HERE
2. Culverts
Your driveway culverts need regular checking. So get down and make sure that they aren't blocked with leaves, branches, gravel or grass. Also, check for any cracks that could cause major problems. Then you'll rest easy knowing you can still get out of your driveway even during heavy rain.
Check whether your culvert is big enough. If your culvert hasn't handled heavy rain in the past and it's clear and crack-free, you may need to look at upgrading it. Give our team a call, we can dig out, deliver and replace old culverts for you.
3. Water Tanks and down pipes
Clear your gutters, down pipes and leaf catchers. Clear leaves from the valleys of your roof as these will make their way into your gutters when the rain hits and can clog up the gutters and then down pipes.
This is especially important if, like us, you rely on tank water. So make sure that any drop of water will make its way to your water tank.
Also now is a great time to think about installing another water tank on your property. At The Little Digger Company, we can help you choose the right tank, dig the pad and deliver the water tank to have your home as eco-friendly and water efficient as possible!
Image via HERE
4. No more soggy yards
Go around your property and check drainage grates and clear leaves and debris from them.
If you have a hill or slope which you know causes water run-off, get in contact with us and we can dig a swale, water diverting paths, make a dry creek bed, install water retention or detention tanks or what about a rain garden?!
Image via HERE
5. Tree Maintenance
Trim back trees and branches that could potentially fall on your home, power lines, fence or driveway. Why not get our Heavy Duty Wood Chipper out and turn your trimmings into beautiful mulch which will help your garden retain moisture.
Image via HERE
6. Roof Repairs
Fix any damage to your roof such as broken tiles or roof sheeting. Check your skylights and flashing and fix loose or sagging gutters and down pipes as any problems in these areas can lead to major house damage and flooding.