Using Paving Stones to Prevent Water Erosion Around Your Home

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Lovely, Lively and Likable Landscaping Ideas: A Landscaping Blog

Hello! My name is Heather, and I absolutely love gardening and landscaping. I decided to start a blog about it because I wanted a creative project, and I hadn't written anything in a while. I work as a real estate agent, and I see first hand how important landscaping is in terms of curb appeal. In this blog, I plan to write about a range of landscaping topics, and I hope you like the results. I am married to Steve, an incredible and supportive husband. We have two daughters, Hillary and Sasha, and we spend a lot of time together in our yard. They are at the heart of everything I do, and this blog is dedicated to them. Enjoy!

Using Paving Stones to Prevent Water Erosion Around Your Home

16 May 2016
 Categories:
, Blog


Tired of rain water eroding the earth around your house? There are a number of solutions you can explore, and if you have some paving stones, they can help you control the water. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Create an erosion resistant path around your home.

If you don't have gutters, rainwater and melting snow will slide off your eaves, in sheets onto the ground below. This can cause the soil to wear away and erode, and eventually, the falling water may create a trough around your house.

To prevent this, build a path of paving stones around your house. Ideally, they should be positioned underneath the eaves.

2. Use paving stones to support downspout extensions.

If you have gutters to carry away the water from your house, you may want to add an extension to your downspout. This straight piece connects to your downspout and helps the water drain about a metre from your foundation. However, if the piece lies flat on the ground, the water may not move adequately.

To help encourage it, use a few paving stones to prop up the side of the extension closest to the house. If that alteration makes the extension too high to connect to the downspout, you may need to invest in a shorter downspout.

3. Build a slope with paving stones.

If you have water pooling around your foundation that is not related to your gutters, you need to slope the land around your house. You can do this with earth, but to make it look nicer, consider using paving stones.

Mound the earth up a bit next to your foundation, and place a paving stone flat on top of it. Then, position a vertically oriented paving stone next to the first paving stone. Its top edge should be flush with the edge of the paving stone next to the foundation. When this is in place, put down another flat paving stone on the ground. Its bottom edges should be flush with the bottom edge of your vertical paving stone. This arrangement makes a fun looking step that also helps move water away from your home. You can repeat the process until you have made as many "steps" as you need.

4. Combine paving stones with retaining walls.

If you are struggling with water erosion on other parts of your property, consider combing retaining walls and paving stones. A seasoned landscaper can use retaining walls to prevent earth from sloping due to water, and when combined with paving stones, these efforts can create a series of walls and patios that are uniquely decorative and functional.