ALWAYS PITCH AWAY FROM THE HOUSE

It’s crucial to pitch water AWAY from your house—drainage should carry the water seeping down through the ground away from your foundation. And on this property, we had to deal with a significant amount of ledge. We put a lot of effort and materials into waterproofing, and we’re following that up by ensuring water doesn’t get trapped against the ledge and sit up against the foundation. And that is where properly planned drainage systems and detailed site work come into play. The elevation grade on the front side of the house will gradually run  down toward the street, pitching away from the house. And the garage and driveway will get similar treatment—pitching toward the street.  

A ROCK GARDEN WITH A HIDDEN AGENDA

A stairway will hug the side of the garage and lead down to a landing at our final elevation on the back side of the house. Below that is a big drop-off with a 6-inch PVC pipe poking out. This is tied into our exterior drainage system surrounding the entire home as well as the interior perimeter drain. All of the collected water will exit out of the PVC pipe. So, we’ve been collecting the rocks on the property and using them to build a rock garden. But this rock garden (aka rain garden) has a hidden agenda—it allows the water to recharge back into the groundwater without creating a washout. And Julia, the architect and homeowner, is designing a retaining wall just above the rock garden using some of the natural stone that was originally on this property. 

‍If you have the opportunity to repurpose materials and natural elements found on-site, by all means, go for it! 

It’s time to discover what NS Builders can intentionally design and build for you! Contact us today to get started on your custom dream home. Together, we can make it happen. 

—Nick Schiffer