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Landscape Grade
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How to Grade Landscape

The grade of any particular tract of land in Houston appears to be completely flat, almost as if it were some sort of table top made from earth. On closer inspection, however, we can see many places in very yard where dips and rises create places where water can erode significant amounts of topsoil or collect in pools that become stagnant and breed mosquito larvae. You need someone who knows how to grade landscape in order to prevent both of these conditions from occurring in your yard.

While there are many companies in our area that can alter land grade, the best people to go to our Houston landscaping designers such as the team at Exterior Worlds. These experts know how to create carefully concealed, yet highly effective slopes that move rainwater away from the home foundation, sensitive vegetations, and the many manmade structures that collectively form an outdoor living environment.

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Perhaps the most important element of Houston landscaping design is one that people never see. This is a concealed network of drains that prevent rainwater from eroding topsoil and collecting in stagnating pools. This preserves the integrity of the yard, provided that experts who know how to grade landscape design with appropriate slopes that channel the water as quickly as possible into the drains.

As important as it is to create effective drainage systems, this is only one aspect of the many dimensions of grading the foundation for a Houston landscaping master plan. Equally important is the creation of level terrain that will eventually support the foundations of a number of unique hardscape designs.

Walkways, swimming pool patios, custom patios, courtyards, and decks all require level ground to support their stability. Professionals know how to grade landscape slope into a completely flat, compacted surface are necessary to create these subsurface ground foundations. Without their expertise, structures will eventually shift and eventually crack with the earth if build on unstable soil.

It is also very important to work with a team that knows how to grade landscape slope for specific softscape elements. Different types of vegetation are characterized by varying degrees of sensitivity to large quantities of water. Many also require a measure of vertical impact to stand out to viewers who are visiting the yard. Slopes around these elements may be nothing more than decorative changes in landscape grade that are built to emphasize form and magnify curb appeal.

Garden designers particularly must know how to grade landscapes in a way that will create earthworks to support both organic and inorganic garden elements. Some garden designs also feature multiple levels of vegetation which are planted in a variety of decorative arrangements.

Hedges typically require a clearly linear run of raised earth to stand out effectively as borders between special zones of interest. Flower beds that feature a higher level of aesthetic must be built on more than common mounds of earth, and tree walls often must be planted on landscaping berms with appropriately sloped runoff areas to maintain the integrity of their form.