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AG VanGundy Landscape, Inc. & AG Landscape Materials, Inc. |
Posts Tagged ‘Drain Tile Work’
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Different projects require different types of stone/gravel. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we are often asked “What type of gravel should I use for this?” and “What’s the difference between this gravel and that stone?” Hopefully I can shed some light on this subject.
For construction projects, like patios, a good base is CA6—Grade 8, sometimes called driveway stone or crushed limestone. Grade 8 is a fractured stone with fine particles that lock together. After slightly moistening this gravel, it compacts tightly together making it a perfect choice for a base for concrete patios, driveways and walkways, for brick paving and retaining wall base. The particles are approx. ¾” in size down to dust. This is also helpful in laboring because the shovels go into the piles or can move the Grade 8 relatively easily.
At the quarry, this material is also screening separately into Limestone Screenings (Fines) and ¾” Washed or CA-7. The CA-7 is ¾ of an inch in size and is a good gravel to use in drainage or wet situations as water can pass through it and the fractured edges can lock together and still provide support for structures or vehicles. CA-7 is a good choice for under a shed in wetter areas or as a base when vehicles will be driving on it or parked on it.
Limestone Screenings make great pathways and bike trails. If you travel down the Illinois Prairie path, you’ve traveled on Limestone Screenings. The finer size is easy to smooth out. In wet areas; however, this material can change into ether a wet cement-like or a mashed potato-like consistency and may need heavier or larger rock added. In the past, many people and contractors alike used Limestone Screenings as a base for brick patios or walkways. Personally, I don’t suggest that application. My recommendation is to use 4” – 6” of compacted Grade 8 for pedestrian areas and 6” – 12” of compacted Grade 8 for vehicular areas with a 1” layer of bedding Torpedo Sand atop the compacted gravel.
There are several styles of Drainage Rock which often double as Decorative Stone. 1.5” Washed Rounds, ¾” Washed Rounds, and Pea Gravel are the most common of this type of stone. All of these stones have several uses, in addition to their outstanding drainage use; these types make excellent dog runs. Pea gravel can be used for pathways and like the ¾” Washed Rounds make an excellent ground cover below decks. This is also the very best stone to use in French Drains. The 1.5” Washed Rounds is an excellent alternative to Decorative Stone.
There are so many sizes, styles, and colors of Decorative Stone that it would be impossible to list them all or even cover the stone we sell here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. in this blog. Our personal favorites here; however, are American Heritage, Meremac, Lava Stone, White Marble, Western Sunset, and Tiffany Pink. Each of these stones has a uniqueness that helps solve most landscape situations in their own right. Some stone, like American Heritage, are heavy and round which works well during fall leaf removals where strong blowers are used to remove leaves and the stone stays because it is heavy. Where color is the determining factor, Lava, Western Sunset, or Marble are popular choices. We highly recommend that you view the Decorative Stone in person, prior to purchasing it.
We also recommend that if you have any doubts about what type of stone or gravel to use in your project, talk to a professional. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we love to talk to our customers. We want to ensure that you get the right stone that you can drain through, build on, or highlight your landscape, to give you that unique look that sets your property apart from everyone else’s.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Dog Runs, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Hardscaping, Landscape Planning, Patio, Retaining Wall Construction, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General, Hardscaping, Landscape Planning | No Comments »
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. we hear questions nearly everyday about topsoil. The most common questions are:
Is it pulverized?
Is it or does it have clay in it?
What about “clumps”?
Well, today I’m going to try and clear up some things about topsoil.
At A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we sell pulverized topsoil that has predominately been stacked in a farm field or development. This topsoil is the excess that is not needed for the development. Weather it is our topsoil or another company’s; it is always sold from the excess. The soil is usually taken from a huge pile that was made when large earth moving scrapers skimmed the top 6” – 1’ of soil off and deposited it out of the way. Engineers calculate how much is in the pile and how much is needed to cover the areas for the development and the excess is sold off. Some is sold as pulverized topsoil, soil that is lifted into a hopper, then lead into a shredder and separator where particles/stone larger than 1” go to the side and the rest goes down a long conveyer to either a waiting dump truck or to again be stacked for later loading into trucks. For our purposes, it is loaded onto a semi-truck, shipped to our location in Roselle and deposited into our topsoil bin for distribution. That is the easy part.
The quality of topsoil depends first on the location the soil is removed from and then how deep the scrapers go into the surface. There is always a layer between the “subclay” and the top layer. This is usually entered into and some usually goes into the original pile. This year will be challenging to first find the best soil and a site that is not too far away as construction and the creation of large developments has really slowed down due to the economy. We are fortunate to be associated with suppliers that bring the best soil possible. That’s a key phrase – “The best soil possible”, because as I mentioned above, the scrapers sometimes enter a heavier soil.
Most of the state of Illinois has mineral based soil. Peat is not topsoil. It is broken down vegetation and moss, giving the soil a compost-like texture. It is considered to be an additive to topsoil not the base of it.
The consistency of the particles can have many variables. Moisture can have a lot to do with marbling that occurs when the soil travels down the conveyers. Clumping can happen when the that soil is moist is placed on a truck, dumped here and then re-handled by the tractor, placed again on a truck and then deposited on your driveway. This is what generally causes clumping. Any gardener will tell you that handling moist/wet soil will cause clumping and should be refrained from excessive handling. However, this may be impossible. We tarp our soil, but that does not guarantee the soil will remain perfectly pulverized, but it does keep clumping to a minimum.
Have you ever had topsoil brought in only to find out that after a rain or two and baking in the sun that it becomes hard? This is not an uncommon occurrence. It does not mean that the soil is clay. Since the first settlers came to this area our soils have been a challenge. Fertile but hard, that is why special plows were developed to break up the soil to farm it. Today is no different. Pulverized topsoil is great for lawns, gardens, and planting beds. For vegetable gardens it is great to mix in compost to keep the soil looser and make it more fertile. Pulverized topsoil is also easier to handle as compared to raw or rough topsoil which could have 1’ – 2’ clumps that even the best shovelers have a hard time breaking.
All in all the topsoil from A.G. Landscape, Materials, Inc. is a great product for all of your landscaping needs.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Landscape Installations, Roselle, Schaumburg, topsoil
Posted in General, topsoil | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
The temperatures are rising and the snow is melting, these are sure signs that spring is almost here. However, the arrival of spring and the rains that are inevitable on top of the wet ground from the melting snow may create drainage issues for some of you. The ground becomes saturated and water may end up just sitting in the low spots in your yard. This can create a slew of problems, i.e. mowing your yard may become difficult, standing water breeds mosquitoes, and the pets and kids come back to the house wet and muddy. So, instead of enjoying spring, it becomes a hassle.
Why not fix the problem? It can be as simple as hiring a landscape contractor, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to fix it or you can do it yourself. If you choose the latter, you will need to assess the problem and decide whether or not installing a drain tile system is the way to go. You may decide that re-grading your yard is the option for you. However, if you decide to go the drain tile route, the first thing you’ll need to determine is where the water is coming from and where you want it to go. Once that is figured out, you’re on your way to a drier yard.
The first step will be to decide how you want to install the drain tile and where you want it to exit on your property and if you are connecting to the sump pump exit or downspout exits. One thing you will need to consider before making this determination is the freeze/thaw cycles. It may not be beneficial to hook up directly to the exits. You may want to have a 3” – 4” space between the exits and drainage system to “free fall” the water into the drainage system. When it comes to the actual installation, I would highly recommend using a non-perforated type of tile for the first 10 feet after passing the house and then connect a socked perforated tile for the remainder. We’ll discuss the actual installation a little later.
O.K. now you’ve made the decisions you need, the next step is to check with your village/town to find out if a Permit is required for this type of work. Although I’m not sure of all towns, I do know that Schaumburg does require one. If your town does require one, apply for it as soon as possible. They will probably require a plat of survey with any/all additions and/or outbuildings located on it, where the proposed drain system is going to be installed, the type and amount of materials you will be using and a small fee.
Once you receive your permit, be sure to contact JULIE to mark your property at least 2 business days prior to beginning your digging. You might want to check out my blog on Locate Utilities Prior to Digging. After your property is marked you’ll be ready to go once you have the materials you need.
Here’s a quick checklist of the recommended materials:
1. Drain Tile (both Socked Perforated & Non-Perforated may be needed)
2. Any connections you may need
3. Landscape Fabric
4. Grates for exits
5. Topsoil for repairing the yard from trench work
6. Sod and/or seed
Contact a company such as A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. @ www.agvangundy.com or at (630) 295-8190 and we can deliver the materials to your driveway or you can pick them up at our yard.
Now that you have your permit, your property is marked, and you have the materials, you’re ready to start the trench work.
The trench you need should be a minimum of 12” wide and 18” in depth. Your pitch within the trench may vary depending on your specific needs. Once the trench is dug and you’re ready to install the drain tile.
As I mentioned earlier, I would recommend using a non-perforated drain tile for the first 10 feet after passing the house when you’re connecting to the sump pump and/or downspout exits. This will usually allow for the water to sufficiently pass the home and not find its way back toward the house. This type of drain tile can be installed directly into the trench with no additional gravel or fabric.
For the socked perforated drain tile, you will need to install landscape fabric in the trench to wrap the gravel and the tile within it. Be sure to leave enough fabric on the sides to accommodate this.
Once you have the trench lined with the fabric, you need to install drainage rock (usually ¾” washed round gravel). You will need to install this gravel at an approximate depth of 4” around the circumference of the socked perforated drain tile.
Now that you have the fabric liner, and the first 4” of ¾” washed round gravel installed, you can lay the socked perforated drain tile. Finish installing the rest of the gravel and then fold over the landscape fabric. This will inhibit the topsoil from leaching into the gravel and the drain tile.
To finish off the trench in the yard, you will want to install approximately 4” of topsoil atop the non-perforated drain tile and atop the fabric around the socked perforated drain tile. Then install sod or seed to repair the grass in the yard.
At the exit end of the drain tile, I would suggest a minimum 3’ deep by 2’ wide exit pit. This pit should be lined with fabric and the same gravel you used in the trench.
Normally, we at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. place an elbow from the socked perforated tube to the top of the pit with a perforated grate sealing the top to allow water to exit and keep gravel out.
As you can see, installing drain tile isn’t necessarily a difficult job to perform and is a job that is absolutely a do it yourself type project, if you’re at all on the handy side. But, as I’ve mentioned earlier, hiring a Landscape Contractor such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. is another option for you. Contact us at www.agvangundy.com or call us at (630) 295-8190 and we’ll try to help you decide the best way to alleviate your drainage problem so that you can enjoy your spring in a dry yard.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Drain Tile, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Lawn Care, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in Drain Tile Installation | No Comments »
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Spring is just around the corner, I can feel it. Have you noticed that there are some days you can almost smell spring in the air? It’s getting exciting!
Over the past few weeks, I have posted blogs on topics from Firewood Purchasing to Marking the Utilities on your Property. I hope that you have found them informative and helpful and that you use them as a point of reference when it comes to your landscaping.
The next few months will be very interesting as I plan on posting blogs relevant to specific projects you may be considering to do on your own. For instance, if your lawn really needs a make-over, look for my 5 part blog on lawn renovations; it will take you step by step on how to achieve a great looking yard. If gardening is something you’re looking forward to, make sure you check out my future blogs on planting Annuals, Fill Dirt vs. Topsoil vs. Compost, Mulching, and General Plantings. I know a lot of you will be interested in Do-It-Yourself Hardscaping Projects, so I plan on publishing blogs regarding Brick Paving, Retaining Walls and Firepits. I’ll also include blogs on Polymeric Sand vs. Jointing Sand for those installations as well as a blog discussing the maintenance of the brick work once it’s installed, specifically cleaning and sealing of the brick. There are also some misconceptions out there regarding Mulches (Hardwood, Premium Hardwood Bark, Dyed…). Hopefully, I’ll be able to clear up some of those when my Mulch blog gets posted. Many of you will experience drainage problems with the arrival of spring. Don’t get too worked up about it. One of my next blogs will take you through the process of how to solve this issue.
These are just a few of the blogs scheduled to be published during the next few weeks/months. Of course, if you have any ideas, I’d love to hear from you. You can forward the contact form found on our website at www.agvangundy.com with your ideas.
Finally, although the next few blogs will be geared toward doing it yourself, hiring a contractor such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. is always an option. Go to our website at www.agvangundy.com and forward a quote request to us and we’ll be happy to start working with you.
Here’s hoping for a great spring!!
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Dormant Pruning, Drain Tile, Drain Tile Work, Hardscaping, Landcape Construction, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, Lawn Care, Patio, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Our snow plow drivers have just returned from what is probably one of the last snow events of the season. Although the snow fall was not as much as the forecasters had predicted, it was a very heavy wet snow that melted off the plowed and/or shoveled surfaces fairly quickly. This is one of the signs that spring can’t be too far away – the average temperature is on its way up; however, we’ll probably see a little more snow and some cold days/nights, but spring is definitely on its way.
When spring does finally get here and you start your outdoor projects, you need to remember that in the state of Illinois, you must contact JULIE whenever your project requires digging of any kind. It’s a simple process and one that should be done by your contractor, if you have hired one, or by yourself if you are the one doing the digging.
JULIE stands for Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators and they provide the free service of notifying its utility members to come to your project site and mark the underground utility wires. Even if your utilities are mostly above ground, it is still an Illinois state law that you must contact JULIE prior to digging. You can contact JULIE several ways; you can call them at 811 or 1-800-892-0123 or go on line and complete an E-Request.
You need to contact JULIE at least two (2) business days before starting your digging and you must start within 14 days of your call. So, that means if you want to start your project on a Saturday, you will need to contact JULIE no later than Wednesday. Some information you will need to complete your request is:
1. Your name, address and a phone number at which you can be reached
2. The county and city/town you are digging in, if unincorporated, the county
and the area of the township
3. Location of the digging (address, cross street, subdivision, name…)
4. When you plan to start your digging
5. Section/Quarter of the property, if available.
The JULIE representative will then inform you of the utilities that will be notified. The utility member (not a JULIE employee) will then “mark” your property with paint and/or flags. It is important to remember that utilities that are privately owned or installed will not be marked and are your responsibility. Examples of these types of wiring include, but are not limited to:
1. Invisible Dog Fence Wiring
2. Electrical lines for low voltage wiring
3. Wiring to a garage or shed
4. Gas lines to a swimming pool or grill
If you have hired a landscape contractor, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to install your project, the contractor should be the person that calls in the JULIE locate request. Be sure to check with your contractor to ensure that this important practice is followed. It can prevent a lot of headaches down the road.
If you would like more information about JULIE and the service it provides, you can go to their website at www.illinois1call.com. The website has a lot of good information as well as the e-request form for submitting your locate request on-line.
Just remember to contact JULIE before digging & let’s hope for a great spring!
Tags: AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Drain Tile Work, Hardscaping, Landcape Construction, landscaping, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General | No Comments »
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