Cul-de-sac lots and concentrated flow in Houston
The last lot on the bulb often inherits everyone else’s grade. The bowl is not an accident. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Journal
Field notes.
When the street sends water onto a Houston lot
Curb overflow and driveway inlets that back up are municipal as much as residential. We still have to protect the house. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Uphill water moving toward a Houston house
Intercept on the way. Collecting at the foundation is late and more expensive. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Crawl-space moisture that starts in the Houston yard
Perimeter water finds the vent and the dirt. Indoor dehumidifiers do not fix an outdoor path. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Retaining-wall drainage on a Houston slope
Walls fail when water sits behind them. Weep and collection belong in the design, not as a regret. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Dry wells in Houston: when they help and when they fill on week one
A dry well is a bet that the soil can accept volume. Clay and a high water table often refuse the bet. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
The yard drain that used to work in Houston
Grates sink. Lawns get built up. The low point moves. The old drain sits high and dry — except it is not dry around it. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
When an existing French drain in Houston stops working
Silt, roots, a crushed line, or an outlet that disappeared under new dirt. The product did not fail as an idea. The path failed. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Muddy dog runs and side gates in Houston
Traffic plus shade plus roof water equals permanent mud. Collection and conveyance beat more gravel forever. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
A playset or garden that never dries in Houston
Kids and tomatoes do not thrive in a bowl. Localized capture is often enough if the rest of the lot drains. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Downspouts flooding flower beds in Houston
A bed is not a discharge. It is a sponge that fails and then rots the plants you paid for. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.
Water collecting between two Houston houses
Two roofs, one alley of dirt, zero daylight. This is the classic corridor failure. Local notes for Houston: Gulf Coast prairie clay that accepts water slowly and holds it.