Americans call this time of year “Fall”, which is actually a shortening of the phrase “Fall of the leaf”. And as you’d expect, falling leaves are the primary cause of blocked drains in Autumn. Leaves from deciduous trees come down in their millions. They’re light enough to blow around in the wind, but get heavy and clump together when wet, and can take a long time to decompose.
Autumn is also a time of year when we can expect heavy rainfall and storms. So it’s essential that your drains are not blocked and can work properly to keep your property from flooding.
So what can you do to stop autumn leaves from blocking your drains?
Firstly, get the garden rake out and rake up as many leaves as you can! It sounds like hard work but just doing it for a few minutes each day, or a hour or so a week, will really help. And don’t just throw them in the rubbish. You can compost the leaves to produce nutrient-rich mulch for your flower beds.
A leaf blower is a great tool to help to get all the leaves in one corner of the garden. We wouldn’t recommend trying to blow or rake up leaves on a windy day though, it can be frustrating! You can also get garden vacuums to pick them up, and some leaf blowers have a reverse function sucking the leaves into a collecting bag.
You should also check your gutters. Grab your gardening gloves or rubber gloves and a stepladder and carefully scoop out as many leaves as it’s safe for you to reach.
You also need to thoroughly check your drains. Have any leaves made it through the grate, or are they covering the grate itself? That could stop any water from draining away, causing flooding. And if you don’t have grates, or drain guards, this is definitely the time of year to think about investing in some. They make your drain look neat and tidy, and will stop debris of all kinds, like stones and twigs, from entering the drainage system. Prevention is better than cure!
Just as we hate autumn colds that leave us feeling bunged up, a happy drain is one that isn’t blocked. So if your drains are congested, give us a call at Happy Drains and we’ll come and put things right. Our number is 0800 849 8099.
