Storms come in all shapes and sizes, throughout the year. When major storms rip through your neighborhood causing floods, knocking down trees and fences and generally making a mess of the things, these landscaping repairs must be done. Some should be handled immediately after the storm to reduce the risk of injury, while others can be delayed until your timing and budget allow.
Tackle Wind Damage Immediately
Wind does a vast amount of damage during a storm. Whether the storm hits in winter, spring, summer or fall, heavy winds knock down trees, fences and outbuildings, as well as flatten your leggy perennials and hanging vines. When the results present a risk of injury, due to falling debris or hazardous conditions, immediate repairs are required.
Tree removal services are busy after a wind storm. Using heavy duty cranes for large trees or climbers and chainsaws for smaller specimens, a tree removal crew can make short work of storm damaged trees. Often the surrounding landscape is damaged in the process, unless the long boom of an industrial crane reaches from the road or driveway, protecting the turf and gardens around the fallen tree.
If a tree is poised in a dangerous position, such as leaning against the house, electric wires or another tree, contact a tree removal specialist right away. Warn your family, especially children and pets, to keep away. Branches are often under extreme tension. Any movement can result in swinging or broken branches and serious injury.
Ask your tree specialists about the wood chips or mulch left over once the trees are removed. This environmentally friendly practice also cuts down on disposal fees, and can be used to good effect as mulch anywhere else on your property.
Get the Fence Back Up Soon
Call your local fencing contractor for fence repairs as soon as possible post-storm. Partially because they become very busy after a storm, and partially because of labor and material availability, fencing contractors may not be able to get at your landscaping repairs right away. If your fence contains pets, creates privacy or maintains security on your property, it is important to have the fence back up right away.
In some cases the posts will need to be pulled out and reinstalled, depending on where the damage occurred. Heavy winds can crack and break posts off and the weight of leaning fence sections can also stress wood, vinyl or even metal posts to the breaking point. Be sure your fence posts are stable and strong before hanging new sections up again.
Certain fence styles are more prone to wind damage. Consider installing a wooden fence with gaps between the fence boards for better wind resistance. Solid board styles provide exceptional privacy, but also must take the full brunt of a strong wind and often don't last as long as other styles with a minimal gap between fence boards.
Also be sure your fence posts are set in the ground at least 3 to 4 feet down, anchored in concrete. This will help reduce the risk of leaning fences, as well as present a more uniform look around your yard for years to come.
Clean Up After Flooding
Flood waters carry anything and everything along with them, and often drop those things in the strangest of places. You may find any assortment of things on your lawn post-flood, and clean up should happen quickly. In many cases these items are harmless, but in the rare case that a dangerous item or substance has been left on your turf by flood waters, getting it cleaned up and out of the way immediately is wise.
Flooding also moves things out of your yard, often placing them up the street or five miles down the road, depending on the extent of the flooding. Cleaning up includes replacing all of the items in your yard, such as playground equipment, patio furniture and lawn ornaments. This doesn't have to be done immediately, but if your outdoor decor ended up a neighbor's lawn, you might want to claim it before it ends up in the dumpster.
Other Damage That Can Wait
Gardens and shrubs take a beating during heavy snow storms, rain storms and flooding. You may find damaged foliage and broken stems and branches. Some plants may repair themselves over time, while others require replacement. Dig up plants once the weather permits and replace as necessary.
Mulch run off is another problem in heavy rain storms. Clean up is the first job, and can be done with a rake and a few energetic volunteers. Collect the mulch in wheelbarrows or garbage bags and sift any other debris and garbage out. Reuse what you can by spreading it out on the gardens.
If you're leery about the problem reoccurring, try a heavier style of mulch the second time around. Some people opt for river rocks or large wood chips. Able to withstand heavy rains without moving, even the largest mulch will get easily washed away in flash floods. Consider garden edging to help retain mulch.
Trim back broken branches and clip back damaged perennials. Water-logged plants may look fine right after the storm, but time will tell. Be prepared to watch your gardens closely and take care of any decaying plant matter right away to avoid pest infestation or plant disease.
Storms damage your landscape, break trees and blow over fences. Take care of these landscaping repairs as soon as you can to protect property value and bring your home and family back to normal. Whether or not you handle everything today or next month, it helps to take care of things. If another storm comes on the heels of that damage, a freshly repaired lawn will stand up well.
Posted by: TrustedPros