Our Approach to Wet Basements and Stormwater Management
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Create a healthier, low-maintenance yard with native plants that conserve water, reduce maintenance, and support pollinators in Wisconsin
formecology, LLC proudly accepts three awards at the “CotY” (Contractor of the Year) “Celebrating Excellence” ceremony on November 9th! The event was hosted by NARI of Madison (National Association of the Remodeling Industry). NARI is an organization of high-quality remodeling professionals. Its members are committed to integrity, high standards, professional education, ethics and market recognition. The CotY is a prestigious award presented each year to NARI members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. Winning projects must meet score requirements under the following criteria: To what degree were the expressed needs of the client met? To what degree does the project enhance the existing structures functionally? To what degree does the project enhance the existing structure aesthetically? Is there evidence of superior craftsmanship? Were innovative uses of material and/or methods of construction used in the project?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Evolution of a drawing- Here are images from our sketch process from rough to refined. We started with our plan view drawing to come up with an attractive refined perspective to help communicate the idea and project! When drawing, start fast, be loose and get tighter as you go. It’s a layered process so trace paper is perfect. The next step is having our knowledgeable and experienced installation crew bring it from paper to reality!
Formecology, LLC is a Finalist in the Madison Magazine’s “Best of Madison 2022”!
Formecology, LLC Attains Green Professional Status for their 8th Consecutive Year
With each heavy rain, our office receives a lot of ‘wet basement’ phone calls. Here are a few pointers to help assist in finding the problem and knowing potential solutions for stormwater management before calling the professionals with our ‘top/down, outside/in’ approach!
What to look for from the ‘top/down, outside/in’:
- Poor or damaged roofing materials
- Gutters and downspouts aren’t working properly, are misplaced, undersized, or clogged
- Lawn/shrub irrigation system discharging too much water next to the house
- Poor site grading – The landscape is unable to deal with onsite/offsite stormwater
- Leaky basement windows and clogged window wells
- Hydrostatic pressure – Caused by the water table rising under a foundation, groundwater in water-saturated soils is then pushed into the basement.
- Your neighbor’s water and how it rolls off their property can also be your issue
- Foundation cracks, holes, and other entry points
- Improperly functioning sump pump
Why does my basement get wet at certain times and not every year?
Structural improvements (Exterior)
Site improvements – Two approaches
Utilize the landscape and soils to convey (move), store and filter stormwater (landscape/soil solutions).
Regrading/redirecting water – Shaping around the structure by raising or lowering the grade
Drainage systems & conveying water – Moving away from the structure (above ground and underground)
Rainwater infiltration – Managing away from the structure
- Rain gardens (yard and terrace) and native plants
- Infiltration trenches – Long, relatively shallow excavated areas, lined with filter fabric, then filled with rock
- Consider subgrade/subsoils and water table
Rainwater harvesting – rain barrels
driveways make up the largest percentage of impervious surfacing on a site!)
- Reduce – Ecodriveways
- Resurface Porous/permeablepaving, etc.
- Reslope – Draining impervious surfaces into a rain garden or redirecting drainpipes away from driveways can help.
How to Hire a Professional
- When selecting a landscape contractor, you should find one that has experience and a good track record with water issues.
- They should pitch an integrated top/down & outside/in approach.
- The contractor should work well with other contractors (I.E. basement waterproofer, remodeler, etc.) and only use other reputable contractors.
- Contractors should warranty their work, have good references, and provide you with an understating of how to maintain your water solutions.
Want to learn more? Email your questions/issues to: info@formecology.com or check out the ‘Events’ page for our upcoming ‘Landscape Your Way to a Dry Basement’ presentations.
Create a healthier, low-maintenance yard with native plants that conserve water, reduce maintenance, and support pollinators in Wisconsin
formecology, LLC proudly accepts three awards at the “CotY” (Contractor of the Year) “Celebrating Excellence” ceremony on November 9th! The event was hosted by NARI of Madison (National Association of the Remodeling Industry). NARI is an organization of high-quality remodeling professionals. Its members are committed to integrity, high standards, professional education, ethics and market recognition. The CotY is a prestigious award presented each year to NARI members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. Winning projects must meet score requirements under the following criteria: To what degree were the expressed needs of the client met? To what degree does the project enhance the existing structures functionally? To what degree does the project enhance the existing structure aesthetically? Is there evidence of superior craftsmanship? Were innovative uses of material and/or methods of construction used in the project?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Evolution of a drawing- Here are images from our sketch process from rough to refined. We started with our plan view drawing to come up with an attractive refined perspective to help communicate the idea and project! When drawing, start fast, be loose and get tighter as you go. It’s a layered process so trace paper is perfect. The next step is having our knowledgeable and experienced installation crew bring it from paper to reality!
Formecology, LLC is a Finalist in the Madison Magazine’s “Best of Madison 2022”!
Formecology, LLC Attains Green Professional Status for their 8th Consecutive Year
Formecology, LLC named NARI Regional Team CotY Winner! February 1st, 2021—The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named Formecology, LLC (team member) and Artisan Deck and Design, LLC 2021 North Central Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) winners in the Residential Exterior $50,000-$100,000 category in its’ annual awards competition.
Formecology, LLC won three “CotY” (Contractor of the Year) awards at the “Celebrating Excellence” virtual award ceremony on November 5th! The event was hosted by NARI of Madison (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) of which Formecology, LLC has been a member of for seven years. NARI is an organization of high-quality remodeling professionals. Its members are committed to integrity, high standards, professional education, ethics and market recognition. The CotY is a prestigious award presented each year to NARI members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. As first year entrants, Formecology, LLC won a CotY Award on all three of their entries. The CotY is awarded to projects that meet score requirements under the following criteria: To what degree were the expressed needs of the client met? To what degree does the project enhance the existing structures functionally? To what degree does the project enhance the existing structure aesthetically? Is there evidence of superior craftsmanship? Were innovative uses of material and/or methods of construction used in the project? Formecology, LLC entered a joint project with Artisan Deck and Design, LLC in the category of “Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living under $100,000”. This project consisted of a new entryway trellis and natural stone walkway. Both contractors in this winning project will receive a CotY award. Formecology, LLC’s second winning entry was a beautifully constructed “eco-driveway” in the “Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living $40,001 to $60,000” category. The driveway was built to help manage and redirect stormwater (and to help keep it from contaminating our lakes and rivers) but can also function as a patio/entertainment space. The third entry and CotY Award winning project was Evansville’s very own “ The Grove Market ” in the “Commercial Exterior” category. Local owners of this farm-to-table bistro hired Formecology, LLC to design and install a safe, ADA-accessible, low-maintenance, inviting outdoor space that tied well into their regionally based, historic building.
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U sing natural stones is a niche for this sustainable landscape company. Not only do hardscapes that we build with natural stones provide beauty, safety and longevity, but they are also more eco-friendly.
U sing natural stones is a niche for this sustainable landscape company. Not only do hardscapes that we build with natural stones provide beauty, safety and longevity, but they are also more eco-friendly.
Native perennials are not only aesthetically pleasing and beneficial to local flora and fauna, but also a great means of erosion control. Root systems of perennials are exponentially deeper than standard turf grass and persist for years. Roots can anchor down into the soil up to 15 feet, making them great soil stabilizers. These roots are also able to capture phosphorus runoff before they can reach our ground water supply. As we know, phosphorus run-off from agricultural production is a culprit in producing blue-green algae blooms in our Wisconsin lakes and rivers. Also with great big roots, perennials can out-compete weeds or harmful invasive species, reducing the need for toxic herbicide application. Additionally, these roots establish channels throughout the soil, providing aeration, water, and nutrient flow for neighboring plants. Perennials provide moisture to soil, making the soil less prone to drying out and erosion. Deep roots can reach nutrients that are not found in top soil. Perennials bring these out-of-reach nutrients to other plants which can benefit. These long root systems take in all the nutrients perennials need, requiring less work from the gardener. Formecology just recently completed a shoreline project at Frank Lloyd Wright’s John Pew House residence in which we installed erosion control measures on a hillside facing Lake Mendota. We blanketed the hillside with Envirolok, LLC native vegetative mats. The beauty of these perennial mats is that they provide an instant plant matrix to make the hillside stronger against erosion over time as the roots grow. We are very excited to see the hillside grow and bloom in years to come.
