DIY Erosion Control Tips for Your Home and Property

Erosion's impact on personal property and its potential to diminish its value raises concerns for home and property owners. In this blog, we present a range of erosion control techniques aimed at safeguarding your property's integrity. Learn how the strategic use of plants, rocks, mulch, drainage, and a DIY weather-resistant barrier can effectively mitigate damage and protect your property from the devastating effects of erosion.

What is Erosion?

Erosion is a natural geological process that involves the gradual wearing away and removal of surface materials such as soil, rock, and sediment by various external forces. These forces can include wind, water, ice, gravity, and even human activities. Over time, erosion shapes and reshapes the Earth's landscape, carving out valleys, canyons, and riverbeds, and depositing sediments in other areas. Effective land management practices and conservation efforts are essential in mitigating the adverse impacts of erosion and maintaining the delicate balance of Earth’s ecosystems.

How Does Erosion Affect Personal Property?

Erosion can have significant impacts on personal property, especially for those living in areas prone to erosion, such as sloped regions or near natural water bodies. Here are some ways erosion can affect personal property:

1. Property damage: Erosion can lead to the loss of land or soil around properties, especially in coastal or riverbank areas. As the land erodes, it may cause structural damage to buildings, foundations, and other infrastructure, compromising their stability and safety.
2. Loss of land and property value: If erosion leads to the gradual loss of land, property owners may experience a decrease in the size of their property. This can not only diminish the usefulness of the land but also reduce the overall property value.
3. Land instability: Erosion can result in unstable ground conditions, making it difficult to build or maintain structures. The risk of landslides or sinkholes may increase, posing a threat to personal safety and property.
4. Loss of landscaping and vegetation: Erosion can strip away topsoil and vegetation, which are vital for maintaining a healthy and aesthetically pleasing landscape. Loss of plants and trees can reduce privacy, increase exposure to elements, and negatively impact the overall appeal of the property.
5. Water pollution: Eroded sediments and pollutants may be carried into nearby water bodies, leading to water pollution. This can affect both personal water sources, such as wells, and larger bodies of water, impacting aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
6. Increased maintenance costs: Property owners in erosion-prone areas may face higher maintenance costs to protect their assets. Implementing erosion control measures, such as retaining walls or stabilization techniques, can be expensive.
7. Insurance implications: Insurance coverage may be affected in erosion-prone areas, with some policies potentially excluding erosion-related damages or requiring specific endorsements or higher premiums.

To mitigate the impact of erosion on personal property, it's essential for property owners to be aware of the risks and take proactive measures. Implementing erosion control techniques, and adhering to local regulations and building codes can help safeguard personal property from erosion-related issues.

What Are the Main Causes of Erosion?

There are four main causes of erosion that can affect your property: wind, water, ice, and gravity. Each of these natural forces can exert a powerful influence on your land, leading to severe erosion. Even if some forces don't directly affect your property, you remain susceptible to erosion from the other elements.

Wind

Wind is a powerful natural force that influences erosion by transporting surface materials. When wind blows over exposed surfaces, it can lift and carry loose particles, such as sand, dust, and small rocks, across landscapes. When these particles collide with other surfaces or each other, they act like sandpaper, wearing away rocks and other landforms in a process known as abrasion. The displacement of these windblown surface materials can cause instability and loss of property. Additionally, wind erosion can lead to the formation of sand dunes in deserts and coastal areas, altering the topography.

Water

Water is one of the most impactful causes of erosion. Its formidable force wears away and transports surface materials. Fast moving surface water can dislodge and loosen soil, rocks, and sediment, leading to the formation of gullies and ravines in areas with steep slopes or inadequate vegetation cover. The force of water can also undercut riverbanks, leading to bank collapse and further sediment deposition downstream. In regions with excessive rainfall or poor land management practices, water can have detrimental effects, such as the loss of fertile soil, property destruction, and increased sedimentation in water bodies.

Ice

Ice can cause erosion through the process of frost heaving. When water saturates the soil around buildings, structures, or paved surfaces, and then freezes due to cold temperatures, it expands, exerting significant pressure on the surrounding materials. This expansion can lift and displace the soil, causing cracks in foundations, driveways, and pathways. Repeated cycles of freezing and thawing exacerbate the damage, leading to further erosion and instability of the property's structures. Additionally, when ice or large amounts of snow start to thaw rapidly, the excess water makes any property even more susceptible to erosion.

Gravity

Gravity is a fundamental force that plays a crucial role in the process of erosion. Mudslides and debris flow are rapid movements of saturated soil, sediment, and water moving down steep slopes. When heavy rainfall saturates the soil or when water accumulates rapidly due to melting snow or ice, the increased weight and lubrication reduce the friction between soil particles, making the slope unstable. Gravity then pulls the loosened and saturated material downhill. Its force propels the debris flow with tremendous momentum, causing it to cascade down the slope, gaining mass and speed as it progresses and leading to destruction of homes, infrastructure, and vegetation in their path.

How to Mitigate Erosion on Your Property

There are a number of solutions for property erosion, with a variety of different functions. What they all have in common is that they prevent your soil and land from progressively eroding.

Plants

Plants help mitigate erosion by anchoring soil with their root systems, absorbing water to prevent saturation, intercepting rainfall to reduce soil impact, and providing a protective vegetative cover against wind and rain. They enrich the soil with organic matter, improving its structure and resilience. Trees and shrubs act as windbreaks, and vegetation stabilizes riverbanks, collectively safeguarding the environment and protecting infrastructure from erosion's damaging effects.

Grass plays a vital role in mitigating erosion by forming an extensive root system that holds soil in place. The dense network of grass roots binds soil particles together, preventing them from being easily washed away by water or blown away by wind.

Rocks

Rocks contribute significantly to erosion mitigation through their role as natural barriers and stabilizers in the landscape. Large rocks and boulders act as physical obstacles, slowing down the flow of water and reducing its erosive force. They also serve as protective cover, shielding the soil beneath from the direct impact of rainfall and minimizing soil detachment. Moreover, rocks can facilitate water infiltration into the soil, allowing for better drainage and reducing the risk of surface runoff.

In addition to their protective qualities, certain types of rocks are resistant to weathering and erosion themselves. These more durable rocks, such as granite and basalt, can act as erosion-resistant surfaces in the landscape, reducing the overall rate of erosion.

Drainage

Drainage systems mitigate erosion by managing water flow and preventing excessive surface runoff. Properly designed drainage systems, such as culverts, ditches, and retention basins, direct water away from vulnerable areas and infrastructure. By controlling the flow of water, these systems help reduce soil saturation during heavy rainfall, minimizing the risk of soil erosion. They also help prevent erosion on roadways, farmlands, and construction sites by diverting water to safe outlets, preventing sediment runoff into water bodies.

A well-designed drainage system can significantly reduce the impact of runoff on erosion. By providing effective stormwater management, drainage systems help preserve the integrity of the landscape, protect properties from erosion-induced damage, and support sustainable land use practices.

Mulch

Mulch provides a protective cover over the soil surface. When applied to bare soil, mulch acts as a barrier against rainfall and the erosive force of flowing water. Mulch helps prevent soil detachment and retains moisture in the soil, reducing its susceptibility to water runoff and enhancing its resistance to erosion. It also encourages the development of beneficial microorganisms that improve soil structure, further stabilizing the soil.

Perimeter Barrier

A perimeter barrier system is a powerful approach to prevent soil erosion on your slopes and property. This technology uses a physical containment barrier to trap soil and prevent it from washing away. In addition to being highly effective, these systems offer the added advantage of mitigating mudslides and debris flow, especially in post-wildfire rains.

What is the Best Perimeter Barrier System to Stop Erosion?

EvoGuard Extreme Weather Barrier is widely considered one of the most effective perimeter containment systems. This system will prevent soil from washing down your slopes and halt large-scale erosion on your land, including mudslides and debris flow.

How EvoGuard Works

• The EvoGuard Extreme Weather Barrier is a trenchless system that is installed with positive contact with the earth’s surface and positioned for the containment of solids such as soil, mud, and sediment.

• As solids are collected, mass and weight are added to the system, increasing the barrier’s strength and function.

• EvoGuard protects against surface water, including stormwater and melted snow or ice. When water impacts the system, the speed of flow is reduced, and water distributes evenly across the barrier at a normalized, less destructive, rate.

• The barrier also serves to diffuse wind, helping to deposit snow drift or sand dunes in preferred locations on your property.

• The containment of solids and neutralization of wind and water allow surface areas and slopes to revegetate and stabilize, providing both immediate protection and a long-term solution to your eroding land.

Advantages of EvoGuard

The EvoGuard Extreme Weather Barrier is a high-performing system that offers multiple advantages. It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver, but can withstand over 22,000 lbs/sf of static bursting strength.

The technical mesh is rated as fire-retardant by the American Society for Testing and Materials and is manufactured with UV protection. It is developed with rip-stop technology, allowing for penetration without unraveling, so the system can endure the impact of an isolated event without weakening or damaging any of the remaining panels. Unlike other perimeter barrier systems, EvoGuard is constructed with post sleeves that fully integrate the stakes, maximizing its structural integrity.

DIY Erosion Control

Not only does erosion compromise the aesthetic appeal of your property, but it also puts your home and family at risk. To effectively mitigate erosion and preserve the integrity of your sloped landscape, consider implementing one or more of these practical strategies:

• Add plants and vegetation to your property. The roots of the plants will help keep your soil grounded and keep it from eroding.
• Add rocks to your landscape. Rocks will help prevent some of the effects of erosion on your land by shielding some of your soil.
• Develop well-designed drainage systems on your property to divert the flow of water.
• Add mulch to your landscape to absorb water, weigh down the soil, and generally reduce erosion.
• Use a perimeter barrier system such as the EvoGuard Extreme Weather Barrier to protect your home and property.

EvoGuard

Mitigate erosion on your property effectively with EvoGuard! Order your 50' or 100' EvoGuard DIY Kit or EvoGuard Pro in a variety of heights and lengths.