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Channel Drain Success:
Stormwater Management Solutions for Hardscape Projects
Channel drains have become a go-to for many designers and specifiers because of their ability to capture and convey sheet flow to prevent excess water from pooling on large, impermeable surfaces. From parking lots, courtyards and driveways to high-end pools and patios, there are significant advantages to their use. As you work to support your customers, consider these five reasons channel drains are an ideal solution for their next drainage system project:
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Prevent damage to the finished location. Efficient drainage is important to prevent mildew, concrete discoloration, structural damage and deteriorating asphalt or concrete. For instance, using NDS Mini Channel™ drains around a residential patio area would remove excess sheet flow and protect the hardscape surface area as well as surrounding landscape from the negative effects of water runoff.
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Offer design versatility. The versatility in NDS channel sizes and grate colors and styles makes it possible to incorporate premium finishes and match surrounding architecture while still meeting important flow standards. For a new home build in Sulfur Springs, TN, the construction team installed an NDS Spee-D® channel drain system accented with a tan-colored botanical pattern grate – which the homeowner chose because it blended in well with the custom concrete pool and patio.
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Provide flexibility. Curved hardscape surfaces like athletic tracks or walkways also need proper drainage. NDS makes that possible with products like the NDS Dura Slope® EZ-Track™ System or Qwik-Turn couplings. These products use radius couplings to easily make the turn on running tracks or paved paths possible, eliminating the hassle of measuring and sawing difficult miter cuts, and providing flexibility that traditional straight channel drains can’t provide. These systems feature interlocking pieces that snap smoothly into place, which also saves time and labor.
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Handle a range of loads and traffic. Channel drains and grates come in different styles to meet various load ratings, from class A grates for pedestrian walkways or bicycle paths to Class D – such as Dura Slope trench drains and grates – which can handle large capacity volumes for driveways, parking areas and pools.
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Provide cost-effective solutions. Channel drains not only prevent costly water damage to surrounding areas and buildings, but when installed properly are designed to last for years. They come in a variety of materials – from high-grade plastic to fiber-reinforced concrete – so there are many options at different price points to consider.
NDS Makes Choosing the Right Channel Easy
NDS can help determine the proper channel drain to handle the amount of runoff flow required. The Design Worx® team – which is comprised of civil engineers and stormwater specialists – just needs the storage requirements and list of site constraints in order to provide a number of value-engineering design services free of charge, including calculations on runoff, product specifications, and appropriate documentation like submittal packets and scaled drawings.
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