After determining the location and size of your water meter, you'll need to locate and identify the areas that may have varying water requirements: the lawn itself as well as flower beds and shrub beds. All these considerations will go into the installation planning. An important part of planning the installation of a home-irrigation system, is being sure that water gets to all parts of the yard. A tree -- its trunk as well as its roots -- is one perfect example of the sort of obstacles you may find. Keep in mind that a tree can single-handedly block the path of your sprinkler heads. Always take obstacles into consideration because not only is picking the right head and nozzle important, but also designing the entire layout in a pattern that is suited for all particular areas. Manmade obstacles -- driveways, sidewalks, and so forth -- can also prevent the practical installation of underground pipes. And flowerbeds with rounded or curved corners can create difficulty when you're trying to get a 90-degree angle in a curve. Once you've established your yard's watering needs, it's time to come up with a game plan. For this step you'll need one of two things: a measuring wheel (figure A), which you may be able to rent, or a 100-foot measuring tape. - Finding a good starting point, measure the dimensions of the property.
- Measure all permanent elements on the property, such as the house, driveway, flowerbeds, walkways and patios. This will give you an idea of the size as well as the types of sprinklers, the materials you'll need, the number of heads, etc.
Expert tip: If you don't have a helper when you're measuring, try this: Locate the end of the 100-foot tape at the starting point, then fix it into the ground with the blade of a screwdriver. It's like having an extra pair of hands!
RESOURCES :
Lawn Care for Dummies
Model: 0764550772
Author: Lance Walheim
Hungry Minds, Inc
(January 1998)
Handbook of Water Use and Conservation: Homes, Landscapes, Industries, Businesses, Farms
Model: 1931579075
Author: Amy Vickers
(2001)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
WaterPlow Press
Website: www.waterplowpress.com
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