Installing or upgrading a sprinkler system for your lawn and flower beds is a wise investment. You’ll enjoy many benefits, including regular watering schedules and a healthy, vibrant landscape. However, DIYing this type of project isn’t the ideal choice to make, which is why Spartan Irrigation offers premium installation services. You might think saving a few extra bucks is worth it, but incorrectly installing any component could cost you. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see people make when they take this on themselves.
1. Digging Without Checking
Throughout your yard, essential gas and electrical lines are leading to and from your home. If you take on sprinkler installation yourself, you could dig too close or too deep to these lines. Cutting a gas line is especially dangerous, and it could put your entire neighborhood at risk. Additionally, you could get electrocuted or electrify your sprinkler system without even knowing it. This risk is just one you shouldn’t take and is why you should leave the installation to the professionals.
2. Trench Depth
Another major mistake we see people make is either making the pipe trenches too shallow or too deep. Generally speaking, the trenches need to be about seven inches deep, but no more than 10 inches. If you lay the pipes for your sprinkler system in a trench shallower than seven inches, you run the risk of it cracking under the weight of anything left on the surface of your lawn. However, if the pipe is more than 10 inches below the surface, it could be hard to tell if it’s broken and leaking.
3. Watering Grass & Flowers Together
You might think that aiming the same sprayers at your lawn, trees, and your flower beds will help save you money. However, this could be the thing that kills both your grass and your flowers. Shrubs, trees, and perennial flowers have deep root systems that spread well beyond your flower bed. This means they don’t require as much watering as your grass because they can pull it from multiple directions. So, avoid overwatering your flower beds and trees, and focus mainly on watering your grass.
4. Sprinkler Head Zone Operation
Finally, the last major mistake you can make when not hiring a professional to install your sprinkler system is using different sprinkler heads in the same zones. Different sprinkler heads have different precipitation rates, and using different ones in the same zone will lead to dry spots in your lawn. Furthermore, you could end up zoning your lawn incorrectly, causing significant run-off or overwatering in some spots. If that’s the case, you’ll have to spend time and money troubleshooting and making those fixes on your own.
Call in the Professionals for Sprinkler Installation
Fall is a great time to install a sprinkler system! The ground is soft, and your lawn will have time to adjust and recover before winter. This also means you’ll have some experience with your new sprinkler system, and it will be ready for spring. But, we don’t suggest you do this yourself. Instead, give us a call at Spartan Irrigation! We have a team of professionals more than capable of zoning your lawn in Lansing, MI, correctly and avoiding all the common mistakes DIYers make. You can also count on us for regular sprinkler system maintenance as well as holiday and landscape lighting. So to get started, give us a call today at (517) 882-1826.