Everyone dreams of building their ideal home or remodeling their house into the perfect home. As these dreams come into focus, there are lots of changes inside and out. Any changes must be looked at carefully. Exterior changes can alter your local environment. If you live in an environmentally sensitive area like the Michigan Sand Dunes, any exterior changes may have harmful effects. Seemingly small changes can have big impacts. A residential hill elevator may lessen the impact of your planned changes.
Erosion
Erosion is a problem in any environment. It is a natural event, but when our actions change the flow of nature, it can have immediate detrimental effects. Erosion is generally thought of as water washing away soil, but it can also be wind based. Either way, structures can negatively change the environment unless we proactively plan ahead.
Marine Innovations’ proprietary engineered pin pile installation system disturbs less soil and vegetation. This means less surface to erode and quicker recovery of vegetation. Soon, your hill is ready to defend itself from wind and rain!
Vegetation
Vegetation has a huge effect on soil retention. Plant roots hold the dirt as water runs. Plant leaves and stems block wind from moving soil and they provide shade that slows evaporation. The installation of a hill elevator disturbs less vegetation than traditional stair installation. In most installations, a residential hill elevator is supported by pin piles. These piles are installed by driving the pipe into the ground without any major excavating. There is little to no digging, so the existing vegetation and roots remain to prevent erosion.
After the system is installed, vegetation growth is encouraged because the narrow pilings and rail system allow sunlight to reach the ground. The only consideration is that any vegetation under the track be trimmed to prevent interference with the hill elevator drive system. Properly trimmed vegetation can help camouflage your tracks, helping them blend in to their surroundings.
Stairs
Stairs built into the hill generally have larger posts dug into the ground, leaving bigger scars after installation. A rain storm soon after can allow for substantial erosion. Even after surrounding vegetation has returned, the stair treads block a substantial amount of light, slowing or preventing vegetation growth under the stairs. This leaves the possibility of erosion under the stairs open for their entire life. Stairs also create an impervious area, pushing rain run-off to the outside, potentially overloading an area that has been disturbed and has less protective vegetation.
Paths
A walking path might seem like the easiest solution, but they can cause issues. A simple walking path can quickly cause erosion on a slope. Even a gentle slope can become dangerous after a little erosion, soon the path is unusable.
A constructed path opens a lot more space, but means more excavation and more room for erosion until the work is completed and new vegetation takes hold. It also creates a spillway for runoff that can cause additional erosion wherever it leaves the path. Additionally, depending on the incline of the path, it could become perilous with rain, frost or ice, making for dangerous walking.
Conclusion
We want our dream home to be an oasis, our beautiful sanctuary. Make sure that your access to the water is going to keep your oasis pristine for years to come. A residential hill elevator can be a convenient way to access your lake without harming the environment. It will blend into the surroundings, lessen the chance for erosion and keep your home beautiful.