P.J. Pappas Provides Irrigation System Installation Services for Residential and Commercial Property Owners Near Woburn, MA

One important landscaping question you might ask yourself when building a new home or buying an existing home is whether to install an automatic irrigation system in your backyard. While certainly a convenient option for watering your lawn, installing an irrigation system is best done before any landscape construction is complete because the soil needs to be dug out and re-planted for installation to occur.

There are several things to consider when deciding whether to add a residential irrigation system to a yard. Here are some things to consider:

Automatic Irrigation System Cost

What does it cost to have an irrigation system professionally installed? It shouldn’t be surprising that this is the number one question new homeowners ask when deciding whether to install a sprinkler system. Obviously, the larger your lot, the greater the overall cost of the project will be. However, there are several other factors that need to be considered: The slope of the lot, type of landscaping (e.g., grass, rock, etc.), number of sprinkler zones needed, type of soil to excavate, type and brand of materials selected, and any local permit requirements.

Benefits of Installing a Irrigation System 

With sprinkler system costs running into the thousands of dollars, let’s take a closer look at the benefits an irrigation system may offer:

Convenience

Many people simply prefer the convenience and ease of using an automatic irrigation system rather than having to water their lawn several times a day. Automating the watering schedule and frequency allows homeowners to not worry about finding the time to manually water their lawns and garden. Automated irrigation systems allow homeowners to spend time away without having to worry about watering their lawns.

Consistent Lawn Hydration

Another major benefit is that you can water during optimal times of day and deliver exactly the right amount of moisture for different types of grass and plants. Most people agree that the best time to water a lawn would be during early morning hours before sunrise. If you water before full sun, you’ll help prevent excessive water evapora­tion from occurring, which allows more time for your lawns and gardens to absorb needed moisture. If you water after sunset, you introduce the potential for diseases and fungi to develop, because the grass stays wet overnight. Using rain and moisture sensors, a watering system can help deliver just the right amount of water for each zone of your yard and garden, removing all guesswork from the equation. Overwatering can be just as damaging to certain types of plants as lack of water. Therefore, having the ability to automatically and remotely control this vital component is certainly one benefit that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Long-Term Cost Savings

One often overlooked benefit of irrigation systems is potential monthly energy savings with reduced water usage An automatic irrigation system can help ensure that watering happens at the right times, even if you’re not there to manually turn on the sprinklers. Irrigating earlier in the day will conserve water by reducing the amount of water needed during the irrigation period.

Since irrigation systems allow owners to use a variety of sprinkler head sizes and hose lengths, they are able to match up the exact amounts of water needed by plant type versus relying on a ‘one size fits all’ yard sprinkler. An example of this is using a drip irrigation system within a vegetable garden where the volume of water required for proper irrigation may be significantly less than what a traditional sprinkler head delivers to the main yard. This irrigation system not only properly irrigates your garden but does so with less water usage thanks to the targeted and lower output of the sprinkler head. An automated and timed irrigation system can be a great way for homeowners to reduce their water usage and utility bills.

Enhanced Resale Value

Enhanced resale value: Another important benefit of irrigation systems is that they’re considered an upgrade feature by many homeowners. Furthermore, a properly designed irrigation systems will help ensure a healthier, more attractive lawn and garden look, which is crucial to a home’s perceived “curb appeal” when potential buyers view your house.

Planning and Installation

If you’ve just purchased a house and are interested in having an irrigation installed, the best time for you to do so is before you plant your lawn and garden areas.  If the lawn is already established,  an irrigation system can still be installed and the lawn can be repaired as need. P.J. Pappas offers free consultations and estimates in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

Here is a brief overview of the process:

Creating Coverage Zones

P.J.Pappas starts by visiting you at your home to discuss your water irrigation system needs. A diagram of the exterior spaces to be covered by the sprinkler system will be created. Once the exterior coverage area has been established, it will be divided into watering zone. The number and type of sprinklers required for each zone will depend on the watering needs of that particular zone. Lawn zones typically include sprinkler heads that distribute water in a circular pattern. Garden areas may require directional heads, or even softer impact bubblers, to help protect more delicate gardens. Once complete, your irrigation zone coverage map should show exactly where each section of your lawn will be watered and allow you to see if there are any areas that were not covered by sprinklers.

Breaking Ground

Once the zones have all been mapped out and all necessary local permits obtained, your excavation team will begin digging trenches to bury the needed pipe lines 1 to 2 feet below the surface. Throughout the various sections, valves will be installed to control water flow to sprinklers within specific sections. It helps to create the individual water zones. After all piping has been installed and all valves and sprinklers attached, they will be connected to a main water supply line leading to your house’s nearest primary source of water. This connection will include check valves to prevent contaminated water flowing back into the home’s main water line. After the excavation process, the installation team will replace all soil and plants that were displaced by the excavation process. Your lawn and garden may then begin the new or regrowing process.

Irrigation System Control Panel – Command Central

After the irrigation system has been set up, it will need to know when to run and for what length of time. This is accomplished by a controller unit, which is the brain of the irrigation system. It offers a lot of control depending on the type of controller chosen. It is usually installed somewhere in the house, out of sight but easily accessible. A controller unit allows users to set the frequency, length, and number of times the irrigation system runs and may be connected to additional devices such as soil monitors to further enhance its ability for adapting to changing weather patterns.

Dialing It In

Once you’ve installed the irrigation system and connected it to a central controller, then you can choose the frequency and duration of the watering periods for each zone. Most new owners are not familiar with the proper watering duration for programming into their controller unit. That’s where PJ Pappas comes in to guide you with best practices and instruction on how to use the controllers.

Irrigation System Inspection Completed By P.J. Pappas

The last step is to visually inspect every sprinkler head to ensure they’re working properly and dispersing water as designed. We will ensure that all sprinkler heads are correctly positioned and not watering unneces­sary sections of your property such sidewalks and driveways.

Irrigation systems come with significant upfront costs and regular maintenance. However, most homeowners believe the benefits they provide – including convenience, ease of use, and the ability to keep lawns, gardens, and landscapes optimally watered – more than compensate for these challenges. For busy homeowners who want to maintain a beautiful lawn but don’t have time to tend to it themselves, an irrigation system can provide them with a convenient way to keep their yard looking its best.

To request a lawn sprinkler system installation estimate contact P.J. Pappas today at 781-935-9519.

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