Renovate To Irrigate

PROBLEM SOLVING 101. “One challenge of renovation work is figuring out ahead of time if you’re not better off starting from scratch with a new system,” noted Bill Hagen, owner, Hagen Irrigation Inc., Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Hagen said problems with the performance of a system’s pipes are a common reason for installing new systems. “Systems with galvanized or polyethylene pipe are replacement candidates,” he said. “A lot of these systems are 25 years old, and galvanized pipe will start closing up inside.”

Sometimes the components used serve as evidence that the problems lie with earlier maintenance practices. “Contractors should start by talking to the client to find out what’s been going wrong with the system,” recommended Lebo Newman, president, Redwood Landscaping, Santa Marcos, Calif. “Go through service maintenance logs to analyze repairs performed on the system and see what problems necessitated these repairs.”

While faulty products can make renovation a necessity, that doesn’t mean the products are always the source of the problem. “System errors generally are not the fault of the products,” said Bill Derryberry, owner, Derryberry Irrigation Consulting, Scottsdale, Ariz. “How products are used and installed creates problems.”

TIME FOR AN AUDIT. “We always start with a water audit,” noted Newman. “The system is all underground and you usually don’t have any good plans. Through an audit, you can determine the system’s problems, isolate the size of the pipes and find out how uniformly the system is valved.”

There are downsides to performing water audits, however. “A good audit can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours per valve,” Newman noted.

“Audits can help at times, but I think they’re really better suited for trying to refine systems which are working pretty well already,” countered Derryberry.

A common problem requiring attention is improper spacing between the heads on a system. “Contractors should check all of the heads to make sure the distribution patterns are set correctly, and look at the entire site to see if the original designer planned for the growth of plant materials,” Scott Heidman, irrigation manager, Goldthwaite’s of Texas Inc., Allen, Texas, recommended.

“Another key is to get all of the heads to the point where they’re watering to the same depth. If you can create this uniformity, all you have to do is set the clock properly,” Derryberry remarked.

“It’s very important to get systems set up for proper microclimates,” Newman added. “Is the sunny side of the house running on the same valve as the shady side? Those areas will have different irrigation needs, so they need to be on different valves.”

MAKING MONEY. Imagine bidding a landscape construction or maintenance job without ever seeing the job.

“I give people estimates, not exact bids,” Hagen said. “I let the customer know that the price is based on assumptions I’ve made regarding what I’ll find when I dig, and there’s a chance the estimate won’t be exact.

“I also use the ‘nibble theory’ when I’m going after big renovation jobs,” Hagen continued. “When the total price might scare the customer off, I do the job in pieces over time. I tell them we need to get the controllers and valves working this year, then come back next year with another problem.”

“Renovation work bills $45 to $75 an hour,” Heidman remarked. “This is work that requires a more thorough understanding of system operations and problem solving abilities than installations.”

Newman said his rates for renovation work are generally comparable to his installation rates. “The big difference comes in the number of hours necessary for renovation,” he warned. “Renovations can take anywhere from 50 to 100 percent longer.”

ROOKIES BEWARE. “There’s a lot to juggle with each job in terms of trying to figure out the problems, protecting the existing landscape and getting turf back in place,” Derryberry noted.

“Contractors doing renovations have to understand everything about irrigation systems in order to discover the problem,” Derryberry continued.

“The biggest challenge is often minimizing damage to the landscape,” Newman said. “That’s where landscape experience is useful, because the contractor needs to understand different root zones, what can be cut and what will destroy a plant.”