Having Water Drainage Issues with your Backyard?
Having drainage issues in yard, not only causes standing water damage to your grass and the plantings, but it can also be a health hazard. Standing water often holds mosquito larvae and other undesirable pests, so it’s important to correct any yard drainage issues as soon as you notice them. Find out how you can improve drainage in your yard, and around the perimeter of your home, using these tips.
7 Tips to Improve Drainage Issues in Yard
1. Maintain positive surface drainage away from your foundation. Check to be sure that this isn’t an issue by ensuring that any soil, mulch, gravel or plantings aren’t covering the siding of your house. Any of these materials should always slope away from your foundation
2. Do not obstruct yard drainage routes with berms, planters, raised gardens, raised play areas or anything else. Keep all run-off flowing. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for tree roots or any heavy vegetation, which could also impact run-off.
3. Extend downspouts in PVC or corrugated drain tiles beyond planting beds and below grade toward a low area of the yard to minimize erosion. Make sure that any roof water drains away from your foundation. Check gutters and downspouts as often as possible to keep them clean and clear from debris.
4. Discharge your sump pump water into a perforated drainage pipe that is backfilled with drainage gravel or into a drywell. By using a drainage pipe or drywell (gravel filled underground storage area), some of the water can still be absorbed into the soil without excessive pooling.
5. Correct all ‘back-pitching’ hard surfaces such as stoops, walks, patios and driveways. If these surfaces are concrete, you may be able to have the surfaces raised by a mud-jack or concrete-raising company. If the surfaces are brick or stone, they can be removed and reinstalled to achieve a positive slope away from your residence.
6. If you have an adverse yard drainage issue and you cannot feasibly regrade, then an inlet basin or channel drain may be a good option. If you can direct the water into the basin or drain and pipe the runoff into a lower area, this will likely help resolve the issue.
7. Go green by water harvesting. One quick and easy way to harvest water is to install a water barrel or storage well below grade. The captured runoff can be used at a later date to water your garden and plantings.
Before starting any yard drainage projects be sure to check the building code requirements for your area. Many municipalities have building codes that restrict how and where storm water runoff can be discharged. Landscape Creations offers a complete list of drainage services to help protect your home including downspout and drain tile installations, drainage systems, storm sewer tie-ins, French drains, sump pump discharge systems, grading of landscape, and more. Contact us at (630) 932-8966 to schedule an on-site consultation or for more information.
