May 29, 2020

A woman wearing rain boots splashing through a puddle in the yard.

Pooling water in your yard can cause a multitude of issues. The most serious issues will allow water to enter your home and damage your foundation, but even pooling away from the home itself will cause problems with mosquitos, other pests, and mold or mildew growth. It’s important to address any issues causing this to achieve better yard drainage.

Extend Your Downspouts to Reach a Lower Grade

Downspouts should flow away from the house and foundation. Everything should always slope away toward a lower grade than your home. If downspouts are causing water to pool against the foundation, extending them with PVC or drain tiles beyond the planting beds will minimize the chance that water will pool against the foundation. In addition to making sure the downspouts reach a lower grade, it’s important to keep them free of debris.

Drain Your Sump Pump Correctly

Sump pumps are important for keeping water out of your house, but it’s important to make sure they are draining correctly. Your sump pump water should be discharged into a perforated drainage pipe that is backfilled with gravel, or into a dry well. Using these for drainage will allow the water to be absorbed back into the soil without pooling near the surface.

Correct Any Back-Pitching

Hard surfaces such as patios, driveways, stoops, or walkways, may be back-pitching which allows water to pool and not drain correctly. If these areas are concrete, you may be able to have the surfaces raised. If they are brick or stone, they may need to be removed and reinstalled so the slope drains away from your home. Speaking with a drainage contractor will help you plan a solution.

Harvest Rainwater

Harvesting rain water is environmentally responsible as well as useful to solving yard drainage issues. To harvest rainwater, install a water barrel or storage well below the grade of your yard. Not only will rain water not pool in your yard, but you can use the captured rainwater to water your gardens and flowers.

Keep Your Yard Drainage Routes Unobstructed

It’s easy to accidentally obstruct your yard drainage routes with landscaping. Raised gardens, raised play areas, planters, and other landscaping features can obstruct your yard drainage route. Tree roots or heavy vegetation can also impact your run-off. You want all run-off areas to have the ability to keep flowing. If you aren’t sure, talk to a drainage contractor who can see your drainage routes and help you plan for a drier yard.

Speak with a Drainage Contractor

Having drainage issues in your yard can cause a multitude of issues. Standing water can damage your lawn and landscaping, it can provide an environment for mosquito larva to thrive, and if the drainage issue is close to your home, it can cause serious issues. Speaking with a local, experienced drainage contractor about any issues you see as soon as you notice them can help address these concerns before they turn into major problems to remedy. We can help, and we know what to look for when assessing properties for drainage issues. Contact us today to talk about making your yard a better place to be.