Is your yard not draining properly? Water buildup can cause a lot of damage and even ruin your home’s foundation if not fixed. You’ll want to solve the problems quickly, so that doesn’t happen.
You’ll find six ways to solve landscaping drainage problems in this article. You’ll want to consider each and see what will work best for you. Let’s begin!
1. Water Your Landscape Less Often
Sometimes, it’s easy enough to stop drainage problems by reducing how often you water your yard. If you’re overwatering the soil, rainwater will sit on top instead of soaking into the earth. It causes many problems, but it’s easy enough to fix.
It helps to track your watering schedule on a calendar so you don’t overdo it. You’ll also want to ensure that you’re watering your property according to the environmental conditions in your area. For instance, if you’re somewhere humid and rainy, you won’t need to water as often as someone who lives in a dry place.
In short, watering your landscape less often is the easiest fix, so you should try it first. However, if that doesn’t seem to change the water buildup in your yard after several weeks, you’ll want to move on to the next option.
2. Change Your Gutters
Next, you might want to fix your gutter system. A lot of runoff can come through broken, cracked gutters. If the downspout isn’t long enough, water will build up in pools around your home.
Downspouts should go at least four feet beyond the house. Although, six feet can be even better. When it’s not far enough away, the water can cause damage to the foundation. Plus, you might have to repair a leaky basement and deal with mold or mildew.
You might want a professional to look at your gutters and make repairs. It’s usually apparent when they’re not working as intended, so you should have no issues finding out if this is the correct step.
3. Add a Trench Drain
Trench drains work well to keep your property dry. If nothing else seems to be working, then you might need to have one installed. They channel water away from your property to be disposed of safely. When choosing this option, you won’t need to worry about runoff collecting on your neighbor’s property.
Trench drains can work with any kind of landscaping too. Professionals can place them alongside concrete areas, including sidewalks, driveways, and patios, which can block water from getting away from your home.
These drainage systems are versatile, so you can use them no matter what. They also come in various colors and materials, so you can get one that looks nice with the rest of your landscaping. Overall, they’re very convenient and are great for keeping your property safe and dry.
4. Install a Dry Well
Dry wells are also very useful in adding more drainage to any yard. These wells collect surface water and push it deeper underground so it doesn’t sit near your home’s foundation. It also removes water pooling in other areas of your property.
They’re also beneficial if you live near a stream since they can stop it from overflowing when it rains. However, dry wells aren’t for everyone. They might not be able to handle all the runoff in certain areas. Plus, you also need to have specific porous soil conditions to install it.
That said, dry wells are usually a decent option to help clear up a lot of water collecting on your property.
5. Create a Rain Garden
You might want to try making a rain garden if you have a green thumb. You can build one where rainfall travels naturally at the bottom of a slope. Then, add plenty of plants that absorb lots of water there. The plants should drink a lot of the runoff so it doesn’t flood your property.
Some of the best rain garden plants include:
- Rhododendrons
- Summersweets
- Lady ferns
- Mosses
Generally, mosses are some of the best plants for rain gardens. They can absorb a ton of water because they use osmosis. That means the entire body of the moss can absorb water, not just the roots.
You’ll want to choose some water-loving plants and add them to your landscaping. Many beautiful options are available, so you will have fun designing your rain garden.
6. Dethatch Your Lawn
Finally, you can try dethatching your property. This method removes the layer of organic debris from the lawn, which helps to increase drainage.
Some signs that dethatching would work for you include your yard having poor grass health. The grass will appear thin and wilted. Your lawn will also feel spongy when you walk on it.
Removing the thatch layer can help improve the condition of your grass and reduce drainage issues, so it’s an excellent solution for many people.
What Causes Landscaping Draining Problems?
There are a few leading causes when it comes to landscape draining issues. Here are some of the ones that happen the most often:
- Short downspout: The gutter’s downspout is too short and collects in a single area.
- Slope towards the house: The yard points towards the house, causing water to accumulate.
- Impacted dirt: The soil on the property condenses, causing it to hold onto water longer, leading to flooding.
- Erosion: Runoff water on the property leads to exposed topsoil. It drifts away with each rain, and water gathers in the eroded space.
- Concrete is in the way: Concrete paths, such as sidewalks or driveways, block storm drains. They can cause water to gather in specified areas too.
Increase Water Drainage Today
If you’re having trouble with water drainage on your property, you’ll want to deal with it immediately. After each rain, more and more water will build up in your yard. Eventually, it will cause severe damage to your landscape and possibly your home.
Water damage is costly to fix, so make sure you give some of the above methods a try!
