It’s important not to let what might seem like a small problem grow into a big one. For example, if you notice that your garden or patio is collecting water because of poor drainage, it might not be the right time to renovate your landscaping, as it may be less expensive to repair than rebuild. If you decide not to repair your outdoor drainage system, there are some steps you can take to alleviate the issue and prevent future problems from arising. Outdoor water drainage solutions can be found by using a variety of different options. Perhaps the easiest and most practical solution is to install a soil drainage system with the right amount of compaction, so that water can flow through your landscape with ease.
First, let’s look at some of the most common outdoor drainage issues, then we’ll move into the outdoor water drainage solutions that can fix them.
Different Outdoor Drainage Issues
- Lack of Drainage -This is one of the outdoor drainage issues you might face. Your landscape drainage system should always be above the ground so it can drain water away from your foundation. If water is not draining, it can cause problems with your landscape, so you should have the problem diagnosed as soon as possible. The longer you wait to fix this problem, the more time you give it to grow and become harder to repair.
- Soggy Yard – The outdoor water drainage solutions that drain water from your yard can also cause problems when they are not working properly. When your soil stays wet for too long, your yard can develop problems such as mold or mildew and become a breeding ground for insects and disease. Soggy yards can also cause your grass to grow poorly and cause your entire lawn to eventually die out. To help avoid these outdoor drainage issues, you can make sure that your drainage system is working correctly and install one of the outdoor water drainage solutions we’ll detail a little later.
- Home Damage – Excess water can cause a lot of damage to your home. Water is a good source for mold and mildew, but it can also cause your roof to deteriorate and rot away. It can rust your gutters and make them fall apart. If water pools around the foundation of your home, it can also lead to structural damage.
These are the different outdoor drainage issues. Now, let’s learn how to fix them with outdoor water drainage solutions.
Aerate Your Lawn
Aerating is a simple step that you can take to improve drainage and prevent water from pooling in the soil. All you have to do is carefully rake the turf layer, which lifts up small clumps of grass and breaks down any clods or pebbles. When doing so, remember to work the rake back and forth in a circular motion instead of across the yard. This action helps break up the soil so that the roots are able to better absorb water, preventing standing water from forming. Outdoor water drainage solutions can be found by using a variety of different options. Perhaps the easiest and most practical solution is to install a soil drainage system with the right amount of compaction, so that water can flow through your landscape with ease.
Add a Channel Drain
A channel drain is one of man’s best friends. This simple drainage system can be built in any shape or configuration, but the most popular design looks like a large trench dug alongside your yard. It doesn’t take much to install a channel drain. The process involves digging up your lawn and placing the soil into two containers, one on either end of the trench. Once the soil is out of the way, you’ll need to mount a tamponade tube in each container, which is simply a heavy stone placed at one end of the trench so that it stays level throughout installation.
Add French Drains
Just as it sounds, a French drain is a series of trenches filled with gravel and perforated drainpipe that is placed at the lowest point of your yard. Water flows down into the gravel and then percolates into the soil beneath. The deep trenches allow water to drain off of the surface and keep moisture from pooling in low spots. Outdoor water drainage solutions like this one can work wonders on your yard.
Replace Hardscapes with Drainage Materials
Outdoor drainage issues are often symptomatic of poor grading or drainage problems within your yard. If your yard is sloped incorrectly, you might not have enough of a slope to direct water away from the surface so that it doesn’t pool by a garden wall or near a patio. If there’s a drainpipe in the ground that’s too shallow, it could be causing problems when it is overfilled with water. Replacing your concrete pavers with drainage material such as stone chips can help solve these issues when used in conjunction with proper grading and drainage practices.
Install A Catch Basin for Yard Drainage
Outdoor water drainage solutions often consist of a combination of different elements, so it’s common to see catch basins and French drains in the same yard. A catch basin or seepage trench is typically located in the drier parts of your yard. This system is usually comprised of a large container that’s filled with gravel and placed at the base of your garden or rock garden. Perforated drain pipe (more commonly known as perforated pipe) travels through this soil and into the catch basin. The perforations allow water to flow away from your yard and down into the soil where it will eventually disappear underground.
Build A Dry Creek Bed
Building a dry creek bed is another one of our best outdoor water drainage solutions. Outdoor drainage issues can happen at any time, but particularly during rainy weather. So as long as you work to prevent standing water from forming, the chances of a problem occurring are low. The good news is that there’s a simple solution that may have prevented your drainage issue from going down the wrong path in the first place: A dry creek bed. Dry creek beds are a common way to deter moisture from collecting around your yard and preventing water from draining away, but they’re also a great way to encourage beneficial plants and animals to live in your landscape.
Create A Yard Drain
Outdoor drainage issues can often be avoided by installing a trench that drains into the soil. The trench should be deep enough so that water flows away from your house, driveway, deck, patio, or garden. The depth of this trench depends on the amount of standing water in your yard and whether or not you have a septic system. In most cases, places where you see standing water should have a four- to five-foot-deep trench to help prevent flooding from spreading throughout your yard.
Add A Dry Well System
Outdoor water drainage solutions are typically used in conjunction with one another, which can be a costly undertaking. If you’re not willing to make the investment, you can still improve your drainage problems at home by using various techniques. Installing an empty hole is one of the most cost-effective ways to deal with outdoor drainage issues because it involves little to no maintenance. The process involves digging a hole that’s about two feet deep and adding rocks or gravel on top of it so that water flows into the hole instead of pooling on top of the ground. This is one of the cheapest outdoor water drainage solutions on this list.
Install Corrugated Plastic Tubes
This tactic is often used in conjunction with other comprehensive outdoor water drainage solutions, but it’s also one that you can implement on your own. Corrugated plastic tubes are inexpensive and easy to install, although they do require a little bit of maintenance from time to time. Remember to make sure the tubes are properly sealed, otherwise water could seep through and cause problems for you and your family.
Create a Rain Garden
Creating a rain garden is one of our most aesthetically pleasing outdoor water drainage solutions. Outdoor drainage issues are often the result of poor grading in your yard, but this doesn’t mean that you have to avoid gardening altogether. There are numerous ways to prevent water from collecting in your yard, including planting ground covers over the entire area. If you know how to properly water plants, you can also install a rain garden or soakaway in an area of your yard. These are shallow trenches installed next to the siding of your house that perform the same function as a dry creek bed.
Plant Water-Absorbing Plants
Outdoor drainage issues are sometimes the result of poor drainage, which is often the result of poor grading. If you know how to properly water your yard, you can plant certain types of plants that will work with the natural drainage process in your yard. Plants like sedum species (also known as stonecrop) are popular for absorbing moisture and preventing standing water. If you do choose to plant these types of plants, remember to place them in an area that drains quickly and provides enough sunlight. Planting water-absorbing plants is one of our best outdoor water drainage solutions.
Create A Grassy Swale
Outdoor water drainage solutions often require a more substantial investment, but they can also be easily created on your own. The main component of any good drainage solution involves creating a slope that directs water away from your home and into your existing soil. If you’re not sure what type of slope to create, you can get ideas from the natural landscape, such as the earthbound berm of a nearby hill or riverbank. This type of slope is one that works with the natural drainage process in your yard and doesn’t disrupt it too much.
Replace Gardening Soil with A Gravel Mulch
If your yard is receiving regular watering, it may be because of poor drainage. You can prevent standing water from forming in your yard by replacing the soil you currently have with a gravel mulch. This mulch consists of small pebbles of gravel that prevent moisture from seeping into the ground, which helps direct water away from your house, garden or patio. Although it may seem like a contradiction for a gardener to plant your garden with outdoor water drainage solutions, this practice has been used in gardening on wet sites for thousands of years to prevent moisture from rotting the roots of plants.
Install A Garden Water Distribution System
Outdoor drainage issues can occur at any time, and they’re often the result of poor grading, which is something you can address on your own. If you decide to install a garden water distribution system to help with the problem, it’s important to note that this is one of the more expensive outdoor water drainage solutions on this list. This system involves installing small ditches throughout your yard and using either corrugated plastic tubing or buried piping as a conduit for water flow.
Prevent Drainage Problems
As you should (hopefully) know by now, outdoor drainage issues are often the result of poor grading. They can be prevented by installing a garden water distribution system, but this is one of the more expensive outdoor water drainage solutions that requires more work. The easiest way to deal with outdoor drainage issues is to prevent them from occurring at all by using different types of siding on your house. Although it may seem irrelevant, the material you decide to place on your house can have a big impact on the water flow in your yard, so it’s important to consider other siding options other than wood or stone, which are porous materials.
Cut Out Sidewalks to Reduce Water Damage
There are dozens of options for dealing with outdoor water drainage solutions. The easiest is to dig a trench along the edge of your property and install a perforated pipe drain system. This system uses a pipe connected to the siding of your house that directs water away from the house and into the drain. To install this type of drainage, you’ll need to cut through your sidewalk or driveway, which may not be possible depending on where you live.
Conclusion
Outdoor drainage issues are an important part of keeping your home safe. They’re caused by any number of reasons that can be easily remedied, including poor grading, poor drainage or improper installation. Most outdoor drainage issues are the result of problems with existing siding on your house or lack of proper drainage in your yard. You can resolve these issues relatively inexpensively with the right materials and tools, but you’ll need to learn how to maintain them properly.
