Whether your garden has already been perfectly designed and planted or you’re just starting out on the landscaping path, there’s one thing you’ve probably forgotten about: yard drainage.
True, yard drainage is not nearly as exciting as a beautiful flower bed of colorful, local perennials. Nor is it as fun to think about as a brand new patio with trendy lighting.
But it is the one thing that will keep your garden, your lawn, and even your home in excellent shape for years to come.
Yard drainage helps divert water away from your landscaping and your home’s foundation and into the street, where it can’t do nearly as much damage. Depending on the layout and grade of your yard, there are varying yard drainage systems for you.
Trust us when we say that all yards need a drainage system of some kind. Here’s why.
Why do you need yard drainage?
Yard drainage prevents soil erosion. When it rains heavily (or even when you let your sprinkler run too long), the soil is naturally affected. Over time, this soil can escape from its current location to other areas of your garden or yard. This is known as soil erosion.
In addition to soil erosion, you may experience standing water. If you notice large puddles in your grass, you definitely have a standing water problem. Not only is it unsightly, it can attract mosquitoes, drown your plants, and damage your grass for good.
Eventually, this erosion and standing water can cause noticeable damage to your landscaping—and even to your home’s foundation. If the water in your yard is not taken care of, it can run into the grass surrounding your home. This can lead to cracks in your foundation and water in your basement, which can threaten the structural integrity of your entire home.
The Yard Drainage Solutions We Recommend
Why deal with standing water when you can have Allen Outdoor install a yard drainage solution that takes care of the issue for good?
There are a few yard drainage options that we recommend.
Landscaping Adjustments
Not all yard drainage issues are serious enough to require a full-on drainage system. Sometimes just adjusting your landscaping can help!
We can add in a creek bed with beautiful, natural rock that can channel water away from low spots. If this does not solve the problem—after all, sometimes you just can’t change the earth— we can create a rain garden.
A rain garden is an area dedicated to plants that thrive from heavy rains. Making it an intentional part of your landscaping can mitigate the issues of unsightly puddles in the middle of your lawn.
Allen Outdoor Solutions Pro Tip: Have you checked your downspouts lately? The downspouts on your gutters should be moving the water at least 10 to 15 feet away from your home. Adding on a longer extension piece can sometimes fix your water puddling issues, with the added benefit of protecting your home’s foundation.
French Drains
A French drain is one of the most popular ways to eliminate drainage issues. They displace free-standing water and give excess water a place to go: away from your yard and your home!
To install a French drain, we dig a trench outside your lawn. This trench is typically 2 to 3 feet in width and up to 6 feet deep. A drain is then placed inside the trench. Some French drains also have rocks in the trench to catch more water and prevent standing water in the trench.
The water flows into this drain and with the power of gravity, moves away from your home. This is one of the most natural and effective ways to drain water from your yard.
Drain Pipes
Drain pipes are similar to French drains in that they also utilize a pipe to move water. However, instead of building a trench, a drain pipe works differently. An underground drain connects to a pipe in a different area of the lawn; this pipe pumps water from a low point in the yard where water tends to gather to a spot that doesn’t get as much water. We can also direct the water to a place farther away from your foundation to protect both your landscaping and your home—a two-for-one benefit!
Yard Drainage from Allen Outdoor Solutions
At Allen Outdoor Solutions, we pride ourselves on being a full-service outdoor business. We aren’t just here to plant your gardens and water your lawn—we care about your entire property! We offer one of the best warranties in the landscaping business and are confident that we can solve your yard drainage issues.
If you’re noticing yard drainage issues in your yard, give us our landscaping experts a call today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
