Got a flooded yard? There are ways to keep it flood-free for good!
Are you wondering why your yard floods when it rains? It can be for a number of reasons and none of the reasons are fun. They all can be a little hard to deal with the right way. You want to make sure that you have the right fix for the problem or you could spend a lot more money than you need to! At The Landscape Design Center in Edgewater, we suggest to look at a number of these first before deciding on a solution. Here are a few methods to keep your yard flood-free for good!
Solutions to Fix a Flooding Yard or Hardscape
Grading
90% of the time, drainage problems are from poor grading. Grading away from the house. Raising a low spot in your yard. Cutting in a new swale and re-grading it. All of these are examples of “grading”. Before you install extensive drainage systems, consider grading.
Extending Downspouts and Sump Pump Pipes
If your downspouts and sump pump are dumping next to the house, this can cause big problems. If they are run out away from the house and the pipes have clogged, this can also cause them to back up and dump by the house.
Open Faced Drain
What if you have hardscapes, such as a patio, a walkway, or a driveway, that pools with water in spots? Sometimes we are able to remove them and re-install them, but sometimes that can be costly. A Open Faced Drain could help. This channel catches the water and can redirect it through a pipe system. This is not optimal but it can be used in some situations. They even have decorative grates you can get to make it look nice!
A Dry Well
A dry well is hole in the ground with gravel and sometimes a basin. The idea is for rainwater to run into it and then the water slowly drains into the ground. It is useful for areas in your yard that cannot be drained any other way. It can also be used in connection with extending pipes out. Instead of the water just sitting in the dry well, it can collect there, fill up, then hit an outflow pipe to a front curb or swale.
A Rain Garden
The mention of a rain garden could be music to anyone’s ears if they have a green thumb or just love plants. A depressed area that is ornamented with water-friendly plants. They might be grasses, irises, lilies, etc. Creating a rain garden is a natural way of handling a drainage problem. It is usually just work to maintain.
A French Drain
A French drain is usually a last resort if a yard is very saturated and needs to be drained. It is a perforated (with holes) pipe, surrounded in gravel and wrapped in geotextile, that carries water from a low spot to the street or swale. It is a “closed system” meaning that soil cannot get it and clog it up.
Which Solution Should I Use?
Every drainage problem is different. It is helpful to get a contractor that has the experience to identify which solution is best for your particular problem. Remember, ALWAYS START OUTSIDE. Do not do any drainage work INside your house until you have checked the OUTside. If you live in Maryland, The Landscape Design Center is happy to help you figure out what to do.
-
- Before
-
- After
The Landscape Design Center Is Here To Serve You
At The Landscape Design Center, the client is our number one priority. We are committed to creating, improving, and maintaining the environment – an environment in which our clients live, work, and play. Feel free to ask us questions or contact us for an estimate, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube to stay up-to-date on all of our latest news.
