Yard Drainage: How to Identify and Solve Irrigation Issues

Whether it is a miniature mansion or a  humble cottage in the woods, your home is probably your biggest  investment. Chances are the roof over your head is the biggest single  purchase you will ever make, and protecting it is in your best interest.

You already know how important it is to  maintain the interior of your home, but what about the space outside  those four walls? Poor yard drainage can really take a toll on your home  and its foundation, doing far more damage than a loose railing or  broken shutter. If you want to protect your home and your finances, do  yourself a favor and make sure you have the proper drainage.

Water is essential to life, but it is also  a hidden danger for your home. Water is the universal solvent and given  enough time, this simple element can carve great canyons – or destroy  the foundation of your home.

If you want to avoid hassles down the  line, you need to pay careful attention to the water situation. Proper  drainage is essential for maintaining a healthy foundation, and without a good foundation, your entire home could be at risk.

Wet soil near the foundation should always  be cause for concern, especially if it has been some time since the  last rainfall. Even if the rains were recent, the presence of pooled  water or lingering wet spots could indicate poor drainage. This could  eventually lead to erosion or cracks in the foundation and a big repair  bill.

It is also important to ask about any current irrigation systems  on the property, as these could either help or hinder proper drainage.  This is particularly important when searching for homes in areas with  heavy rainfall, such as Seattle or New York. The  presence of underground drains is a big deal when looking at a home for  sale, so be sure to ask the real estate agent. If the agent does not  know, be sure to follow up until you get the information you need.

If you are in the market for a new home,  it is important to take proper drainage into consideration. It may not  be as exciting as a brand new kitchen or Jacuzzi tub, but drainage will  play a huge role in your future home care expenditures. Buying a home  with poor drainage could mean spending a fortune on upgrades and  improvements while purchasing a property with good drainage could  simplify your life and reduce the cost of ownership.

Things are a bit more complicated if the  home you already live in is plagued by poor drainage. If your current  home does not drain well, you could be looking at foundation problems  and water damage down the line.

The good news is that yard drainage  problems, even severe ones, can usually be fixed. There are a number of  ways to address poor yard drainage, and each method has its pros and  cons. Here are some fixes to consider when addressing a yard drainage  problem on your property.

Fixing your gutters and downspouts is the  simplest, and least expensive, way to improve drainage in your yard.  Start by checking the gutters for blockages and broken areas, then  replace any substandard materials. Here are the steps you need to take  to make sure your gutters and downspouts are doing their job

1. Look for wet spots and areas of standing  water around the downspouts. They could be indications of poor drainage  or blocked gutters.
2. Go outside the next time it rains. Is the  water flowing freely through the gutters and out the downspouts? If the  water is not flowing, you need to find the blockage.
3. Grab your ladder, or call a roofer to check your gutters and downspouts. Replace any broken sections to restore proper drainage.
4. Keep trees trimmed to avoid fallen leaves.  They could clog your gutters, especially in the fall when leaves are  likely to build up.

If your gutters and downspouts are already  in good shape, think about extending the downspout so the water runs  further away from your home. There is really no downside to this simple  home improvement, and this is always a good place to start.

Creating a creek bed is another relatively  simple way to improve your yard drainage and channel water away from  your home and its foundation. This simple landscaping job will redirect  rainfall to a dry spot, or better yet to a rain garden. You can use the  extra moisture in your gardening endeavors, all while the rest of the yard stays dry.

1. Pay attention to how your yard drains  following a big rainstorm or sudden downpour. Identify the problem area  you want the creek bed to address.
2. Dig a trench from the area of poor drainage, ensuring that the water is channeled away from your home and yard.
3. Use stone to fill in the area where the creek bed empties out. Monitor the stone and replace anything that washes

Creek beds offer an aesthetically pleasing  advantage with the proper landscape design. You’ll want to make sure  that the design of the creek bed looks natural in your yard, rain or  shine.

If you decide to go the route of the rain  garden, plant a blend of absorbent trees, shrubs, and flowers for  properly handling the runoff. Here are a few examples of water-friendly  plants that would make a suitable addition to your rain garden:

• Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)
• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
• Blue star (Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’)
• River birch (Betula nigra)
• American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
• Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)

You can also improve your gardening and  enjoy cleaner laundry by installing some rain barrels. These uniquely  designed barrels will catch the runoff from those sudden storms, and you  can use the soft water for gardening, household cleaning and anything  else you like. Installing a rain barrel is easy – just follow the steps  outlined below.

1. Choose a suitably sized barrel.
2. Place the rain barrel below your downspout.
3. Use an extension to connect the downspout to the opening at the top of the rain barrel.
4. Open the valve at the bottom of the rain barrel to collect pure rainwater for your garden, laundry, and other household uses.

Installing a French Drain is another  low-tech but highly effective way to deal with poor yard drainage. You  will need some basic digging and excavating tools, and some sweat  equity, but this project is well within your reach.

The trench for the drainpipe should be  downsloping, roughly 5-6 inches wide, and the inlet must remain higher  than the discharge area. You will need to check the drainpipe  periodically to make sure it is not clogged or damaged. Failing to take  these precautions could cause water to back up toward your home,  potentially putting the foundation at risk. Drainpipes may require a  bigger time commitment than other solutions but it’s a worthwhile  investment.

Here are the steps you will need to take when installing that drainpipe:

1. Dig a trench that slopes down from your home and yard.
2. Put the drainpipe in place and cover it with stone, then refill it with the soil you removed to dig the trench.
3. Watch how the water drains the next time it rains.
4. Check the drainpipe or French drain for blockages on a regular basis and make any necessary repairs.

It does not matter where you live, or how  much or how little rainfall you get. Poor yard drainage can damage your  foundation and put your property at risk. If you are looking for a home,  taking drainage into consideration could save you a lot of time, hassle  and heartache. If you already own a home, improving the drainage could  prevent erosion, enhance the soil and even give your gardening hobby a helping hand.

Original post from Redfin