How To Fix Water Drainage Problems In A Yard: Fixing Drainage Issues To Protect Your Property

Jun

Noticing things like standing water in your lawn or quickly eroding soil can point to drainage issues on your property. Not only does this look unsightly, but it could become a more serious problem since standing water attracts insects and other pests to your property.

To preserve your front yard landscape design and keep your entire property in good shape, you’ll likely need to invest in different types of drainage solutions depending on the unique circumstances of your yard.

So if you need to know how to fix drainage in a yard, continue reading through this guide as we walk you through some common issues you may encounter, and why fixing drainage issues in a yard is an important part of your landscaping maintenance.

Signs of Poor Drainage in a Yard

How can you even detect poor drainage in your yard? Let’s review some of the major warning signs that you may notice that will lead you to fixing drainage issues in a yard.

As we briefly mentioned above, some of the main signs that you have issues with drainage on your property include wet spots or areas that consistently have standing water, bare spots in your lawn, heavy runoff areas, and soil erosion.

What Causes Poor Drainage in a Yard?

Now that you know what to look out for to spot poor drainage in your yard, you may wonder what is the culprit that causes these problems.

For one, the type of soil that’s present in your yard could cause drainage problems. This occurs especially if your soil is too compact, like with clay, so water does not absorb into the ground easily, but sits on top of it instead.

Another thing to watch out for that could lead to drainage problems in your yard is if your property isn’t sloped or graded properly. This can lead runoff water directly into your home, leave low spots in your yard where water compiles, or other issues that keep water from draining properly.

Why Fixing Drainage Issues in a Yard is a Top Priority

After seeing some of the risks and causes of poor drainage, it makes sense why you’d want to learn how to fix drainage issues in a yard. Let’s take a deeper look at why this should be a priority of yours.

Water Damage to Home Foundation/Basement

On the more serious side, if drainage issues go unchecked for a prolonged period of time, you could start to notice cracks or leaks in your home’s foundation. This is risky for everyone living in your home, as the foundation could be made unstable and put your family in danger should the foundation crumble.

In other words, poor drainage in your yard can create a very costly problem that you’ll have to deal with immediately or risk further damage to your home–or worse.

Erosion and Loss of Soil Nutrients

If have drainage problems in your yard, you may notice that the soil is constantly being eroded away. This can lead to a depletion of essential nutrients in your soil that plants and lawns need to thrive and prosper.

Thus, this is another reason why you’d want to learn how to fix drainage in a yard because it could lead to poor plant and grass growth that keeps your yard from looking as luscious and vibrant as it should.

Plus, erosion can cut through your property quickly and break down your yard to the point where you need to make costly repairs or replace sunken areas of your yard.

Damage to Plants/Landscape

Fixing drainage issues in a yard is important becuase poor drainage could cause unwanted damage to your plants and landscaping. If you’ve put a lot of hard work and time into the landscaping of your property, you would hate to see it be washed away when the plants aren’t watered correctly or are even die from the flooding and constant streams of water they endure.

The cost of landscape design is an investment you’re making into your property, so you don’t it to go to waste just because of poor drainage that damages your landscaping or hardscaping.

Attraction of Pests & Odors

If the drainage issues in your yard are leading to areas of standing water, you could be attracting pests to your home. Insects like mosquitos and fleas may want to harbor their larvae in the standing water, which could lead to a serious infestation that will take over your yard.

If left untreated for a while, the standing water can even start to develop an awful odor or smell from festering mold and mildew that keeps you from wanting to enjoy your beautiful landscaping.

How to Fix Water Drainage Problems in a Yard: All Your Options

Here are the steps you need to take when you want to learn how to fix water drainage problems in a yard.

Assess the Root Cause of the Problem

When learning how to fix drainage in a yard, the first thing you should do is find the root cause of the issue. This may require you to do some investigation to find the source, but it’s crucial that you do this so you can figure out how to fix poor drainage in a yard properly.

Consider the list of possible causes above like poor grading or the type of soil that’s in your yard to guide you to the root of the poor drainage problem. Once you have identified the problem, you can continue on to the next step.

Improve Soil Composition

A crucial component of fixing drainage problems on your property is improving the soil composition in your yard. As we discussed, too much clay or other compacted soils can really prevent you from a well-draining yard, as excess water will have a hard time absorbing into the ground.

As a solution, you may need to add organic matter like manure or compost, all of which can improve the structure of your soil and creating a more varied pore size. Not only will this improve the drainage situation on your property, but it may also help your plants and lawn grow better as well.

Re-Grade the Landscape

The next step in learning how to fix poor drainage in a yard is making sure it’s properly graded and sloped. This means your yard is sloping away from your home or other important structures like storage sheds or greenhouses.

You’ll also want to assess if there are any high points in your yard that are keeping excess water from draining properly when it accumulates on your property. This may require some more in-depth calculations to determine how many inches your lawn should rise for every square footage of area.

It’s important to nail this step when learning how to fix drainage in a yard, so don’t rush through this process, and ensure it’s done correctly–otherwise you won’t end up fixing the problem.

Implement Rain Gardens

You could also consider using rain gardens on your property when fixing drainage issues in a yard. These can be a great addition to your backyard landscape design, and if you’ve already learned how to design landscape berms, you’ll be well-prepared for this step.

A rain garden is a depressed area in your yard that you section off with berms for the sole purpose of collecting excess water and runoff in your yard. Add a mixture of grasses and plants to the rain garden to help absorb the excess moisture, and make sure they’re at the right height for the depth of water you expect the rain garden to collect.

Improve Gutter & Downspout Systems

You’ll need to make sure your gutters and downspouts are in good condition when figuring out how to fix drainage in a yard.

These are integral components of your overall drainage system on your property, so make sure they’re clear of debris like leaves or twigs that could prevent them from functioning as intended. If you notice any leaking or overfow from your gutters when it rains, it may be time to replace or repair them so they don’t cause an accumulation of water near your home that could seep into the foundation.

Use Permeable Paving Materials

Similar to why you want to avoid soils that are too compact, you’ll also want to consider using hardscapes that are porous and permeable for better drainage. This means that the stones or pavers absorb moisture rather than collecting it on top with nowhere to go.

So, there’s no debate whether landscaping vs hardscaping are more important when fixing poor drainage–they both play a role in this process.

Install a Superior Drainage Solution With the Help of Michaelangelo’s

For your best line of defense against a poorly draining lawn, seek out the help of experts like our team here at Michaelangelo’s. We offer a number of different drainage solutions depending on the unique needs of your property, including:

French drains
Dry creek beds
Dry ponds
Berms
Grading
Plantings
Boulder dams
Swales

You may already know us as trusted Alpharetta landscape design experts, but we are also proud to offer a selection of quality drainage solutions to preserve your property and landscaping.

Drainage issues can wreak havoc on your entire property–not just your lawn or flower beds. So, this is a problem best left for expert care as we curate a custom solution for your property that will help you avoid serious issues like pest infestations or even foundational damage to your home.

Now That You Know How to Fix Drainage Issues in a Yard, Don’t Let the Problem Persist!

After reading through this guide, you should have a better understanding of how to fix drainage issues in a yard. If this is a problem you’ve been noticing on your property for a while now, don’t wait any longer and get a solution underway as soon as possible. But, you don’t need to take on this massive responsibility all on your own.

Working with a professional can help you figure out how to fix poor drainage in a yard–without playing any guessing games and doing even more damage to your yard. Implementing the right drainage solutions for your property’s needs can require expert knowledge, meaning that you may leave yourself with a bigger mess if you try to fix the issue yourself.

So, just like you’d hire a landscape designer vs DIY the project to get it done correctly and avoid landscaping mistakes, you should also go with the experts when it comes to drainage issues on your property.

For the best drainage solutions and landscaping in Alpharetta, GA, go with Michaelangelo’s to get the dream landscape you’ve always wanted, without getting your hands dirty.