How to Drain a Yard

Drainage Problems

When you have issues with drainage in your yard, you should get it fixed and taken care of as soon as possible. Standing water, first and foremost, will damage any plants in the yard. Submerged plants are unable to get the light and nutrients that they need to survive. Even the grass covering your yard could die away, so you should settle the issue sooner than later to prevent this damage from happening. 

Not only would this flooding affect the plants that are currently in your yard, but it could even harm future potential flowers, trees, and other forms of life. Long-term flooding in an area washes away important nutrients and can even bring pollutants into the ground. The longer you wait to fix the problem, the worse the long-term damage to your yard could be. 

In addition to causing issues with plants in your yard, a flooded piece of land could also damage your home and landscaping. Patios, sidewalks, and driveways may begin to crack and become less stable. The floodwater could even begin to harm the foundation of your home as it seeps under the property and erodes the cement.

Clearly, it is worth it to quickly react to drainage problems in your yard and get the issue under control as soon as possible. This way, there will be less short-term and long-term damage. Once you decide that you are ready to get your drainage situation back to normal, it is time to choose whether you will drain the area yourself or call an expert to help you through the process.

Drain it Yourself

Some people may be interested in draining their yard on their own. While it is possible to do this, you should be very careful throughout the process. There are a few different ways to drain a yard, so we have compiled some of the common choices below:

Dig a Trench

Dig a trench that is approximately 10 inches deep and 6 inches wide and make sure that it passes from an area in the yard with better drainage to an area that is lower. If this does not work and the water remains stagnant, you may need to dig more and make the trench deeper, up to 24 inches.

Create a Channel Drain

If a walkway or driveway is in the flooded area, then you may want to install a channel drain into this concrete structure. Cut into the concrete, add the long drain, and make sure that it is secure in its place.

Add a Yard Drain

On the other hand, if you do not have a concrete structure such as a sidewalk in the flooded area, then you may choose to add a yard drain instead. This is a great preemptive solution, though it will not work if the area is already flooded. Dig into the ground and install pipes, then add a drain into the ground so that any water will trickle through it and travel through the pipes.

Pump the Water Out

If you choose to pump the water out of your yard, be sure to pump it downhill so that it will not return to the area of stagnant water. This may work in some yards, while for others, it may not be enough to get the area dry enough.

Make a French Drain

French drains involve many materials and quite a bit of dedication, but they can be very successful when constructed correctly. First, connect tubes into a long pipe and put them in a dug-out hole on top of a bed of gravel. Add more gravel on top of and around the pipe before putting the dirt back on the top. 

If you have some extra time and effort and are ready to take on a new project, then one of the above solutions to draining issues in your yard may be the best way for you to go about this process. If you do not feel drawn to lots of physical labor and stress, however, there is another option for draining your yard that involved far less work.

Call an Expert

In reality, there is no need to spend all the time, effort, and money that the above do-it-yourself project would involve. Call an expert team of landscapers to get the job done quickly and efficiently. All the steps of the process will stay the same– the only difference is that you will not need to worry about getting any of it done yourself.

When choosing your construction team, you should be very careful, as this is a difficult task and you do not want someone to take advantage of you and your money. You should read reviews and specialized pieces of landscaping content just like this one to get an idea of who can do the best job at draining your yard.

Johnson’s landscape has years of experience and has helped numerous community members with draining their yards. You can trust our team of experienced professionals to give you high-quality results for a good price. We’ll treat you like part of our family, ensuring that the project is done well.

If you are ready to get started with draining your yard and think that the best route for you is to work with a team of Johnson’s landscapers, then go ahead and give us a call today at 301-494-3630. We offer all potential clients a free consultation, where we will learn more about your project and collaborate with you to learn exactly what you want done. Johnson’s then uses our unique 5-step system to finish the process. You will be happy with the end result, and you will be even happier to not have had to deal with the drainage project on your own.