Top 3 Tips for Ensuring Proper Drainage of Your Yard

During the rainy season, many homeowners go down to their basement, only to discover that there is flooding. In fact, approximately 60% of homeowners deal with some kind of drainage problem in their yard. In order to prevent your basement from flooding and divert water away from your home, it’s essential to ensure proper yard drainage. Fortunately, most yards can be drained effectively, and it’s rare for water problems in a yard to be unsolvable. Here are the top 3 tips for achieving better yard drainage.

1. Make sure that the soil in your yard slopes away from your home, and identify the cause of the flooding. For example, you may find that there is a depression in the yard that causes the water to pool or that excess water from the roof is draining near the foundation of your home. Make sure that any gutters you install are properly installed and drain water away from the foundation of the home. All water should drain at a spot that is lower than your home.

2. Construct drain tile pipes in the ground to gather water during rainstorms. Drainpipes carry water away from the home and ideally discharge it near a sewer or retention pond. The drainpipes may have to cross under your driveway or a sidewalk. Map out a plan consisting of the underground channel where the drainpipe will go. Once you determine where the drainpipe will go, dig out a trench that’s about a foot deep and lay down an inch or so of gravel before placing the drainpipe in the trench. The drainpipe should then be covered with gravel as well as a few inches of dirt and sod. It is important to first cover the drainpipe with gravel to prevent its holes from clogging.

3. Consider switching from natural grass to artificial turf. Artificial turf is designed so that water passes through its base, meaning that flooding is rarely a problem. However, if your yard is not relatively flat, some landscaping may be required before you lay down artificial turf. If you are dealing with yard drainage problems and there are muddy areas in your lawn, switching to artificial turf can be very beneficial because of its excellent drainage properties. If you decide to install artificial turf in your backyard, a specialist can examine your yard and determine an appropriate layout. Typically, artificial turf with sand and rubber infill is used in backyards because liquids drain right through it.