Landscaping Recommendations To Control And Manage Your Yard Drainage
ShareThe appearance of your home's exterior and yard is important for you to maintain, but the drainage of your yard is just as important. You don't want improper roof runoff and water flow after a rain storm to create a harbor for mosquito larvae or to seep into your home's foundation and cause interior moisture problems. Here are some recommendations to help you keep your yard drainage flowing well to prevent standing water and its related problems.
Manage Gutter and Downspouts
A large amount of moisture is going to fall upon and drain from your home's roof, which will collect and runoff down your rain gutters and downspouts into your yard. This amount of water can overwhelm an inadequate drainage system and seep into your home's foundation soil to cause interior moisture problems.
Be sure you check your gutters and downspouts regularly to make sure they are not leaking, sagging, or clogged with debris. Then, make sure the downspouts have attached extenders or diverters to deliver the flow of water away from your home by several feet. You can install retractable downspouts or create a ditch or trench lined with gravel to help move the flow of water.
The soil around your home should slope away from your home to provide additional moisture drainage control. This protection will ensure that if any water falls upon the soil around your foundation, it will follow the slope of the soil to drain away from your home.
Control Ground Drainage
The water that flows from your roof and gutters is going to continue flowing downward any slope in your yard. Some yards have one or more low spots where water can collect after heavy rain storms. This can leave your lawn or soil soggy, especially if the soil does not have good drainage. This can occur if your soil contains high amounts of clay. This can often be the case in a newer home construction, as the construction company has removed all the topsoil and replaced it with hard subsoil that is compacted with clay and has poor drainage qualities.
Look for the lower areas in your property and boost their moisture drainage by adding in mulch to the soil. You can additionally add in sand to the soil's mixture to help water drain down into the area. An additional way to help the drainage is to install a perforated drain pipe within the soil of the low area and cover it with gravel or well-draining soil. And as a landscaping improvement you can plant vegetation in the site that thrive in moist conditions, which will help absorb the excessive moisture after heavy rainfalls.
Contact a professional near you if you are in need of any drainage solutions.