Puddles in the backyard may be fun for the kids, but for homeowners they can spell foundation nightmares. If your backyard floods every time it rains, it may be time to call in a good landscaper.
Professional landscapers do a lot more than plant flowers and mow grass. They can assess water drainage issues and install drainage solutions. They’ll have to take it on a case to case basis, though, because what’s right for your Milwaukee yard flooding issue might not be right for anyone else.
Before you find a landscaper to assess your personalized solution, however, read the quick fixes below.
Curtain Drain
What’s the first solution that comes to mind when you think of draining water? A pipe.
That’s exactly what the curtain drain method uses. This method consists of setting a pipe into the ground and running water from your property to the main drain (like a street storm drain). Because the pipe is perforated, it helps collect water from the soil. It then uses gravity and your yard’s natural grade to run the water off.
There’s one caveat though: To use this method, your property needs to be higher than the surrounding lots or the closest road.
A Dry Well
If you’re on low land but don’t want to spend sump pump money, try this solution.
A dry well is an in-yard well that stays dry until excess rain fills it up. A dry well is usually dug in the lowest part of the yard for maximum impact and doesn’t take much (if any) hardware.
Once the well is dug, a landscaper will fill it with gravel to mimic a natural draining system. As the water fills the well, the rocks keep things from getting muddy. The well then empties into the surrounding soil, dispersing the moisture into deeper soil levels than a regular drain.
A Sump Pump
If you have a couple of hundred dollars to spare and extra electricity, invest in a sump pump. These machines collect excess runoff and pump it away. And, the runoff plumbing can deposit excess water wherever you want, even uphill.
Since sump pumps are an investment, talk to a professional landscaper before you take the plunge. They’ll be able to assess the intensity of the problem and give you ideas on the where and how of installation.
Most landscapers will even install it for you! The best way to see if any landscapers in your area do so is to ask for a free quote and let them know what you’re thinking.
Community-Wide Action
If you’re having an unusually wet season or have a low-lying yard, drainage issues are typical. But if they seem to persist or you hear other neighbors talking about them, it may be a bigger deal.
Talk to your landscaper and ask if they see any large-scale problems in the area. If they do, ask for their advice and take your concerns to the HOA.
If you don’t have an HOA or they can’t do anything about it, contact your local government. If municipal engineers are to blame for drainage problems, it may be your city’s legal duty to fix it.
Picking Drainage Solutions
Knowing which yard drainage solution is right for your home is difficult. It takes many small details into consideration than you’ve probably considered.
If you need assistance, one of our landscapers can find the perfect fit for you. Get in contact today and change your back-swamp into your backyard!
