If you are one of the lucky homeowners (about 60% of us) who have some type of yard drainage problems on your home you have two possible options. Sell your home and purchase a home that is in the 40% bracket or put the gloves on and deal with the solution.
Most yard drainage problems can be solved effectively with a little forethought. First you need to determine where the water is coming from and where does it need to go. In most cases, this is pretty obvious. You may have a depression in your yard that is causing pooling, your landscaping is creating dams or your roofing gutter system is emptying water in areas that collect water. No matter how the water is getting there creating a plan of attack before getting started will render better results.
First item on the plan of attack is to determine if this is a project for a professional or can I do it myself. If you decide to take on the project yourself consulting with a professional may render other solutions and ideas that you overlooked.
You may have and can take care of minor foundation drainage problems by making sure soil slopes away from the house and properly installed gutter systems with well directed downspouts that empty away from the house can be effective solution for this type of drainage problem also.
As with most of us the solution isn’t quite this simple and to drain our yards will require installing a well thought out system that could include, filling low areas, creating swales and avenues in which water can flow naturally, catch basins, downspout drain systems and even a mechanical pump system.
Starting with the natural flow of water is usually the simplest and most economical approach that will take little or no maintenance after complete. If this approach is not feasible then a combination of natural flow and a catch basin system with lateral lines connecting to the storm drainage or flowing to the street is the next best option. If natural flow and or catch basin system is not going to work because your yard is lower that the street then an electrical sump pump system will be your last choice.
When installing a drainage system whether natural or a combination of mechanical and gravity feed systems they all need to be maintained and you need to understand how they work. Catch basins can become useless with just a few leaves covering the inlet grates. Pump systems don’t work when the power goes out and debris can build in areas to create dams.
No matter what system you have regular maintenance will be required.
By: Wayne J. Ball, CGR, CAPS - Lone Star Building & Construction Services, Inc. |
