A guide to common drainage problems and their solution

Nearly all house owners have to tackle drainage issues in their gardens at least once in their lifetime. Excessive rainfall might cause this problem where the yard does not have enough slopes to channelize extra water out of the drainage around house foundation. It usually begins with little pools and wet patches seen on the lawn. These pools appear to b muddy and marshy all over the area. These are fundamental indications of weak plumbing, which implies that your garden’s soil withholds excess water.

Here are several factors that fail to vacate extra water from the yard and their possible solutions.

Possible causes of weak drainage

Lack of slopes in the garden

Many backyards have multiple pools of water because of zero to a few pitches therein. The flat land accumulates all the moisture and finds no route to retire from the house.

• Downspout hassle

Various newly built homes face drainage issues as the house does not have downspouts installed in them. Thus, water from the rain gets collected in a particular place and cannot escape the house. While some of them have a downspout that is too short and is directed on the planting bed resulting in holding water underneath it.

• Problematic soil conditions

In some homes, waterways get clogged as the soil is affected after new construction, such as swimming. In case hardpan clay is used for this purpose, it becomes inconvenient as it holds moisture for very long.

• Entrance area

The entrance of the house poses another critical issue. The problem arises in the gap between the opening and the home. Here, the extra water does not find a channel to escape into the garden and the drain.

Remedial measures to resolve the problem

• Minimize watering your garden 

Before establishing an expensive drainage system, you must take into account the watering of your garden. Reduce your schedule of watering your lawn, as that might stop water from diverting. Observe this change for some time and analyze whether the problem gets solved.

• Install a downspout or extend it if you have one

In case you notice your waterway is resulting in your garden’s evacuation issues and weakening the drain, you must extend the downspout beyond the lawn far from the house. By doing this, you can save your garden from becoming a muddy pool of water. The downspout you extend should be connected to a proper drain and not reach your neighbor’s s yard.

• Channelize the excess water to a rain garden

You can easily divert the surplus water accumulating in your house’s low lying area to a self-made rain garden. This place can collect all the excess rainwater that cannot get drained through slopes.

It may not resolve your drainage problem, but can be used for aesthetic purposes by decorating it with various water plants. It will look a lot more attractive than small patches of muddy pools all over your garden.

Once you have resolved this drainage issue, it is vital to look after the soil’s condition in your yard and even look out for unpleasant water logging in the future.