How to Remove Standing Water to Improve Your Yard

Standing water is a most unattractive sight for any yard whether it was caused by rains or snow. Apart from being disagreeable, standing water can take over areas that could have been used by plants. At the same time, standing water can damage the foundation of your home significantly and even patios. You will have to spend a considerable amount of money on repairs. Therefore, it is better to prevent water from accumulating so as to prevent structural damage in the long run. For more useful information on this and other topics, visit here.

Locate the Problem Areas

Before you can take any steps to eliminate standing water, you need to identify the areas in your yard suffering from the problem. Generally, water will accumulate in low spots such as areas near the foundation or the hardscapes of your home. These spaces can incur significant damage. Rain runoff can be a major contributor to water accumulation. Therefore, you need to examine the downspouts to ensure that they channel the water directly into the drains.

Eliminate the Problems

You need to fix the problem areas permanently after identifying them. Moving dirt and other simple solutions are rarely effective in the long run. You need to determine the best way to improve the drainage in those areas. If necessary, hire a contractor to solve the problems.

Implement French Drains

French drains are often employed as a solution to improve drainage in yards where standing water is an issue. In French drains, a perforated pipe will be laid into a trench which has been filled with gravel. A sediment shield fabric is wrapped around the perforated pipe. This creates a void space under the ground which prevents the accumulation of water.

Improve Water Drainage

You should ensure that your downspouts extend way from your home by at least 10 feet. However, you should bury them underground as people can trip on them and look rather disagreeable with the rest of the yard. PVC pipes can be used for the purpose as they are less prone to clogs and tends to be sturdier. You can create a shallow ditch for taking away the water to a collection area such as drains.

Improve the Landscaping

You should maintain a few inches of visible foundation near your home to ensure that the water is being drained properly. Make sure that the height is maintained to around six inches for the best results. It must be maintained annually as it can direct the water to flow near the house if it gets too high.

Use a Rain Garden

It is possible to transform certain standing water spots into a rain garden. In such a garden, plantings can be added which need to have their roots constantly wet. However, it is important to remember that too much of water can still harm the plants. Therefore, eliminate drainage issues before starting a rain garden. Some plants you can add to a rain garden are willow, river birch, bald cypress, purple cone flowers as they will prosper in the wetness.

While water is an essential commodity, the fact remains that it can damage your yard and your home if left to accumulate. Therefore, analyze and eliminate standing water as soon as possible.