How to Correct Yard Drainage

You can fix your yard drainage problems.

Yards that drain poorly lead to large puddles on your lawn. This pooling of water can cause indoor flooding or leaks, especially after heavy rain. When soil is made up of too much clay and not enough sand, it cannot drain quickly. Improving the soil composition will repair soil compaction issues.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Wood chips
• Leaves
• Sand
• Grass clippings
• Manure
• Straw

Instructions

1. Consult with your local planning and building codes office before you attempt to correct your yard drainage. Apply for any permits that might be necessary and wait to receive them before embarking on fixing your problem.

2. Change the consistency of your soil. Dig into the soil of your lawn at least 8 inches below the surface. Add 3 to 4 inches of materials such as wood chips, leaves, sand, grass clippings, manure and straw into the soil.

3. Build up the low areas of your yard by adding soil. Construct a retaining wall if you are afraid that the new soil will be washed away by imminent rain. If the cause of your drainage issue is a yard slope, this will solve your problem because slopes cause water to pool up instead of drain out.

4. Locate a place into which you can drain excess water. You may want to consider using your street's drainage system. First check if your block has a good drainage system.

5. Set up a French drain system to get rid of extra water. Start digging where the water pools. Dig down about 6 to 8 inches and then dig out around 6 inches wide. Fill the new hole with gravel. It is best to dig until the trench slopes the entire way, so it will discharge the water.

Tips & Warnings

• Slope your yard away from the foundation of your house.

• Do not drain your extra water into your neighbor's yard or your house.

References

• Easy Digging: Lawn, Yard, and Garden Drainage- French Drain Installation Guide