Drainage Solutions for Yards

A very interesting survey in some selected parts of the United States of America found that about 60% homes (excluding apartments) face a genuine problem of water accumulation and water clogging. Draining wet yards is not a very difficult task and, if you roll up your sleeves, then it can also be done very easily with the help of simple and logical backyard drainage solutions.

The drainage solutions for your backyard are not some elaborate construction and home improvement schemes but are simple step wise measures that you can easily implement to divert water to some other place than letting it remain in your yard.

Identification of the Source of Water: Among the solutions to prevent water clogging, the first one that is recommended by many engineers is identifying the source of water. The identification is a solution in itself because once we find the source of water, it is quite easy to implement other drainage solutions. Backyards are often plagued by water running off the roof or broken pipelines.

Find a Place for the Excess Water: The next part of the solution must be finding an appropriate place where you can easily dispose off the excess water. The best place to dispose off the excess water, is the garden. However if the garden sounds unfavorable for you, you may also find a location lower than the level of your house. This water can also be redirected to your water tank.

The Dry Well: Among the drainage solutions for yards the best option is of the dry well. The dry well is nothing but a big ditch in the ground. The sides of the dry well are surrounded by a simple concrete and brick wall, and the bottom is left open for the water to percolate. You can divert the water from your roof onto the dry well by reconstruction the piping system. The advantage of a dry well is that you do not need a pump or any moving mechanism to divert the water. However it is extremely important to have the well deep enough and also use large pipes (diameter wise) to divert the water from the roof. The water from the dry well percolates on it's own into the ground. The drawback of the dry well is that you need to keep it clean as waste in the form of leaves, twigs and branches would hinder water percolation. It is also important that you keep the piping of the dry well clean and replace it when necessary. Another very ingenious way to divert and percolate water of the dry well is by French drain installation. This would prove to be very beneficial if you happen to live in a hilly area. To know more about French drains you may read on, how to build a French Drain?

Rain Barrel: Most of the times your yard gets blocked as a result of the water that drains off from the piping of your roof. This water can be easily accumulated into the rain barrel and can be recycled for use. To know more about rain barrels you can read more on:

• Building a Rain Barrel
• Homemade Rain Barrel

Drain off for the Yard: If the amount of water accumulating in the yard is low then the solution lies in the construction of your yard. There is a a strong possibility that your yard ends at the concrete compound, thereby forming a perpendicular angle. The simple drainage solutions for yards in such cases is pretty simple. All you need to do is break the flooring or the concrete, off the ground till you see soil. This miniature trench must run along the compound and must have a breadth of about 20 to 30 inches. The exposed soil would easily help you to drain off the water and also percolate it into the earth. To know more, you can also have a look at leveling an existing yard and backyard makeovers.

You would get the material and simple equipment that you need in the nearest hardware store. Remember to have a simple approach when you implement drainage solutions for yards. A simple approach would ensure a foolproof solution and it would not be necessary for you to make many changes in the yard.