Tips To Add And Use Outdoor Drainage For Your Property

The outside of your home and your property need to be protected against improper drainage and moisture collection when the weather is wet. Here are some ideas that you can use and install in your yard to promote healthy outdoor drainage and protection to your home and property against moisture problems.

Maintain Your Gutter System

One of the major areas of drainage and runoff around your property exists in your home's roof and gutter system. The gutters that collect water runoff from your roof should allow it to flow downward through downspouts and then away from your home. The places that the water is diverted onto should be on pavement or rock-covered areas so you avoid soil erosion and excess saturation, or it can be deposited into a city street gutter or drain. You can and should use a downspout diverter to make sure the water runoff does not end up in the soil around your home's foundation but diverted several feet away from your home where it can soak down into the soil and natural water table. 

Make sure your gutters are cleaned out of leaves, twigs, and pine needles so they can flow properly. Then, check them for leaks or cracks so you can keep them working well. Arrange for regular cleaning of your gutters and downspouts, especially if you have many trees in your yard that contribute to blockages.

Watch for Soil Saturation

The soil saturation through your yard can be affected by slopes and low spots, so keep an eye out for any areas that seem excessively soggy after moisture in the weather or snowmelt. If you find an area that collects water where it pools, you can correct it with several drainage options. A low area that collects water is a good place to install a rain garden in your yard that is full of water-loving vegetation, such as swamp milkweed or mallow, Black-eyed Susans, sedges, or bluestar. 

You can add in some decorative rocks, river rock, pea gravel, and other rocks that will help with drainage and provide the area with the look of a dry river bed. The rock will help the soil remain intact when the moisture levels increase and provide a way for the water to drain down into the rain garden. 

Look at installing a French drain to collect water in a low spot and drain it away to an area outside of your property and into a drainage ditch or city gutter. You may also want to install a dry well within your yard where you can collect and disperse the water into your yard's soil.