Avoided the soggy yard by installing a drainage system. Photo Credit: General Wesc
Soggy yards combined with hard rains can often lead to a cracked foundation or constant water in a crawl space. Installing a subsurface drainage system can dry out the yard and prevent further damage to the home’s foundation. Here are some drainage options for a water logged yard.
Trench Drain
This is an easy and popular way to redirect water away from the home and into a safer location. In some cases, this type of trench system can run up to 100 feet long. Here’s how to complete this easy drainage system.
Installation
The trench should run parallel with the ground and be built on the high side of the property. When completed, the drain pipe should stick out like the entrance to a mine shaft. Dig a six-inch wide trench about 2 feet deep. Add two inches of gravel on the bottom of the trench and then place the drain pipe over the top. Cover the drain with additional gravel and add loose dirt up to an inch of ground level. Then hide the drain with sod or soil and you’re done. The system relies on gravity and perforated drain piping to deliver water away from the home or garage.
Linear French Drain
This is a buried pipe and drainage system that traps and redirects water before it can enter the home. This type of drain can solve a negative slope issue in the landscaping and block water coming from the neighbor’s yard. When homes are built on hillsides or mountainous ter...
Read the full article in the CalFinder Remodeling and Home Solar Power Magazine
