Common Property Drainage Issues and How to Resolve Them

A clogged drainage system in a home or yard can become a nightmare at the worst time, especially if you must deal with it frequently. It is time to take action when you notice unexpected leaks, visible soggy patches, or standing water in the yard. Without a proper drainage system, water can accumulate in your basement or yard, creating structural issues to your property, damaging your plants, increasing bugs, and causing a swampy mess. In addition to damaging your home, poor drainage can harm your health and serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. So, you must fix it as soon as possible before it turns your home's back yard into a wet mess.

In this article, we'll examine the signs of poor drainage, the most common drainage problems, and practical ways to avoid and fix these problems.

Signs of Poor Drainage System

Common signs that indicate a poor drainage are:

• Standing water in the basement or yard
• Water stains on home's foundation
• Mosquitos in flooding water
• Dead or suffocated plants, grass, and trees
• Large puddles of water below downspouts
• Soggy spots in the lawn

6 Common Property Drainage Problems

Now, let's look at the property drainage problems and ways to solve them.

1. Improper Yard Grading

Poor yard grading is a common issue homeowners face. If your land is not properly graded, it will not direct water away from your home. Improper grading can cause flooding and structural damage. If your home is at the bottom end of the slope, it will cause water to stand in the yard or push it backward. The goal of grading is to allow water to flow away from the property during rainfall or snowfall.

If there is poor grading, standing water can bring pests, bugs, mold, and other pollutants. Ideally, the land is graded to drain so that water moves from the house through the swale to the catch basin or down to the street. A lot shouldn't be perfectly flat but have a 1-3% slope between the house and the street. This pitch helps move the water to the street and into city storm drains.

Solution

The only way to resolve the watery mess caused by improper grading is to devise a new drainage plan involving drains to collect and pipe water away. You can dig a few small waterways around your house. Make sure they have a slope that goes in the opposite direction from your home. This way, you can move the water away from your home using gravitational pull. Contact a landscaping expert for proper grading so the water runoff is directed correctly.

2. Blocked or Poorly Installed Downspouts and Gutters

Gutters and downspouts are essential parts of a home's exterior, but improper installation can cause serious problems. Common problems include overflowing gutters and when leader pipes cannot direct water away from the house. Instead, water runoff will collect around the home's foundation, damaging the surrounding landscape, and foundation.

Sometimes, the problem can be due to maintenance failure, not faulty installation. Not cleaning the gutters affects drainage. With time, the first blockage will grow and become harder to remove.

Solution

To resolve this problem, ensure all downspouts are pointed away from the home and lead far away from the structure. If spouts are close, connect them to the drainage system to carry water farther away. Most importantly, gutters should be cleaned regularly to prevent this issue.

3. Your Soil

The soil in your yard or lawn is one of the important factors disrupting your home's drainage system. If you notice that a few areas of your lawn are muddy and some are dry, it could be due to the soil type causing drainage problems.

There are three main soil types: sand, clay, and silt. If your soil is sandy, it will let water pass through. If it is heavy in clay, it will not drain well. If the soil right against your home is sandy, it will cause the water to run down the sides of the foundation, causing wet areas in the basement walls. The soil composition highly impacts its absorption qualities.

Solution

Talk to a landscape expert for advice on what type of soil is best for your landscaping. To check soil absorbing properties, dig a small hole and fill it with water to see how it drains. If the soil is good at absorbing water, it should take about 4-5 hours to drain. However, if it takes more than 12 hours to drain, your soil has a problem, which can contribute to drainage issues. Improve your soil quality by adding coarse aggregate and organic matter.

4. Runoff from Higher Elevations

If your house is downhill from other properties, your home can experience runoff from higher elevations. Erosion from higher properties is a significant property drainage problem. This will cause large puddles of water in your home. It is not your neighbors' fault, and you can't ask them to prevent it. If it happens, check the direction of water during heavy rains. This will give you a better understanding of how water flows.

Solution

Check the water flow during a rainstorm. If it is coming toward your home, change its direction by building a berm or swale and redirect it to a dry well or catch basin.

5. Issues with Landscaping

Landscaping issues can also cause drainage issues. Sometimes, beautiful landscaping can compromise your drainage. Bare soil without any plants, paved surfaces that carry water toward your home structure, or a yard that slopes toward a building are all potential drainage problems. Additionally, using too much topsoil or mulch might also cause drainage issues. Improperly installed features like fences, decks, or patios can aggravate the problem.

Solution

You need to divert the water away from your home to fix this issue. This can be done by installing French drains or other solutions like gravel and rocks.

6. Tree Roots or Debris in Drainage Pipes

If your drains are backing up, it could be due to roots or garden debris invading the pipe. Small materials like roots and yard debris can build up and block drains. Sometimes, they enter the joints and grow rapidly, breaking the fitting and soaking up all the pipe's moisture.

A damaged pipe or fitting will leak water, causing foul-smelling odors and damp patches that don't drain well. It will also block the pipe completely, which will require the removal of the pipe or the use of a root-cutting service to clean it. Perforated pipes are often used in shallow locations or near trees. This allows grass or tree roots to find the moisture and invade the pipe.

Solution

Regularly check your drain vents for garden debris and use drain guards. Avoid placing large trees in areas that can cause a problem with your drainage pipes. In addition, you can use a root killer around the drainage system to prevent landscaping trees and plants from damaging them. If the pipe is broken, you may need to remove the pipe completely and some plants or trees. Clean the perforated pipes, wrap them in filter fabric, and glue all the joints to keep roots from entering the pipe.

The Bottom Line

To achieve a lush lawn and healthy landscape, you need to reduce the impact of rainwater on your home. Proper drainage prevents water from collecting in your yard and causing damage to your home, plants, and health. Drainage problems are common around homes, so homeowners shouldn't take this matter lightly. Knowing the signs of a bad drainage system, understanding common drainage problems, and making timely resolutions can save you time and money while preventing accidents on your property.

To ensure proper landscape drainage, it is important to find the right brand and choose high-quality drainage system components. DripWorks carries durable and affordable drainage system components for residential, commercial, or municipal properties. Our wide collection of grates, catch basins, and accessories will help you efficiently control your property's water runoff and surface drainage.