Preventing Flooding in your Backyard

After a heavy rain, you may be relieved to discover that none of the water has entered your home.  However, if you experience backyard flooding every time it rains, this could eventually have a damaging affect.  Flooding near the home can seep into your basement and also cause significant damage to the foundation.  You must take a concerted effort to prevent flooding in your backyard if your yard is prone to flooding after heavy or even moderate rain.  Extensive backyard flooding may require professional help, but these tips can help you prevent water from gathering in your yard.

Yard Drainage to Prevent Flooding

Backyard flooding is a sure sign of improper drainage.  Areas that collect the most water from the rain tend to be low areas at the bottom of a slope.  You must take note of which areas of your backyard flood the most heavily to provide proper drainage.  The following are the most common yard drainage solutions:

• • French Drains: French drain systems solve drainage issues by collecting excess water in a perforated pipe and dispersing it evenly in the soil. To install a French drain, you must dig a trench in the most heavily flooded areas of the yard and make sure the trench goes deeper than your home. Place the perforated pipe in the trench and surround it with aggregate material such as gravel to filter the water.  The aggregate prevents dirt and debris from reaching the pipe and clogging the perforations.  As the pipe collects and redirects the rainwater, it disperses the water back underground through the lower layer of aggregate.

Backyard Flooding can eventually reach your home.

• Dry Wells: Dry wells are a yard drainage solution in which underground plastic wells collect the water and slowly release it. You can install a dry well by digging a large hole and placing a perforated dry well in it.  These wells are most effective when they are put in the ground at a lower level than the house.  You must also surround the wells with aggregate to fill the hole and allow proper drainage.  Dry wells temporarily store the water they collect and slowly release it to prevent a quick buildup.  You can more directly control where the water drains by attaching additional tunes or pipes to the well.
• Sump Pumps: Many homeowners install sump pumps to prevent flooding in their homes as well as their yards. Sump pumps are more effective for preventing backyard flooding than French drains or dry wells but also more expensive.  They work by removing the water from the soil and collecting it in their specially dug pits.  Once the pit is full, the water is pumped away through a drainage pipe that drains the water at a safe distance.

Other Backyard Flooding Solutions

If you experience flooding in just a few specific areas of your yard, you can help resolve the issue with these tips:

• • Elevation: Flooding generally occurs in low areas of the yard and elevating these areas can effectively prevent flooding. You can elevate low areas by adding topsoil and mulch which will stop the rainwater from pooling.

Diagram of a French drain.

• Rain Garden: If there is one specific spot in your yard that consistently floods, planting a rain garden is an excellent solution. Rain gardens include plants with deep roots that thrive in wet conditions and they are planted in areas that collect extra rainwater.  You can also install drains around the garden to make sure it doesn’t get too much water.  Rain gardens will not only add an appealing feature to your yard, but also reduce runoff.

Water damage is already a difficult problem to prevent in your home and backyard flooding makes it even more likely.  These yard drainage solutions are effective for preventing flooding in your backyard that can lead to damage in your home.  If you have experienced heavy flooding in your yard or your home, you must call water damage restoration experts immediately.  These professionals can effectively remove excess water and provide thorough drying to prevent damage.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.