Ways to Combat Poor Water Drainage on Property

Gutters and Downspouts

• Gutters can prevent water from pooling around the edges of a home or ponding at the lower parts of a yard by routing roof runoff away from the perimeter. For gutters to be effective, connect them to an angled leader that diverts the water 10 feet or more from the home. Downspouts dump water directly into a catch basin that directs it away from the home. Keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris to prevent clogs and blockages. Direct downspouts away from the foundation and add splash blocks to divert water away from edges of the house.

Slopes

• Both the roof line and the ground around the house should slope down and away from the house to keep water from pooling around the edges and possibly flooding the basement and foundation. Make sure the soil is 8 inches or more away from the siding to avoid causing rot and attracting insects. You can improve the surface drainage of any waterlogged places in the yard by raising the area 1 inch higher for every 5 square feet of ground. Improve subsurface drainage by installing a concrete sidewalk or impervious clay layer beneath the turf around the home's edges. Modify concrete driveways, walkways and patios to drive water away from the home as well.

Drains and Swales

• You can improve the soil drainage of your yard with exterior perimeter drains. If your soil is high in silt or sand, try a subsurface drain, like a French drain, and if your soil contains a lot of clay, try a surface drain, such as a swale. Create a French drain by digging a shallow 2-foot trench away from the home and laying down perforated pipe sandwiched between layers of gravel. Then cover it with landscape cloth, soil and lawn. Create a swale by digging a ditch on all sides of the home, filling it with gravel and covering it with soil and lawn. For a swale to work, the ground must slope toward it away from the house.

Dry Wells and Sump Pumps

• Many homeowners unable to grade their yard to a suitable slope feed exterior perimeter drains, swales or shallow open trenches into dry wells. A dry well is an in-ground structure that collects water and dissipates it into the ground. It can either be a tank or a deep gravel-filled hole covered with landscape cloth and should be situated no closer than 12 feet from the house. If water tends to accumulate in your basement, you can install a sump pump to relieve pressure around the foundation and direct excess water to the dry well.