Proper Drainage of a Backyard

Identify Problem Areas

• The first step in solving drainage problems is to identify the source of the problem, and there are several ways to do so. Standing water is the most obvious red flag. Insert a stake in the center of puddle areas. As you walk around the backyard, look for soft spots on the ground, and insert a stake in the center of them as well. Soft spots indicate that the ground is saturated.

Designate an Outlet

• Newer homes are often built on lots with a drainage swale, or a ditch with vegetation and a drain pipe running underneath. Swales are the ideal outlet for you to direct excess water to. If you don't have a swale or ditch, use the street gutter as your outlet.

Drainage Course

• The course for your drain system will run from the farthest problem area to your drainage outlet. It should be as straight and direct as possible. For example, drain pipes should run straight through the backyard and curve towards the street gutter, forming the shape of an L. If your front yard already drains properly, use solid tubing in the front yard to carry backyard water quickly through to the outlet. Don't install drain pipes within 8 feet of the home or your neighbor's backyard.

Installation

• Installing drain pipes is a do-it-yourself project you can finish over a weekend. The most labor-intensive part of the process entails digging a trench. The trench should be 1 foot wide and 2 feet deep, with curved walls in the shape of a U. The pipes should sit on a 6-inch layer of gravel that slopes down 1 inch for every 10 feet of length, and be covered by another 12 inches of gravel. The gravel prevents dirt and other debris from clogging the pipes. Lay landscape fabric over the top layer of gravel as an extra defense. Filling the rest of the hole in with dirt and sand, and seeding it with grass, conceals the pipes and prevents erosion.