Does it feel like you’re sloshing through the mud in your yard every time that it rains? Perhaps you feel like you’re constantly holding your breath, worried that your soggy yard is going to start seeping into your home. We understand that lawns with drainage woes can be a major headache and you might be in search of a wet lawn fix. The correct wet lawn fix for your property is going to be dependent on exactly what’s going on. Let’s dive a bit more into the issue and start to talk about the best solutions. Since we know it can be a major frustration, we want you to know how to fix a yard that holds water.
My Yard is Always Wet and Muddy: What’s Going On?
If your lawn seems to always hold water, then there’s a yard drainage issue at play. This can be related to the way your property is graded and how water flows, where your gutters are directing water, or even what’s going on at a neighbor’s property (potentially sending excess water into your yard).
The fact is, many properties have low spots and these are always going to hold more water. After all, water will always follow the path of least resistance and will flow on whatever path your yard seems to take. It can then pool when it reaches a dip or low area. As these low spots fill with water, your lawn can ultimately become a swampy mess.
You might also have pools of stagnant water that can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Soil health can come into play here, too. Though you might have low spots and grading issues causing water to pool, you could also have compacted soil, which can make it difficult for areas to drain well. With water having a difficult time penetrating to the subsurface level, it can start to pool on top of your soil.
As we mentioned above, even where your gutters are emptying can be a problem. Oftentimes, gutters are designed to empty out right at the bottom of the house. With a little bit of rain, this might not be a big deal. But this puts water right near your foundation and with enough rainfall, can cause water to pool in this area (and possibly even seep inside).
It might even cause erosion issues if you have plant beds around your home.
Clearly, there are many different reasons and ways that water can really start to cause problems on your property. So, let’s talk about how to fix a yard that holds water. After all, you don’t want to be worrying about water every time that it rains.
How to Fix a Yard that Holds Water
The simple answer to water woes is that you need a yard drainage solution. But exactly what that solution will be is going to depend upon your specific circ*mstances. Your property should be evaluated for a customized solution that will correct some of your biggest issues.
At Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape, we have a variety of potential yard drainage solutions. These include the following.
- Grading corrections
- Downspout extension and redirection
- French drains
- Dry wells
- Catch basins and channel drains
- Dry river beds
- Pop-up emitters
Determining which solution is right for your property is going to depend upon your particular circ*mstances and the way that your yard is set up. Sometimes, the solution really is as simple as downspout extension and redirection. We can connect pipes to your downspout to deliver the water further away from your house (likely to a low point).
But sometimes the solution is a bit more complex. Perhaps we redirect your downspouts to a low spot, but that’s still a usable part of your property and you don’t want water constantly pooling there. Then, we might also implement a subsurface drainage solution so that the water will drain better in that spot.
Grading is another possible wet lawn fix. This means moving soil around to level things out and take control of the way in which water is going to flow. Grading can get fairly complex depending upon the severity of your grading issue. But, it can also make your yard a lot more usable.
Again, a subsurface drainage solution with underground piping might still be part of a grading solution to ensure that water is directed exactly where you want it to go.
Working with a Pro on a Yard Drainage Solution
Your outdoor living areas deserve to be places where you can relax and enjoy your property. The last thing that you want is uncorrected drainage issues standing in the way. The key is to find a company that offers landscape drainage solutions.
Of course, finding the right professional might not be that simple. The truth is, yard drainage is not always a top priority for a lot of landscape contractors. Unfortunately, they may even be the ones to cause a yard drainage problem when installing hardscaping if they haven’t taken the time to consider drainage in the process.
But at Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape we have a background is in golf course and sports turf management, areas in which proper drainage is absolutely imperative. So, we are constantly thinking about drainage in our landscape design and maintenance work.
We understand that water can be a powerful and destructive force and excess rain can do a lot of damage to a property—including making lawns a soggy, muddy mess. But with the right solutions, drainage doesn’t have to be a problem to worry about.
If you’d like to know more about yard drainage and whether there’s a solution that’s right for you, request a consultation, get your customized plan, and relax as we give you the royal treatment.
Image Source: Flooded lawn
Krisjan Berzins - Owner, CEO
Since 1997, Krisjan has led the Kingstowne team with one simple philosophy, treat every customer like the “only” customer. His passionate pursuit of impeccable customer service has resulted in 24 successful years and a thriving company with over 85 employees, helping thousands of homeowners in the Alexandria, Arlington, and Springfield, VA area get what they want -- a worry-free property they can be proud of.
