Most homeowners have had to deal with yard drainage issues at some point. Sometimes the challenge arises from frequent heavy rainfall and insufficient slope (pitch) in your yard to direct the water away. It could also be a particular low area or depression in your lawn that now allows water to stand.

Poor drainage and standing water in your yard can severely hamper the aesthetics of your lawn.

Whatever your lawn drainage issue is, there are practical solutions you can try ASAP.

1. Install a French drain or catch basin

Most drainage challenges result from an inadequate pitch to your yard, preventing the water from running off. Typically, the recommended pitch angle is 3%. If the one in your yard is below this, you’d likely have drainage issues.

The best practical solution to a low pitch in your yard is to install a French drain or catch basin around the house.

The French drain is a system that consists of a perforated pipe lodged within materials that allow water to drain through easily. The material can be gravel or any other porous aggregate.

The French drain usually doesn’t require an inlet or outlet. Instead, as the water seeps into the soil, the perforated pipe accepts it along its length and disperses it underground through the holes.

It’s wise to wrap the pipe with a cloth so that debris doesn’t clog up the holes. Nevertheless, French drains can get clogged up after 3-5 years and may need a redo.

2. Extend your downspout

Does water stand very close to the walls of your home? Before taking extreme or complex measures to solve your drainage issues, take a moment to inspect the landscape. The problem could simply be the downspout channeling water into a low-lying area.

By redirecting your downspout into a more favorable location, the water can drain into a well-pitched area it can easily flow away from.

If this is the drainage challenge you face, extend your downspout to a more sloped area.

3. Build a rain garden

When brown spots — an area that doesn’t support lawn growth — begin to appear in your yard, your curb appeal can be severely hurt. Such areas are typically low areas that have possibly suffered erosion, and you’ll likely find standing water in them.

A low spot retaining water in your yard does not have to be a disadvantage. Instead, consider using it to your advantage rather than finding energy-draining ways to get rid of it. How? Simple: by planting water-loving plants there.

The water-loving plants will form a rain garden right in your lawn, and it would look better and more unique than a pool of stagnant water in that same location.

Additionally, you can add drainage so that only excess water remains in the rain garden until it gets a chance to drain off.

4. Build a dry creek bed

One way to solve standing water in low parts of your yard is by constructing a dry creek bed to channel the water away.

The dry creek bed will serve as a drain to direct water away from the low spot. You can also design this creek to flow into your rain garden.

While serving as a drain, the dry creek bed can also be an aesthetic feature in your yard. Make a gentle, shallow drainage ditch, line it with gravel, and add color with plants.

You can use large boulders and river slicks to create a more natural look, but this design would be costlier than installing a French drain. However, allowing water to drain along the surface is better than underneath the soil, where clogging may occur.

5. Construct a dry well

A dry well is an area filled with gravel or other porous material. It traps excess water and allows it to infiltrate into the soil gradually.

A dry well can work alone or can be incorporated with a French drain. You could also place perforated containers underneath the gravel to hold large amounts of water and drain it gradually.

The role of a dry well is essentially to collect water from heavy rainfalls.

6. Get help from a professional

After all’s said, getting it done can be a challenge itself. If you lack the necessary skills or time to install any of these designs, your drainage issues may not completely abate.

Despite the cost, it may be in your best interest to hire professional help for your lawn. If you’re looking for top-rated lawn care near me, you can easily find one online to come over and evaluate your situation before applying the best-suited fix.

Final words

Every homeowner derives pride from seeing their lawn looking ever so beautiful. If yours isn’t doing too well, it’s best to apply any of the steps to fix things up ASAP.