Look across your yard after a heavy rainstorm and assess the performance of your drainage system in Kansas City. If you spot soggy areas or standing water, you need to consider tweaking the existing drainage or risk inflicting damage. Bad drainage can harm your landscaping, decks or fences as well as causing water seepage or leakage into your home and basement.
When water can’t effectively drain away from your lawn, either through the soil or down a directed path, it can cause a lot of trouble. Water has enormous power and can erode, seep and leak through even the tiniest gap. When you provide rain water a proper pathway to exit your yard, you’re protecting everything from your home to your lawn.
Aeration is an easy step to quickly reduce water build up in your yard. Often soil can be compacted from traffic or is just too heavy to begin with, and punch-core aeration helps to alleviate that problem. Basically you are punching holes in the top few inches of your yard and allowing the water to penetrate deeper into the soil with little effort. Aeration may be a quick fix, but it is not a long term solution when your home’s improper Kansas City water drainage causes recurring problems.
French drains are often a good choice and won’t affect the overall look of your landscaping. French drains are perforated or slotted pipes that can run along a sloped trench through your yard, directed away from your home. The pipes are covered with a fabric or mesh that prevents soil from entering but allows the water to drip freely in and then down the pipe. They are generally backfilled with a combination of gravel and soil. Once you’ve planted grass or gardens over top, they will do their work completely out of sight.
Be careful to plan well where your drain will empty. It’s generally not a good idea to aim it at the neighbor’s yard and you will need to be careful about draining directly to the street. As long as the water is far enough away from your home and has no ability to drain back towards it, your drainage will be effective.
Dry beds or swales can also be used effectively to direct water away from certain areas. They are more noticeable and may interrupt with your landscaping, but will solve the drainage issues well. Also consider adding drainage directly at the base of your downspouts. Acting like a dry well, a deep hole dug at the base and filled with gravel will deliver the water down into the ground and away from your gardens and grass right away. Splash pads may work too, but are often overwhelmed in severe rainstorms.
Be sure that your home is well protected against water damage. Have a licensed contractor help you create decent, Kansas City drainage systems in your yard. With some forethought, planning and professional installation you will tell that water exactly where to go. For Kansas City drainage issues, consult the professionals at EnhanceScape to work out the best solution.