They say too much of a good thing is not so good. When it comes Soggy Lawns to rain, we couldn’t agree more. Sure, it helps our gardens grow and makes our lawns green and lush. But too much rainwater can leave you standing ankle deep in muck and mire in your own yard or, worse yet, your basement!
Standing water can kill grass, create the perfect environment for pesky mosquitoes, and even leak through your home’s foundation. So, what’s a homeowner to do? Here are 4 ways to ward off water woes in your yard.
- Divert rainwater. First and foremost, make sure your gutters are free of debris and downspouts extend at least three feet away from your property. If that doesn’t cut it, you might benefit from a French drain. This perforated underground pipe collects and directs excess surface water toward a storm drain, protecting your lawn from standing water and foundation from being compromised.
- Improve the grade of your yard. In a perfect world, your yard should have a minimum slope of 2% away from the house. Otherwise, water can pool in various spots or back up along the foundation. Facilitate better drainage by spreading topsoil along the foundation and in lower areas. Just be sure that your efforts don’t interfere with neighboring properties.
- Clear water from walkways, sidewalks, and patios. When an area sits lower than the surrounding yard, it can often hold water for several days. Over time, these areas can become unstable. If raising the area in question is too expensive and/or labor intensive, consider installing storm drain channels that discreetly direct water away from foot traffic. In the meantime, sweep standing water off walkways and patios after a rainstorm.
- Protect your foundation. If you have a basement with windows and window wells, flooding can mean big trouble and costly damage. Consider a collection tank with a sump pump than can be installed beneath a window well. When the tank fills with water, it signals the pump to turn on and redirects the water outdoors and away from the foundation.
Still, what happens if you’re not ready to implement any of these steps and water is infiltrating your basement anyway? Then it’s time to contact Anthony’s Plumbing, Heating & Air for sump pump installation or repair. Remember: a sump pump works just fine even without a collection tank. On the other hand, sump pumps need electricity to operate which renders them useless should you lose power.
That’s where a backup sump pump can come in handy. Contact us today for more information or free in-home proposal and estimate.
