If your yard is plagued with puddles and soggy spots, it might be time to consider drainage solutions. For yard drainage, there are plenty of DIY options you can handle without spending a fortune. Once you understand the causes of your drainage issues, you can find the best approach for improving a swamp situation.
Here is a basic guide to yard drainage issues and DIY solutions to consider:
Before you start researching strategies for improving drainage, take a careful assessment of your yard. There are many factors that can cause drainage issues:
Before you start planning a major landscaping project, consider your current watering schedule and systems. Do you have drip irrigation or sprinklers that run automatically? Do you have a manual watering schedule that you could adjust? In some cases, you might just be watering too much or too often.
If you have an irrigation or sprinkler system, make sure it doesn’t have any leaks. Once you’ve ruled out the possibility of leaking, try adjusting your watering schedule to reduce the amount of standing water in your yard.
If you discover that your drainage issues stem from your gutter downspout, the solution could be as simple as extending it. Extend and aim the downspout away from the home and toward a storm drain or other safe drainage source.
A rain garden is another way to ease drainage issues by creating a place specifically for water to gather. Rain gardens are designed to capture and slowly absorb runoff, all while promoting lush plant growth and beautifying the yard.
For more serious drainage problems, consider digging an artificial creek or swale to route water properly. By digging a long, shallow trench and filling it with gravel or rocks, you can divert runoff towards storm drains without allowing standing water to accumulate in the yard.
These are only a few basic yard drainage solutions to consider. If you’re still having trouble with excess water, it’s a good idea to consult a landscaping professional to find the best option for your yard.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
