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Landscape Design

Water Drainage Advice Needed

8 years ago

I am in the process of buying a house, and am at the end of due diligence. The backyard has a slight slope towards the house where it eventually flattens, creating about 5 to 6 feet of flat yard up to the back of the house. There was a significant water problem in that flat area where water was pooling up. The sellers placed a French drain in the back and laid sod about a week and a half ago. Since that time, we've had only one rainy day - about six days ago. It's been sunny each day since. I checked it out again today and while it wasn't standing in water there was still a lot of slushy areas in the sod. I know nothing about this, so I don't know if it just hasn't had enough time to soak up all the water, or if this is a scenario where standing water could be an ongoing issue. I'm concerned that if it stays wet, then the soil in the crawlspace could stay damp and eventually lead to mold or rotting of the wood. I know it's difficult to offer an opinion without being on site, but was hoping to find someone that's had similar issues or would know if I just haven't given it enough time to dry up. It's not in a flood zone, so there's that positive. Thanks!

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Comments (3)

socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I used to have standing water next to my house. After installing a French drain, no more standing water or slushy areas right after rain, just moist dirt. I think if it is slushy six days after rain that there is still a problem. The quality/effectiveness of French drains can really vary depending on how they are designed/installed.
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Yardvaark
8 years ago
If a catch basin has been installed, it should be several feet away from the foundation wall (ideally 10' min.) and the grade should be sloped downward from the wall to the CB. If the area is flat next to the wall, it will be an ongoing problem.

People who "fix" problems as they are selling the house do not care about a long term fix. They are putting on a band-aid for the sale.
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The escape route should be accomplished with grading. If water is retained by earth, you should remove that soil. It is hard to tell you exactly how, since we have no way to see exactly how the grade lies. If you must do it through a drain or channel, be away that it could be a continued maintenance issue from becoming clogged.
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There are many details in your post that could impact the situation, but it is almost impossible to grasp them when we can't see anything. Please convey everything you speak of in pictures ... not close-up pictures, but one's that show how the things relate to other things ... wide-view pictures that show the lay of the land & convey slopes as much as possible.
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From afar, with nothing to go on but your verbal description, and since there is only SPECULATION about the cause of overflowing -- not confirmed facts -- the advice is no more than speculation about the prognosis. A "dip," though it wouldn't be a great thing in a drain line, may or may not make a difference in flow. (Degrees matter.) If the drain overflowed but was not clogged, it seems that it didn't measure up to the capacity needed. This is a common problem. 4" lines are used even when 6" and 8" lines should be installed. A french drain being installed along the foundation MAY help, but the term "french drain" means different things to different people, so the details will matter. For all practical purposes, during a hard rain, it's not going to matter if there is foliage or roots "to absorb water." It will come down to grading and drainage. Rocks around a drain won't necessarily matter either, unless they wash & clog the drain. If debris is clogging the drain opening, a good thing to do would be to install a drain cage. Chances are, though, that your real problem is capacity.
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While the standard trench drain is straight, there is at least one company that makes custom curved channel drains. Hope that helps. I do think drainage catch basins would work. They seem to come in 12" or 9" square sizes.
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Michael Kirchhubel
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I have had success with unseen drains in put in the yard. You simply dig a small ditch through the center about a foot deep, lay in 4" corrugated pipe, add 4"gravel, lay weedcloth over-top, add 4" topsoil, add grass. They also make a french drain pipe with the cloth and porous material already made onto the pipe. Below is a picture of the beginning stage.

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