Storms and rainy days are wonderful events that leave behind a lovely smell while giving your plants, trees, flowers and lawn a much-needed drink. However, if you don’t have proper drainage it can lead to expensive issues such as water infiltrating your basement or other areas of your home, erosion, damaging plants, trees and more.
Minnesota Yard Drainage Options
French Drains & Drain Tile
If your yard doesn’t hold water very well, then employing a below surface outdoor drainage system may be needed. One of the most popular is a French drain, also referred to as “drain tile” among other names. This type of system features a trench that will be dug in the space where water is accumulating. Once the channel is excavated, drain pipe and drainage gravel will be installed.
Depending on the soil type at your property, a perforated pipe can be used in sandier soils to collect water and it will seep out into the soil beneath the system while larger volumes of water being sent down the pipe to a specified location. If your soil is clay-based and doesn’t absorb large volumes of water as efficiently, a solid pipe can be used to send water from that location to one within your yard that is adequately equipped to handle large volumes of water.
When a retaining wall is constructed, drain tile may be used to alleviate the pressure put on the wall when the soil becomes wet and heavy. Depending on the wall’s height, the slope and other terrain, the pipe may be placed behind the wall and disperse water elsewhere, or it could be installed in the wall and water flows through and runs down the face of the block.
Grading
Since flooding happens in the low parts of your yard and can lead to expensive problems, a more holistic method involves increasing the elevation of an area with professional grading to establish a slope for water to run down. This involves removing the existing landscaping or turf area, and then adding soil beneath it and grading it out with proper slope, and then installing new landscaping and sod.
Rain Gardens
Rain gardens offer the utility of a drainage system as well as above ground aesthetics. Rain gardens are a common application on properties with a natural drainage ditch (or if one can be created with grading and setting up a slope) to collect water that runs off the streets and other hard surfaces. These gardens feature plants that are tolerant to harsh conditions such as full-sun, salt and more, and the ground covering that is used can either be mulch or decorative rock.
Dry Creek Beds
Dry creek beds are just as the name entails. This generally involves digging a trench at a shallow depth (depending on how much water is anticipated to flow through) and installing river rock with varying sizes. The slope of the trench is set to direct the water to an area that’s better equipped to handle the volume, or the entire system holds the water that flows in and eventually evaporates.
Protecting Your Home and Property with Landscape Drainage
Outdoor drainage for your lawn and landscaping lowers your risk of experiencing a flooded basement, eroding areas, much more. If you’re located in southern Minnesota and looking to build a new outdoor space while ensuring the drainage is set up correctly from the beginning, contact the expert team at Peters’ Patio & Landscape today.
