Storm Water Drainage Solutions for a Residential Property
It's important for every homeowner to consider if their property has good storm water drainage, as allowing storm water to collect on the property can mean water damage to your home's foundation, the increased risk of mold growth in the home, and poor quality soil that won't support healthy lawn growth or other vegetation. Storm water drainage solutions are not always as difficult to create and install as you might think; with a few tools and pieces of equipment, you can usually do this on your own. Note a few suggestions.
PVC pipe
PVC pipe is easy to cut and drill and pieces are easy to connect, making it a good choice for homeowners who want to create their own drainage system. You can use an L-shaped connector to a series of pipes that you bury on your property; the L-shaped connector can jut out of the ground just below your home's downspouts.
You can then direct the storm water wherever you want with additional pipes; this can mean a direct line to the curb or gutter, or a series of connections around your yard. If you want to keep your lawn watered from the ground up, connect pipes in a pattern around the lawn, grading or sloping them just slightly as they move to the edge of the lawn so the water keeps flowing. You can then drill small holes into the sides of the pipes every few feet or meters so that some water drains out as it flows along. This system resembles a lawn sprinkler system, except that it's storm water that is watering the lawn and not fresh water.
River of rocks
For something very attractive on your property, create a river of rocks. This involves digging a slight trench from the downspouts of your home or another area where storm water collects, and directing the trench to a runoff point. The trench itself may seem very unattractive, so fill it with river rocks or large, soft rocks you can buy at almost any home improvement store. The rocks will keep the water from simply running into the nearby lawn and will also give the trench a more attractive yet natural look.
Rain garden
If you have problems with storm water collecting in one area of your lawn, plant a rain garden. This would be a garden with plants that need that extra hydration to thrive. This might include willows or other plants grown in a marsh. The plants will absorb that extra moisture and keep it from pooling or collecting around your home or another outbuilding.
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