It’s Almost Spring: Will Your Wet Yard Lead to a Wet Basement?

Mar 25, 2014

Everyone is ready for the harbingers of spring: birds chirping, flowers blooming and rains falling.  However, all those downpours can wreak havoc on your home if you wind up with a wet basement.  It’s not at all unusual for people from Ottawa to Toronto to experience wet basement issues, especially when all the snow melts and “spring showers” hit the ground.

To be sure, it’s not always easy to fix a yard where mini-lakes form every time it rains.  However, when you partner with the right professionals who understand how to evaluate the root causes of the wet yard, you have a good opportunity to stop the issue.

First, it’s important to understand that in many cases, the wet ground that surrounds a home can be made dry by installing a drainage system.  The drainage system methodically removes any excess water and sends it away from the home.  Not only are the small “ponds” gone, but the water cannot get to the home.  (Don’t worry, though: The flower beds and other flora will still get plenty to drink so they can bloom!)

A drainage system is created by trenching around or through the area in the yard that tends to get wet.  In that trench, a weeping-tile is installed.  The drain tile is then surrounded with gravel.  When water falls on the ground, it seeps into the earth and is collected in the trench.  Then, it is drained elsewhere.

Of course, the water has to be collected somewhere, and there are three mechanisms traditionally used to remove the water:

  1. A passive gravity drainage system.  This type of drainage system takes the water from the trench to a pipe that empties at a bottom of a hill above the ground.  The water flows away from the property.  Unfortunately, many subdivisions have subtle grades, so this isn’t always the best alternative for people who live in a residential neighborhood.
  2. A dry well system.  Using this system, a large 5’ by 5’ hole is excavated.  A “catch basin” is installed in the hole, which creates a large area through into which water can flow.  The catch basin allows the water to pass through it and “percolate” into the ground.  If this type of system is used, the soil must be conducive to absorption.
  3. Lawn Magnum dry well system.  This type of system is perfect for homeowners whose neighbors’ properties drain water into the homeowner’s yard.  The Lawn Magnum system uses a weeping-time in a trench filled with gravel which then leads water to a special dry well.  There, an automatic submersible sump pump pushes the water away to an area where it can flow away from the home.

The good news is that there are always possibilities for homeowners who have wet yards (and who don’t want wet basement problems!)  They simply have to find the right professionals for the job.

Do you have a yard that fills with water on a regular basis?  Contact The Crack Doctor today, and our experts will design the right drainage system for your needs.

Latest Foundation Crack Repair Tips

crack doctor expert beside sump pump

More About Waterproofing Your Home