How to Get Rid of Standing Water in Your Yard
by Mark Wolfe
When wet weather blows in, no one wants to worry about where the water is going. By taking charge of the runoff that flows through your yard, from both rain events and snowmelt, you can avoid the dreaded anxiety of water related problems such as soil erosion, standing water and wet crawl space or basement.
Slow The Momentum Of Water On Slopes
Water flows downhill. When you are dealing with runoff problems, consider both the precipitation that lands on your property and that which moves across from higher ground. A significant amount of runoff from higher ground may be diverted or slowed at the point where it enters your lot.
Dry Out The Areas Where Water Pools
Water seeks its own level. When runoff stops flowing, on level or low areas, it pools until it can be absorbed into the ground. This causes problems for turf and other landscape plants, not to mention attracting unwanted pests such as mosquitoes. Standing water and soggy soil should be addressed in order to minimize these and other problems.
Choose The Right Solution
There is rarely a single solution for a water problem. The common method of burying corrugated pipe to move water from one place (such as a downspout or yard drain) to another is effective, but can cause problems if too much water is carried too quickly, or if the pipe is not properly sized for the volume of water. Swales, also called “dry creek beds,” offer an above ground channel to divert water, adding the possibility for an attractive landscape element. Rain gardens make use of water-loving plants to uptake excess soil moisture from low areas. Terracing, retaining walls, planting groundcovers and water diversion elements like pipes and swales can all help to eliminate soil erosion problems on steeply sloped ground.
Don’t Forget The House
The most concerning problem that homeowners have with rain water or melt water, is when it enters the house. When water gets into the house, it causes rot, mildew and mold, and invites termites and other pests into the home. Keeping the house dry is priority number one.
Maintenance Tasks To Keep Your Home Dry
- Clean rain gutters and downspouts regularly to avoid damming and overflow. The WORX Gutter Cleaning Kit makes quick work of blasting leaf and debris buildup out of gutters. It fits the WORX AIR blower and extends up to 11 ft. while standing on the ground.
- Trim trees and hedges to keep foliage off of the roof and siding. The extensive WORX lineup of electric and cordless trimmers and saws, including the JawSaw, offer plenty of options to get this work done quickly and efficiently.
- Periodically inspect the area around the home’s foundation to ensure that the ground is well sloped and water can flow away.
- Divert downspout water away from the foundation.
Learn more about the WORX Gutter Cleaning Kit and other WORX tools at worx.com