Dealing with Drainage: Preventing Floods During Heavy Rains

Learn How to Avoid Flooding in Your Yard and Backups in Your Sewer System

If you live in an area that regularly experiences heavy rainfall or simply want to be ready in case a nasty storm rolls through, it’s best to prepare your home and yard for potential flooding. Flooding isn’t something anyone wants to deal with, but you can protect your property against it by making some simple changes and upgrades. And it’s best to take care of this ahead of time, as failure to adequately prepare could have significant consequences.

Keep reading to find answers to all your questions about flooding, discover what you can do to keep your home and yard safe from it, and learn how Joe the Plumber can help your property recover after disaster strikes.

Flood Prevention Strategies

Now that you understand more about flooding, let’s learn about the best ways to prevent water buildup around your yard to protect your home, property, and sewer system from harm.

Grade or Regrade Your Yard

If you notice large pools of water in your yard or around your home itself, your yard’s earth may need to be graded or regraded. This should always be your first attempt at combating flooding, as grading a yard can be a relatively cheap and easy process. Using denser soil, you or a team of professionals can elevate the ground near any structures on your property and slope it so that water flows away from the structures. For best results, make sure that there is at least 4 inches of difference between the top and the bottom of the slope.

Install a French Drain or Channel Drain

Drainage systems are another fantastic way to channel rainwater away from your property. When a hard surface like a walkway or driveway sends water flowing in the wrong direction, a channel drain is what you’ll want, whereas a French drain is suited for use in the soil. Both options will guide the water where you want it to go to ensure no flooding occurs near your home.

Aerate Your Lawn

Aeration is essentially a process that creates many small holes in your soil. This breaks up compacted soil that water and plant roots have a tough time infiltrating. Aeration is not only great for promoting healthy grass, but it is also a fantastic way to prevent flooding. Water will be able to more easily seep into the ground and won’t pool as much on or near the surface.

Mind Your Gutters and Downspouts

Not all your flooding problems may be a result of things happening at the ground level. You could experience flooding due to an ineffective gutter system. Keeping your gutters clean and leak-free is important because dirty, clogged gutters won’t be able to do their job, which is to lead water away from your home’s foundation. Once your gutters are clean and clear, keep an eye on your downspouts. If the downspouts aren’t long enough, they won’t be able to adequately guide the water far enough away from your foundation. Properly maintaining your gutter system is a necessary step to avoid foundation damage or sewer backups from flooding on your property.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flooding

What dangers does flooding cause?

Flooding is more than annoying: it can be downright dangerous to your property. If you have trees, flowers, or shrubs in your yard, they can suffer greatly if they’re submerged or suffocated by an overwhelming amount of water. Flooding directly around your home can be even worse. Left unchecked, flooding can damage your foundation and lead to leaks in your home or structural damage. The pressure from the excess water can even lead to sewer backups and cause damage to your sewer system, which can result in an unpleasant time, to say the least.

Why is my yard flooding?

There are several reasons why your yard may experience floods. Your yard itself may be an issue. If the land isn’t graded properly, rainwater can pool near your house instead of flowing away from it. Your gutter system could also be causing the problem. It may not be set up well enough to send the rainwater away from your home, or it may simply be a low-quality system that is clogged or has numerous leaks.

Do I need professionals to fix my flooding problems?

It’s not always necessary to hire a professional to keep your yard from flooding. Depending on the scale of the flooding, a weekend of yardwork could lead to helpful solutions. With that said, working with professionals is a surefire way to protect your property from damage and ensure the job is done correctly. You’ll avoid rookie mistakes and be able to rest easy knowing the problem is fixed.

Need Help? When Disaster Strikes, Call Joe the Plumber!

As mentioned before, flooding can put a strain on your sewer system and cause it to be damaged or back up. If this happens to you, don’t worry. Call the experts at Joe the Plumber! We’ve provided Cypress, TX and beyond with a host of top-notch plumbing solutions for years, and we are always standing by to lend a helping hand. Whether you need prompt repairs, a full replacement, or an inspection of your sewer line, trust our experienced professionals to get the job done right. Give us a call today to schedule your service!