How to Fix Backyard Flooding: Understanding Landscape Drainage Solutions
Michael Tomaino
The Sunshine State may have a reputation for balmy days and beautiful beaches, but it is no stranger to heavy rainfall and serious storms. From the occasional afternoon deluge to the yearly storm season that carries the threat of tropical storms and hurricanes, Florida can receive a lot of rain in a hurry.
Couple these quick-hitting storms with close proximity to water sources (the gulf, rivers, and so on) and poor drainage, and you have a recipe for disaster. In fact, without proper landscape drainage solutions, many Tampa Bay properties face a significant risk of flooding that can wreak havoc at a moment’s notice.
To best protect your landscaping, home, and other structures, you need thoughtful yard drainage solutions that can handle flooding from storms and other sources. Read on to learn how to fix backyard flooding and keep your property, plants, and infrastructure in prime condition.
Couple these quick-hitting storms with close proximity to water sources (the gulf, rivers, and so on) and poor drainage, and you have a recipe for disaster. In fact, without proper landscape drainage solutions, many Tampa Bay properties face a significant risk of flooding that can wreak havoc at a moment’s notice.
To best protect your landscaping, home, and other structures, you need thoughtful yard drainage solutions that can handle flooding from storms and other sources. Read on to learn how to fix backyard flooding and keep your property, plants, and infrastructure in prime condition.
How to Fix Backyard Flooding in Tampa Bay
If your Tampa Bay landscape has experienced flooding in the past or you simply want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that it is prepared for the worst, you have come to the right place. At Landcrafters, we have over 25 years of experience helping properties in the Tampa Bay area thrive, even in the face of Florida’s unique challenges.
While every property is unique and has distinct factors that could influence flooding, there are a handful of solutions for backyard flooding that are practically universal. Read on to learn more about landscape water drainage solutions, and don’t hesitate to contact your local expert at Landcrafters to discuss your particular needs in more detail.
While every property is unique and has distinct factors that could influence flooding, there are a handful of solutions for backyard flooding that are practically universal. Read on to learn more about landscape water drainage solutions, and don’t hesitate to contact your local expert at Landcrafters to discuss your particular needs in more detail.
Get a Good Grade
If you want to know how to stop backyard flooding, you should start by getting a good grade. We’re not talking about doing your homework on time or passing a pop quiz; we’re talking about ensuring that the slope (or grade) of your property is set up in a manner that helps water safely drain.
As a general rule, your backyard should slope away from your house in every direction. This not only helps shed rainwater to the appropriate drainage solutions, but also gives your house the high ground in case floodwaters do rise.
A consistent 2% slope also prevents water from pooling near your home and its foundation. This is an essential part of how to improve drainage in your yard, as it protects the foundation of your home from incurring damage that could spell disaster.
As a general rule, your backyard should slope away from your house in every direction. This not only helps shed rainwater to the appropriate drainage solutions, but also gives your house the high ground in case floodwaters do rise.
A consistent 2% slope also prevents water from pooling near your home and its foundation. This is an essential part of how to improve drainage in your yard, as it protects the foundation of your home from incurring damage that could spell disaster.
Install Landscape Drainage Solutions
If you live in Tampa Bay, you absolutely need a proper drainage system. Without one, you are leaving your property exposed to backyard flooding that could devastate your landscaping and your home.
Fortunately, a Tampa Bay drainage expert will know how to fix backyard flooding by installing a variety of landscape water drainage solutions. The trick is determining which is right for your unique property to ensure that any risk of flood is addressed and mitigated.
Among the top yard drainage solutions (in addition to proper grading) are:
Fortunately, a Tampa Bay drainage expert will know how to fix backyard flooding by installing a variety of landscape water drainage solutions. The trick is determining which is right for your unique property to ensure that any risk of flood is addressed and mitigated.
Among the top yard drainage solutions (in addition to proper grading) are:
- French drains. One of the most popular and effective ways to fix and prevent backyard flooding is to install French drains. These are essentially trenches that collect water and direct it to a proper collection area, such as a retention pond or storm drain. They use a perforated pipe, typically covered with rock or gravel, to collect the water. Sometimes, landscaping fabric is used to prevent the pipe from being clogged by debris or weeds.
- Drainage swales. These channels typically follow the base of a slope, whether natural or not, to direct runoff toward the correct locations. They can also be lined with rocks or plants to maximize the drainage effect, allowing water to filter into the soil or be absorbed by the plants along its path.
- Rain gardens. Placed in a low point on your property, rain gardens are populated with plants that love water. They do an efficient job of absorbing runoff while providing a beautiful addition to your landscape.
- Catch basins. If you want to stop runoff at one of its primary sources, catch basins make an excellent addition to your property. Typically, these are placed at the end of your gutter downspouts, though they can also be used in paved areas like parking lots. They simply provide a collection point for water, and many are connected to storm sewers or retention ponds, effectively directing water away from your property.
Get Your Drainage System Checked
For those in Tampa Bay who already have a drainage system in place, congratulations; you’re already ahead of the game. That being said, a drainage system is only as effective as it is functional, and there are a host of potential problems waiting to derail your yard drainage solutions and allow flooding to occur.
While it would be exceptionally convenient if your landscape drainage solutions cleaned themselves, the unfortunate reality is that they require time, effort, and maintenance to perform as intended. This means you need to invest in occasional checkups, cleanups, and repairs to keep them functioning flawlessly.
If the debris (dirt, leaves, weeds, and more) is not regularly extracted from the gutters, drainage pipes, drainage swales, and so on, the threat of flooding increases dramatically. To identify trouble, make note of water pooling in particular areas and of observable debris obstructing your drainage solutions.
Ideally, you will work with a professional to ensure that your system is operational, especially as the storm season approaches. They can evaluate your yard drainage solutions, do the necessary maintenance, and make any repairs or improvements that are needed before it’s too late.
While it would be exceptionally convenient if your landscape drainage solutions cleaned themselves, the unfortunate reality is that they require time, effort, and maintenance to perform as intended. This means you need to invest in occasional checkups, cleanups, and repairs to keep them functioning flawlessly.
If the debris (dirt, leaves, weeds, and more) is not regularly extracted from the gutters, drainage pipes, drainage swales, and so on, the threat of flooding increases dramatically. To identify trouble, make note of water pooling in particular areas and of observable debris obstructing your drainage solutions.
Ideally, you will work with a professional to ensure that your system is operational, especially as the storm season approaches. They can evaluate your yard drainage solutions, do the necessary maintenance, and make any repairs or improvements that are needed before it’s too late.
Aerate Your Lawn
Sometimes, your soil is the culprit behind your backyard flooding. In these situations, learning how to improve drainage in your yard is less about installing drainage systems and correcting your property’s grading, and more about the soil itself.
Lawns that have become compacted can prevent proper water absorption, thereby leading to flooding. With the help of a professional, lawn aeration can correct this problem and allow the soil to absorb water more readily.
Lawn aeration involves using a tool, typically a core aerator, to remove small plugs of soil. This reduces the level of compaction in the soil, improving drainage as a result. While this preventative measure can be effective, it is best used in conjunction with other landscape water drainage solutions, such as French drains.
Lawns that have become compacted can prevent proper water absorption, thereby leading to flooding. With the help of a professional, lawn aeration can correct this problem and allow the soil to absorb water more readily.
Lawn aeration involves using a tool, typically a core aerator, to remove small plugs of soil. This reduces the level of compaction in the soil, improving drainage as a result. While this preventative measure can be effective, it is best used in conjunction with other landscape water drainage solutions, such as French drains.
Populate Your Property with Plants
In landscaping, the plants you choose and where you decide to place them can make a tremendous difference in nearly every aspect of your property. From curb appeal to maintenance demands, strategic plant selection and placement can make or break your budget and your landscape.
Water gardens are an excellent example of how you can use plants to help reduce the risk of flooding. However, the benefits of thoughtful plant placement do not stop there. Trees can slow the fall of rain with their canopies, allowing more water to absorb into the ground rather than turn into runoff. They also promote increased soil drainage and can soak up water through their roots.
Even the leaves that have fallen from your trees can slow the rate of runoff, preventing flooding from occurring. In other words, the more vegetation on your property, the more potential flood waters are disrupted, redirected, and absorbed!
Water gardens are an excellent example of how you can use plants to help reduce the risk of flooding. However, the benefits of thoughtful plant placement do not stop there. Trees can slow the fall of rain with their canopies, allowing more water to absorb into the ground rather than turn into runoff. They also promote increased soil drainage and can soak up water through their roots.
Even the leaves that have fallen from your trees can slow the rate of runoff, preventing flooding from occurring. In other words, the more vegetation on your property, the more potential flood waters are disrupted, redirected, and absorbed!
Be Proactive to Prevent Backyard Flooding
Whether you already have yard drainage solutions or are planning to invest in one, being proactive is the best thing you can do to fix and prevent flooding on your Tampa Bay property. Think ahead, take the steps necessary to fix backyard flooding, do preemptive maintenance, and be prepared before disaster strikes.
To save yourself immense frustration, expensive repairs, and a myriad of other side effects of unchecked flooding, we encourage you to work with a professional. A local landscaping company like Landcrafters can show you how to stop backyard flooding by evaluating your unique property and developing a comprehensive strategy to implement landscape drainage solutions.
With over 25 years of experience in the Tampa Bay area, Landcrafters has seen just about everything Florida’s wild climate has to offer. From unusually rainy seasons to years with multiple hurricanes and tropical storms, we’ve been there to help property owners in the area prevent flooding and save their hard-earned landscaping and infrastructure.
To save yourself immense frustration, expensive repairs, and a myriad of other side effects of unchecked flooding, we encourage you to work with a professional. A local landscaping company like Landcrafters can show you how to stop backyard flooding by evaluating your unique property and developing a comprehensive strategy to implement landscape drainage solutions.
With over 25 years of experience in the Tampa Bay area, Landcrafters has seen just about everything Florida’s wild climate has to offer. From unusually rainy seasons to years with multiple hurricanes and tropical storms, we’ve been there to help property owners in the area prevent flooding and save their hard-earned landscaping and infrastructure.
If you’d like to learn more about solutions for backyard flooding, be sure to contact us. Whether we’re starting from scratch or revisiting a previously installed drainage system, our team of experts will work with you to create the perfect plan for your unique situation.
Michael Tomaino
Head Gardener for Landcrafters, Inc. Michael Tomaino, a cornerstone of Landcrafters since its inception, oversees all aspects of business operations with a wealth of experience. With years of adept team management and leadership under his belt, coupled with a robust educational background, both within and beyond the industry, Michael is dedicated to steering Landcrafters towards becoming the foremost landscape management provider in the Tampa Bay Area.