Backyard flooding/Drainage

And32213859
by And32213859
I recently move and to my dismay my yard is the only one that is lower than the neighbors behind, to my left and right. Needless to say all the water is coming in my yard and the drainage is sunk and gets blocked so i have a small river going on back there. Super stress with the hurricane season upon us and need help in fixing this so I can have me a backyard.

  10 answers
  • Dfm Dfm on May 17, 2018

    I feel your pain. I too am the low point on the block. You may need to install a French drain,

  • Shore grandmom Shore grandmom on May 17, 2018

    Raise your yard a little higher then your neighbors. You'll need a few truck loads of soil. Our back yard is like that, and we raised it up so we don't get as much water as we used to. We have another issue causing puddles (we have a very thick layer of clay under the top soil). And a drain won't work for us (there is no way to get the drain to the street unless we go under the house and that's not going to happen). Bringing in the extra soil, then planting sod really did help a lot.

    • See 3 previous
    • Shore grandmom Shore grandmom on May 17, 2018

      Yes, they are! If I were you, I'd would really consider raising the patio with composite decking. Then building up your backyard to at least level if not higher than the neighbors, other wise you'll have a swamp whenever the weather turns bad.

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on May 17, 2018

    I would put in a DIY "drain" Dig a three foot deep trench across your yard to the lowest point where you want the water to leave. Fill trench with rock or brick or have a load of stones brought in. Cover the last few inches of rock with soil and, within a year, it will grow in and you won't even know its there! Worked like a charm for me in my backyard.

    • See 2 previous
    • Dfm Dfm on May 18, 2018

      I thought the disappearing posts were only happening to me....

  • 27524803 27524803 on May 17, 2018

    HomeAdvisor.com or Angieslist.com can give you referrals for verified landscape engineers and contractors.... talk to one or more and get their input on how best to permanently fix the problem... (any DIY you do with out good information, could add to the problem and the cost to fix it)

    Then if you had a home inspection, before you purchased the home... find out why you were not told of the problem... by the inspector or the old home owner... prior to the purchase....

    • And32213859 And32213859 on May 18, 2018

      Marty I did have an inspection of none of these were mentioned nor did the homeowner declared this issue on that report that they have to submit regarding knowledge of any issues with the property

  • Dfm Dfm on May 18, 2018

    There are many interventions for water intrusion.....do you have dirt banked on your foundation at a 45 degree angle? The dirt acts like a sponge.

  • Dfm Dfm on May 18, 2018

    A French drain directs water away from your property. The actual drain part is a plastic tube with holes in it it gets covered by an architectural fabric..this lets the water in and keeps dirt out. Trenches need to be dug, lined with rock, then the covered tube, more rock and topped with dirt. There are videos on you tube you can watch.

  • And32213859 And32213859 on May 18, 2018

    thanks much!

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on May 18, 2018

    I've been getting them real bad too, last week I didn't think anything had posted then I refreshed and my one answer had posted 15 times lol

  • 27524803 27524803 on May 18, 2018

    Contact your Escrow company.... tell them that there are problems with the property that were not disclosed by the homeowner... the home inspector could have missed the problem if there had been no recent rain... when he did the inspection... but... the homeowner would have been aware of the fact that water accumulated when it rained... and that flooding could be a problem... see what the escrow company says....

    Consult the landscape engineer and see what it will cost to fix the problem.. permanently... not just a bandaid... your may have a cause to get compensation, to assist with the fix.. from the seller... because the problem was not disclosed at the time of the sale. It would be worth investigating.

  • Dfm Dfm on May 20, 2018

    As to those who are saying raise the level of your yard...you’ve probably just pissed off your neighbors. you shouldn’t make your problem your neighbors problem.you deal with your issue In a manner that gets the job done. Some areas the county will fine you if you don’t deal with it properly.