When it rains bad my backyard gets standing water - any ideas/websites??

Question

When it rains really hard (I live in Houston, Texas) my backyard gets 2-3 inches of STANDING water - I am not too worried now (until April/May) but even in December I had standing water. It literally takes days and days for it to dry up and then even still the ground is a bit soggy. I am wanting to create a garden (lanscaping) in the backyard and it is a fairly large backyard. I have checked BHG.com but I just haven't found the plan that fits our backyard.

I just need to know what options would be a good idea. Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Well, the first thing is you need to try draining the water away. That is why you have 2-3 inches of water in your yard. However, you live in Houston and Houston is prone to flooding depending on where you live. I lived there for a bout 7 months, so I know a little about the area. I'm not sure how well the French drains would work since Houston is about right at sea level. If you are wanting to create a garden you might try creating a raised bed garden. I'd make two series of rises in your garden. For the base of the garden area I'd consider making one large raised bed leveled with gravel to about 6" tall as the base. This way the water can drain through the gravel and when you step on the gravel you keep your feet dry. Then inside that area I'd make several garden beds that you raise anywhere from 6" to 18". A height of about 18" makes a good height to sit on the ledge of the garden bed to pick your vegetables. Don't make the beds any wider than what you can easily reach to the middle of. You don't want to have to struggle to reach your vegetables.

You probably wont want to make your raised bed garden very big because it will probably have to be hand tilled or tilled with a miniature garden tiller. Basically in essence you are creating sort of a Victory Garden style of garden. You can either use landscaping rock or railroad ties or landscaping poles to create the raised beds. I like landscaping rocks because you can plant flowers and moss growing out from between the rocks that make the retaining wall.

Answer 2

You should get a landscape contractor to put in pipes and French drains. I don't know if you have any slope , but trenches filled with gravel and perforated pipe will move quite a bit of water. If there is no slope, the pipes will have to go to French drain( a hidden pit filled wtith stone. I don't know Houston , or if the ground perks (drains through the soil ) but those are the easiest. Another is to change the entire drainage habit using walls to add slope and get drainage away from your yard. A good bet is to contact a landscape architect to take a look.Or you could make a bog/pond area.

Answer 3

you need a FHA grade! ( new house grade )... a swale ( shalow ditch ) that circles your house from the front in a "u" shape, with all water running to the swale, & the swale ( down hill ) running to the street! I had to do this to family property in Jamaica Beach, that seem to peroetually sit in water, & it was an amazing transformation! Find a good tractor man ( new construction site ), expect to rip out side yard fence returns, if even accessable... if you're on a standard lot 50" with a 40" house, i'd do yard drains!

builder in Houston & surrounding areas since 1982

Answer 4

Sometimes those drains don't work. My BIL did that because his backyard slopes upward and when it rains, the water stands in the middle. After he put the pipe in, the entire yard was saturated. I don't know if that is the French one, but it is perforated. He just bought this house. I think that he got a bad deal.

Answer 5

You are gonna need to Build your back yard up higher and then have a slope at the edge where it will drain off the water. My neighbor had this problem and he had a couple dump trucks full of dirt brought in to his yard and then had it leveled out with a Slope running off the back of his yard. He then replanted grass seed and fertilzed it and he now has one of the prettiest yards around. You do not want standing water around your yard too much. It attracts Mosquitos and Termites.

Answer 6

A good drainage system will solve the problem. Perhaps it can be coordinated with the community so that the water will go through the main dranage down the lower areas.

Answer 7

Depends on if its due to foundation or cement is un level or if you have mud and no vegitation, one suggestion regardless of all is to plant a vined plant or a very turfy and strong rooted grass such as any of the fescues although some flowers may work. Hope this helps.