Standing Water at Home: Choosing the Best Drains for Your Property

Posted on April 8, 2024

Updated on Oct. 10, 2025

Standing water is a common problem that can damage both your home and your landscape, as well as make your outdoor space look bad. Our skilled technicians at Sprinkler Drainage know how to install and fix sprinklers, drainage systems, and outdoor lighting that not only look good but also work well. We know how to make the best drainage system for your property. This will help you get rid of ugly standing water that causes problems.

"Standing Water at Home: Choosing the Best Drains for Your Property" is a full guide that teaches homeowners about the different drainage options available, what to think about when choosing the best system for their outdoor space, and how important it is to hire professionals to design and install the right drainage system for their landscape.

Understanding the Causes of Standing Water

If you want to fix standing water problems, you need to know what makes water collect in your yard. Here are some things that can make water stay still:

Poor Soil Drainage: Some types of soil, like clay-heavy soil, don't let water through as easily. This means that water can build up in your yard because it takes a long time to soak in.
Landscape Slope: If your yard or landscape isn't graded properly, water won't run off, which can lead to problems with standing water.
Inadequate Drainage Systems: If a drainage system is broken, too small, or not put together right, it can cause water to pool.
High Water Table: When there is too much groundwater close to or at the surface, especially when it rains a lot or the snow melts, it can cause water to stand.

By knowing why there is standing water on your property, you can choose the best drainage system for your needs and make your outdoor space look and work better.

Assessing Your Yard for Drainage Issues

The first step in finding the best drainage system for your property is to carefully look around your yard. This evaluation should look at a few different things, like:

Soil Type: You need to know what kind of soil you have and what its properties are to know how well it holds water. You can also see if you need to change anything to make the soil better.
Landscape Slope and Grading: Check the slope and grading of your property to see if you need to make any changes to help water flow better.
Site Hydrology: Find out how water moves around your property, like where it comes in and goes out and where it might collect.
Surrounding Environment: Look at how any nearby properties, drainage systems, or bodies of water might change the flow of water or the amount of water in the soil.

By doing a full yard assessment, our team of experts can get a better idea of what your property needs. This will help us make sure that your drainage system can handle standing water problems well.

Exploring Drainage System Options

There are different kinds of drainage systems that can help with the problems caused by standing water in your yard. Here are some types of drains that work well:

French Drains: A French drain is a common choice. It is a pipe with holes in it that is buried in gravel to collect and move water away from places where it is causing problems.
Channel Drains: Channel drains, which are also called trench drains, are long, straight systems with a grate on top that are usually put across driveways or other hard surfaces. They do a good job of catching water runoff and sending it where it needs to go.
Catch Basins: These underground drain systems have a grating on top that lets water in and sends it to a pipe system below ground. If you have a lot of water runoff, especially in low-lying areas of your property, catch basins are a great way to deal with it.
Dry Wells: This type of drainage system has a buried structure filled with gravel or other aggregate materials that collects and holds water for a short time, letting it slowly soak into the soil around it.

You should know the pros and cons of each type of drainage system so you can pick the one that will work best for your property.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Drainage System

You should think about a lot of things when picking the best drainage system for your yard, like

Installation Cost: Check your budget, the costs of installing each type of drainage system, and the costs of maintaining it over time.
Environmental Impact: Find out about eco-friendly drainage options like rain gardens and bioswales that help keep stormwater from running off and have less of an impact on the area around your home and community.
Aesthetic Preferences: Consider how the drainage system will look and choose a design that fits in with your yard without sacrificing performance or efficiency.
Maintenance Needs: Find out what kind of ongoing care each type of drainage system needs, especially those that need to be cleaned or serviced on a regular basis to work at their best.

We can help you make a smart choice and design a drainage system that is both effective and attractive, while also taking into account the specific limitations of your property.

The Importance of Proper Drainage System Installation

If you want your drainage system to work well, you need to hire a professional to install it correctly. Even the best drains might not be able to fix problems with standing water if they aren't put in the right way. So, you should trust our experienced team, which has the skills and knowledge to put in drainage systems.

Some advantages of proper installation include:

Enhanced System Efficiency: A drainage system that is installed correctly will work at its best, making sure that water is moved away from problem areas.
Longevity and Durability: A drainage system that is installed correctly will last longer and need repairs or replacements less often.
Future Damage Prevention: If you hire a pro to install your system, you won't have to worry about things like soil erosion, water getting in, or damage to your property's foundation or landscaping.

Incorporating Landscape Adjustments to Address Yard Flooding

To stop flooding in your yard, you might need to change the way the land is shaped in addition to putting in the right drainage system. Here are some changes that could be made to the landscape that might help with better water management:

Re-Grading: Changing the slope of your yard can help water flow better, which will keep it from pooling in places where it shouldn't.
Adding Retaining Walls: These structures help level out slopes in your yard, stop soil erosion, and make it easier to manage water.
Soil Amendments: Adding compost or other organic matter that holds a lot of water to your soil can help it drain better, which means it can hold more water.
Installing Rain Gardens or Bioswales: Bioswales and rain gardens are great ways to collect, soak up, and filter stormwater. This will lessen the damage that too much water does to your home.

The right changes to your landscape can make your drainage system work much better, which will help keep your yard's water management at its best.

Maintaining Your Drainage System for Long-Lasting Performance

To keep your drainage system working well and lasting a long time, you need to take care of it on a regular basis. To keep your drains in good shape, do the following:

Keep Grates and Inlets Clear: To keep water flowing smoothly and stop it from getting stuck, you should regularly take leaves, trash, or anything else that could get stuck out of drain grates or inlets.
Inspect Pipes and Joints: Look over your drainage system every so often to see if there are any issues that need to be fixed, like broken pipes, loose joints, or parts that aren't lined up right.
Monitor Performance: During and after heavy rain, keep an eye on your drainage system to see if it isn't working right, like if it overflows or drains slowly.
Schedule Professional Maintenance: Let our trained professionals check your drains on a regular basis. This will make sure they are working right and lower the chance of problems coming up out of nowhere.

Regular maintenance is very important for keeping your drainage system working well and keeping it safe from standing water for a long time.

Utilizing Efficient Irrigation Systems in Conjunction with Drains

Your yard will look nice and healthy if you have a good irrigation system that works with your drainage system. Here are some tips for improving your irrigation system:

Installing Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation sends water straight to the roots of plants. This cuts down on wasteful runoff and makes plants healthier overall.
Use Smart Controllers: Smart controllers and other technologies can automatically change your watering schedules based on the weather. This stops you from watering too much and keeps extra water off your property.
Zoning Your Irrigation: By making irrigation zones with different watering needs, you can water more efficiently and meet the needs of each part of your landscape.
Regular Maintenance: Check your irrigation system for leaks and fix them when you find them. Replace any broken parts and make sure the water is getting to where it needs to go.

A well-designed and well-maintained irrigation system not only saves water, but it also keeps the landscape healthy and better able to handle heavy rain and stop standing water.

Protecting Your Home's Foundation with Waterproofing Measures

To fix problems with standing water, you need to make sure that water doesn't damage the foundation of your home. Here are some good ideas for making things water-resistant that you might want to think about:

Sealing Foundation Walls: Putting up water-resistant barriers or sealants on the walls of your foundation can keep water from getting in and causing damage.
Installing Sump Pumps: A sump pump can help get rid of water that builds up in your basement or crawl space. This will make your home's foundation even stronger.
Redirecting Downspouts: To lower the risk of water pooling against your building and damaging it, make sure that downspouts send water far away from your foundation.
Adding Window Wells: Putting in window wells with good drainage near basement windows can help keep water out and lower the risk of damage to the foundation.

Using both a good drainage system and waterproofing methods can help protect your property even more and make it worth more over time.

Ensuring Compliance with Local Regulations

When choosing the best drains for your home, make sure they follow all local rules and building codes. These could be rules, permits, or approvals for how to put in drainage systems, handle stormwater, or even change the landscaping. Our team of experts knows all the local rules and can help you through the process to make sure your drainage system is fully compliant, so you don't have to worry about fines or disputes.

The Role of Permeable Paving in Stormwater Management

Permeable paving systems are very important for dealing with standing water problems and making your yard look better. These new systems are made of materials that let water seep through the pavement. This stops water from running off and pooling. You might want to think about these permeable paving options:

Permeable Pavers: These pavers fit together and have tiny holes in them that let water through and into the ground. They are a pretty and useful way to build patios, driveways, and walkways.
Porous Asphalt and Porous Concrete: Porous asphalt and concrete have tiny holes in them that let water through. This makes them a good choice for driveways and parking lots that are good for the environment.
Gravel or Crushed Stone: These materials are good because they let water soak into the ground and are also a cheap and pretty way to make paths and decorate your yard.

Adding permeable paving to your landscape design not only helps your property handle stormwater better, but it also helps the environment.

The Impact of Plant Selection on Water Absorption

Choosing the right plants for your yard can help it absorb more water and get rid of puddles. You can use plants that don't need a lot of water in your yard in these ways:

Opt for Native Plants: Native plants are better suited to the climate and soil in your area, so they usually need less water and care. They also help keep biodiversity high.
Implement a Rain Garden: Rain gardens are dips in the ground that are filled with water-loving plants that help soak up and clean up stormwater.
Utilize Deep-Rooted Plants: Plants with deep roots can help the ground hold more water and lower the risk of soil erosion or compaction.
Apply Xeriscaping Principles: This method focuses on using plants that can handle dry conditions, smart watering methods, and the right soil amendments to make the landscape healthier while cutting down on the need for extra watering.

Adding plants that use less water to your landscape in a planned way not only helps keep extra water in check, but it also makes your outdoor spaces more sustainable and easier to care for by cutting down on the need for irrigation.

The Importance of Timely Repairs to Avoid Complications

Standing water problems can hurt your property and the people who live there if you don't fix them. If you don't fix things or deal with standing water problems right away, you might end up with:

Damage to Property: Water that stays in one place can hurt the foundation, rot wood, and grow mold, all of which could make your property less valuable and less appealing.
Health Hazards: Mold, mildew, and bacteria can grow in water that isn't moving, which can make the air in your home less healthy and put you and your family at risk.
Attracting Pests: IStanding water attracts bugs like mosquitoes, which can spread diseases. If you don't take care of the water, it could end up on your land.
Destruction of Landscape: Too much standing water can kill plant roots, wash away soil, and make mud in places where people walk a lot, which makes the landscape look bad and unhealthy.

Fixing problems with standing water quickly and treating them before they get worse can greatly lower the chance of these problems happening. This will protect both your health and the value of your property.

Calculating the ROI of a Proper Drainage System

A good drainage system can save you a lot of money over time and make your yard look and feel better overall. The cost of installation may seem high at first, but keep in mind the following long-term benefits:

Increased Property Value: A yard that doesn't have flooding or standing water is more attractive to potential buyers, which raises the property's value.
Reduced Maintenance Costs: A good drainage system can keep your home, property, and landscape from getting damaged, which will save you time and money on repairs and upkeep.
Improved Energy Efficiency: By using less water, you can keep the temperature of the soil and ground in your yard steady. This means you won't need to water it as much, and you'll use less water overall.
Enhanced Safety and Health: Fixing issues with standing water makes it less likely that you will get hurt, sick, or bitten by bugs that carry diseases.

Considering these long-term benefits, the return on investment (ROI) for a drainage system that is made to fit your needs and installed correctly is very high.

Providing an Integrated and Comprehensive Approach to Water Management

You need to look at all the different parts of your property and make sure you're managing the water in the best way possible to fix standing water problems. We can do a lot more than just design and put in a drainage system for you. We can also help you with things like designing your landscape, finding the best way to water it, and improving the outdoor lighting that works best for your space. By managing water in a way that works with other things, we can make your outdoor space both beautiful and useful. This will make your property better and make living outside more enjoyable.

Achieving a Healthy and Vibrant Landscape Free of Standing Water

You need to know exactly what is causing the standing water in your yard and have a range of solutions that are right for you. With the right drainage systems, smart changes to the landscape, good irrigation, and regular maintenance, you can make an outdoor space that is bright, healthy, and free of water that goes well with your property.

Our team at Sprinkler Drainage can help you get the best results with the least amount of work and time. Our comprehensive approach to water management, landscape design, and irrigation systems makes sure that every part of your property is considered. This gives you an outdoor space that is both beautiful and useful and meets your needs.

Don't let standing water stop you from enjoying your yard any longer. To get started on your journey to a lush, welcoming landscape that doesn't get flooded or waterlogged, take charge of the water management on your property. Call Andy's today to talk to one of our experts about how to make your yard the perfect oasis you've always wanted. We will give you expert advice, solutions that are right for you, and ongoing help.