This small section of lawn has some serious drainage issues. It's always a 6ft by 6ft pool when it rains or even when I run the sprinklers. Some old man on YouTube said this method of digging below the hardpan and filling it with a bag of rocks and fabric works wonders. Let's see.
by amdale3
28 Comments
I also want to see how this turns out. I have a similar issue with heavy clay soil on a new build.
Interested to see how it works
Yup, it works. It should honestly always be the first thing you try before other methods. It isn’t always enough, but it’s definitely legitimate.
This is a water infiltration hole. This generally good for helping water infiltrate the land and refilling the water table.
Your other option is also just make it a feature in your yard, by excavating a bit, and growing plants that love occasional flooding.
You can also add a tiny “canal” that moves water away from that area to a more desirable area, like a tree.
If it is collecting water run off with sprinklers, it means you’re running your sprinkler too much. It means the land is saturated with water, and the excessive sprinklers generate runoff. I would experiment with cutting back watering. Grass will signal if they’re not getting enough water and they’ll bounce right back. If you do actually need that much water, consider using spaced out intervals, that gives it time for water to infiltrate instead of saturating the upper earth layers.
Your dog is a good dog. They were by your side the entire time. Probably in your way a lot. And at the end of it all you know he/she said “Yep, I did pretty good work here today.”
How deep did you dig? Can you link the video as well? I have the same issue in my back yard and am desperate for a solution. Never heard of this method but interested in giving it a go!
I did the exact same thing 5 years ago (with out the felt). No issues at all
I realize everyone’s depth would be different, but how deep did you dig?
I did this method for my permanent fire pit in my yard. When it rains all the water drains out
Why use the bag?? Are there holes in the bottom??
Your dog must’ve been wondering how come you’re able to dig and he’s not 😂😂😂
I really have some spots in my yard I need to do this to.
How safe is this if a person lives above 10,000 miles of abandoned, flooded mine tunnels? Asking for a friend 😉
In my part of North Texas, I’m pretty sure an attempt at getting below the hardpan would have me digging up clay until reaching the earth’s core
Its basically a really really small rain garden. How well it works will depend on the percolation rate of the soil that you dug down to. As well as the grading towards the inlet and the size of the area that drains to it of course.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the same video(s) 😆
I live in sinkhole-ridden karst topography part of the country. I’d be afraid I’d awaken the sleeping sinkhole monsters in my yard.
https://preview.redd.it/450coklt5e0f1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5702b4deaf6bcf37f51132ed33b076487146b914
I dug a drywall. You are essentially doing the same thing. Works amazingly well.
I have gophers for this 😂
What video was this, I also have a giant pool in my yard when it rains and would like to solve it.
You just dig down, dump in rocks, then backfill with the same soil?
Is your dog a cavapoo?
Can you link the video?
How do you tell that you’ve dug below the hard pan?
This is called a drywell
I did this to keep the drainage from our AC unit from muddying up my yard but idk if 30 inches is gonna do it for a flooding area. Let me know OP because I’ve got some serious puddling issues lol.
Sadly, I doubt this is going to work. You may see a slight improvement, but the water is not going to seep into the soil any faster at the bottom of the hole, and the dry well isn’t large enough to hold the entire volume of water needed. During active rains, especially long rains, you’ll continue to see the large puddle of water in that area.
You need an actual yard drain that pipes the water elsewhere. Many times you can do so using the natural slope of the terrain, but sometimes you need a sump pump.
I put one in like that that was 8x8x8 ft. It helped a lot!