DIYer in Houston, TX area. This spot floods like crazy. All water from my yard traverses from where I’m standing toward the small fence and then to the street. I have enough drop and there’s already a shallow swale on the other side of that short fence. Should I just fix the grade, extend the swale up here or bury the downspouts and drill the curb?
by Over_District_8593
4 Comments
I’d trench from there to the curb, lay drainage pipe, soil separator fabric, and pea stone. Fabric over top and soil it all. The large amount of drain stone will allow all water in the existing swale and from gutters to all get to the road quickly.
Hiya Charles u/Over_District_8593 if this was my problem, I would use a 4 inch ADS with sock. It’s that big, black perforated pipe that you put down about, oh, say 4 to 8 inches below the top of the pipe. I added the ‘with sock’ part because I can’t stand getting mud in there and have to do it all over again in 10-15 years.
One thing nobody told me: **Be certain to incorporate a pitch of the pipe to make it run toward where you want it to go.** I was a tenderfoot when I did this, and a perfectionist who made the stupid thing level! (Thus the title of my autobiography, **If it wasn’t me, it’d be funny**)
I’m old, and the projects I’m doing now ‘will be the last time I do that’ (famous last words…lol) Good hunting!
Edit: get the **perforated** Advanced Drainage System with sock. Stupid bot thought it was a chemical….
Everyone is saying French drain. It’s a small urban parcel and my roof area is larger than my backyard. Downspouts are the real problem so that’s why I’ll probably connect them to a buried non perforated pipe or swale.
Horrible, horrible advice. Connect to a buried drain pipe. Don’t try to make a swale.