Yard drainage

I'm hoping one of you good people will have a suggestion for me. My yard is on a slope. When it rains, a small stream runs into my neighbor's yard from mine, and is washing out her mulch and flower bed. I want to divert that water so it goes straight to the street in front of my house. I think I need to use drainage tiles, but I'm open to any suggestions. I don't know where to begin to look. All I know is I don't want to hire someone who will solve this minor problem at enormous expense.

Hiya, we just had drainage pipes installed...dug up on both sides where the drains came down and attached large tubing to the drains, connected in a y-coupling and now the run-off goes out past the fence & no longer pools at the bottom - I can give you my contractors info if you like

Yes indeedy -- I'd love the name.

happy's gonna be snaggin' ALL your work men pretty soon....LOL

Happy, I have been reading about "Rain Gardens" Might be something for you to look into http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/runoff/rg/index.htm

at least it's another excuse to make a new garden bed.

Happy-will send info once I am in my office

Speaking of rain gardens, I recently saw a thread about one DG'ers rain garden. Sure is a neat idea. Check out her garden at http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/850324/ ...terri

Thanks! This spot isn't usually wet, so I don't think a rain garden will help. It is just that with even a little rain, the water erodes in a path straight to the neighbors. It also erodes my beds, so I have a personal incentive to get it fixed.

"once I'm in my office" ROTFLOL...ok, am I the only one that finds that funny? Teasin' w/you my friend....just find that as amusing as "thingie"

At Chantell

Phlrphhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Ohhhh I see...you were in the potty...gotcha!!! ^_^

you can try this....
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/sw_watering_irrigation/article/0,2029,DIY_14372_2270536,00.html

Flowerjen: I think that's just where we are headed! I have also seen it referred to as a French drain.

That is exactly what I had my "contractor dude" do for us!!!

My dad had his contractor do it for them too but they used pvc pipe. After they had it done and it rained and the water was still collecting there. My father was very confused since he saw them install it. After the rain he went out and dug it up.
They put the holes face down!!! DUH!

...gotta be smarter then what you're working with...ugh!!

The holes are supposed to be on the bottom, definitely.

I agree with claypa -- the holes are supposed to be on the bottom. The pipe should be down deep under a layer of gravel -- so I'm surprised your dad would have been able to dig it up so readily. Maybe it wasn't installed right.

There is a lot about French drains on the web -- see:

http://www.askthebuilder.com/175_Drying_Soggy_Soil_-_A_Simple_Trench_Drain.shtml (this explains why the holes should point down) ("The reasons the holes should point down are many. Remember that the water table in the soil builds from the bottom to the top of the soil profile. If the holes point down, the water enters the pipe sooner than if the holes pointed up. Also, water droplets or flow is not intelligent. It can't "see" the holes in the pipe and aim for them as it flows down through the gravel. Some water may find its way into a hole pointing up, but most of the water will flow around the pipe and then build up until it can flow into the holes. Furthermore, holes that point up are perfect targets to get clogged with the rounded gravel. Always keep in mind the pipe is acting as a conduit for the water and the water table in wet periods is already up to the bottom of the holes. If the water table rises higher than the holes, then water squirts vigorously into the holes and is carried away by the pipe just as water charges down a stream bed in nature.")

See also:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/asktoh/question/0,,213211,00.html
http://www.mdvaden.com/drainage.shtml

These are just a few sources I found, but there is a lot more out there.

Happy, this probably wouldn't save any work, but would a dry creek bed lined with rocks be an option?

I think I need to do the drain pipe. It isn't a creek bed per se; just storm runoff that is carving a creek bed. But I need the surface of the soil to be relatively smooth so I can't relegate it to stone. Plus, that won't redirect the direction of the flow -- I think I need a French drain for that. Thanks for the suggestions, though!

On this old house it says to cover with a weed barrier so the holes don't fill up with debris. When you put the holes down you have to wait for the basin to fill up, good if your water table is high, not good for run off from a hill.

Flower, I think the whole point of a French drain is to give the runoff a place where it can soak into the ground instead of running down the ground in a stream. So you would want the holes on the bottom so that the water could go into the pipe as the drain fills.

Happy, what I meant was a dry creekbed you constructed so you could make the stormwater go where you wanted. I thought it might be something you could do yourself but I would imagine the drain would be a better option.

Good point.

Some good info here.
http://landscaping.about.com/od/sitegradingdrainage/ht/dry_creek_beds.htm

That's an interesting idea, but it doesn't have a lot of appeal to me. First, the rocks would need to be mortared, marking it a realy hardscape project. Second, I don't think I'd like how it looks, and I couldn't plant over it. Third, it sounds like as much work as a french drain, which has the benefit of being hidden. So for now, that's where I'm heading -- until I see the price tag, of course, when I'll start back pedaling really fast.

LOL I wouldn't mortar the rocks, though. Kind of defeats the purpose and just makes it into a giant gutter splashblock.

They say that if you want to redirect the water flow, you need to use the mortar. That's why I think I need a French drain.

I would think the main idea would be to give the water a place to go - both to give it a place where it could soak into the soil, which is what a French drain is going to do, and to allow any that doesn't soak in to flow. I don't think you want to create a chute for stormwater. I didn't read it that carefully but I think a concrete, rock lined chute would be a mess.

Oh, well, the French drain is obviously more attractive to you. I thought this might give you an alternative.

Hart: You need to come see my house sometime. I think the dry creekbed would work great in many many settings, but not in my particular one. I really appreciate the suggestion -- I am trying to ferrett out all suggestions -- hence this thread. I still haven't called a contractor yet, so it is still a bit up in the air. I know once I hear the cost my tune will have to change!

I perfectly understand. I hope the drain installation won't be too expensive. Maybe they'll be able to suggest alternatives that would cost less, like doing a little grading at the higher level where the water is entering your yard.

I wish grading would work, but it is all kind of at a rakish angle towards my neighbors' house. It would take a massive redesign to redirect the flow. Ugh. You know, for years there was a lot of bamboo in the neighbors' yard. I bet that split the water flow up so they didn't realize it was a problem. Then they got rid of the bamboo (a good thing), so this is the price I pay. I'm delighted the bamboo is gone!

Oh, dear. Well, I think stormwater is an improvement over encroaching bamboo.

I dmailed you about a show on DIY Tuesday morning dealing with a drainage problem. Here's the details. Doesn't look like it will help since they're putting in a retaining wall.

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_lawns_landscaping/article/0,2029,DIY_13852_3828909,00.html

We did put in a retaining wall . . . .

Shoot.

But it wasn't intended to improve the drainage. Our lot in that spot sloped away from the house, so it was kind-of lost property, and in this area every inch of property matters. So we put in the retaining wall to level it out there. But it was done properly, with tons of drainage pipes. (This was done maybe 12 years ago.)

This message was edited Jun 2, 2008 8:40 AM

I don't know how old the houses are in your neighborhood, but I wonder if the bamboo could have been planted originally to stop the runoff problem? If the problem is coming from their yard, maybe they are the ones who need to help fix it?

No, the runoff is from us to them.... the bamboo has been there for a long long time, and there is no way to tell what the previous owners intended. My guess is it was intended as a privacy screen.

Hey ladies,

Hap, hope you can solve your problem. Hart, I saw Paul James on HGTV do a dry bed, next week-end I dug a long ditch, laid down weed cloth, spent part of the day (my DH actually helped me with his little yard cart - he got to drive the mower!) and harvested pieces of old brick that were dumped in our front yard, stuck in some plants that I got when I went to Maplewood Gardens with Jody, and I have a beautiful, and VERRRRRY functional "dry" bed. I can even walk to my car in the morning without swimming thru the gravel walkway. If it ever doesn't rain I still have an attractive garden. I love it
Pam

Oh Devon - thinking about your drainage issue after this last storm's gone through...ugh!!

Thanks for your thoughts, Chantell, but it doesn't phase me at all; it is my poor neighbors who are suffering!!!

This message was edited Jun 19, 2008 6:44 AM