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tcrrmr

Need Suggestions

TCRRMR
9 years ago

I've moved into a new home and don't have any idea on how to landscape the front yard. The builder of this home cut WAY to many corners. You notice by pic, builder try to save $500 by trying not to put a pump on septic tank. (Which he ended up having to put pump on anyway), so all water drains to middle of property(as seen in pic). I put a drain in, but during heavy rains, drain get covered and floods driveway, sending the mulch into the driveway. Does anyone have any ideas?

Comments (5)

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    This issue serves to illustrate why drains routed through underground pipes are best to be avoided, if at all possible. I'm making an educated guess (as there is not enough information available) that the drain you installed is unnecessary and faultily executed (since the underground pipe that carries the water moves off in a direction that is uphill. The yellow line represents the pipe, does it not?) By the picture, it looks like there is sufficient pitch to the driveway that it wouldn't retain water (at least you're not showing where that would be.) You might try to explain this again, SHOWING 1. where the water is coming from ... 2. where the ponding occurs ... and 3. where the route that water can escape is located. We must be able to SEE these 3 things in order to offer advice.

  • TCRRMR
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm sorry! I think I spent more time upset with builder!
    Without the drain, it takes at least a full day for water to absorb into ground. The drain works great, if I could keep mulch/dirt/debris from collecting on top of the drain. This is where my problem lies, I put the drain at the lowest spot in front yard, then routed the pipe to opposite side of house. (Reason: didn't want to have to bust up concrete.
    Anyway, I hope this explanation is better. I clearly don't know, or have any idea how to fix this. I called builder/contractor and he said I would just have to do some creative landscaping. (I tried to get him to lower septic tank)

  • jesshs
    9 years ago

    What about lining your driveway and walkway to the house with brick pavers or flat uniform gray stones/pavers? Then you could go around the drain too. Then get rid of any mulch past the bend in the sidewalk and lay in some sod. That should get rid of the washing away of mulch and most of the debris. There might still be some, but hopefully the new, full sod would catch most of it.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    It looks like in your most recent picture you are saying that the driveway is NOT pitched so that water drains toward the street! ...?? Its length can only be pitched to drain toward the garage or toward the street and toward the garage is not a good option! If it does not drain, then under VERY HEAVY rain conditions (I'm sure you have not experienced them yet, but can still predict the outcome) when the rain keeps coming after the pond is the maximum size ... is rain water going to enter the garage before it finds another way out? (For this hypothetical question, imagine that the drain is plugged or non-existent.)

    Where is the front lawns and drives of the left and right flanking neighbors draining? ... to the street or toward the back yard?

    Keeping dirt and mulch out of "awesome working" drain inlets IS the perpetual problem and one of the reasons why underground drains are to be avoided, if possible. (Though it not always is.)

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    I took another look at the photo and I'm wondering if I detect the faint beginnings of a drainage swale in the front yard, leading to the back yard ... where I put the yellow line. Is that possible?