How to add backyard drainage?

[Betts]

Hi, 

I’m wondering what options I should look into to drain water away from my unit. I’m worried that the water may damage the concrete slab.  My hubby, recently passed, dealt with these things so I have quite a learning curve. Advice appreciated, thank you.Rear

Side

[EricL]

Hello @Betts 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about backyard drainage.

I propose installing a French drain in your backyard and having a plumber connect it to your stormwater drain. This should be able to handle the standing water in your backyard garden. The general steps are to dig a channel in the soil with a slight fall going to the storm water drain. Line the bottom with geotextile and add a layer of gravel at the bottom. Install a Socked Slotted Draincoil and have your plumber link it to the stormwater drain. Cover the surface with gravel or decorative pebbles, you may also put decorative pavers on the side of the drain to hold the pebbles or gravel in place. 

I've placed a sample image rendered using AI to give you an idea what drain could look like. I would suggest having the drain travel the entire length of your garden.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Betts]

Thank you for your prompt reply.  I will do some more landscaping research after reading other workshop posts here as well. I was thinking of a channel drain but a covered one would be less maintenance for me. 

[EricL]

Hello @Betts 

If you are thinking of using the Everhard 3m EasyDRAIN Polymer Grate And Prejoined Channel its an option worth exploring, but I would still install paving borders to prevent your lawn from overwhelming the drain.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @AlanM52 for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Betts 

The suggestion that @EricL has made is a nice tidy one that allows you to keep maxium grass.

The drain that you are describing will maximise the water runoff, I would definently run pavers along either side of teh drain to help keep the grass off it as well. I was wondering where the dip in the lawn goes to on the other side of your fence?

How long does the rainwater hang around after a downpour? If its gone within an hr or so I really dont think it would effect the concrete slab of the house. At the moment the soil looks like it drains away from the house and then away through the fence. It comes down to how fast you want the water to go.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @Betts , I was just wondering how much if any water is coming from under the fence from your neighbours side, or is all the water simply a result from your property one?

Nailbag

[Betts]

Hello Dave,

 I think most of the water is pooling from my side.  It does dissipate over the day but stays very soggy for a few days. The rear yard, the narrower of the two, slopes towards the house from the retaining wall down. It’s also quite rocky here. The water is well lower than the weep holes in the brickwork though so maybe I am overthinking this. It does only get like this when we have very heavy rain or days of rain. Given there is easy access to the storm water pipe I think I will run with Eric’s initial suggestion, it looks tidy and easy to maintain. 
thank you for your input I really appreciate it. Now to find someone to do the job. 

[Betts]

Hello Nailbag

thanks for your question. I’m copying my reply to Dave who similarly asked. 
 I think most of the water is pooling from my side.  It does dissipate over the day but stays very soggy for a few days. The rear yard, the narrower of the two, slopes towards the house from the retaining wall down. It’s also quite rocky here. The water is well lower than the weep holes in the brickwork though so maybe I am overthinking this. It does only get like this when we have very heavy rain or days of rain. Given there is easy access to the storm water pipe I think I will run with Eric’s initial suggestion, it looks tidy and easy to maintain. 
thank you for your input I really appreciate it. Now to find someone to do the job.