For the last several spring seasons, I’ve joked on Facebook about needing Noah and his Ark to come save me from my backyard. I clearly remember Mother’s Day of 2006, being out with my mother and sister and getting the phone call from my husband (in a very apologetic voice) that we had 6 inches of water throughout our basement and could I possibly return home. Our sump pump had failed because of the volume and intensity of the water pouring into our home.
Prior to that crazy flood, I had no idea just how much proper drainage affects everything in your yard. Depending on your specific problem, there are numerous options available to homeowners for any drainage problem. Have a big puddle of standing water in the middle of your backyard or at the bottom of a downspout? Catch basins and grates can be installed in low spots and piped out to a different area. Channel drains and grates can be installed at a garage entry or within a patio to remove sheets of water that may otherwise enter your garage or home.
We researched the French Drain to facilitate proper drainage around our home. We felt that a French Drain was the way to go because it could be installed, by us, in a day or two and within the budget we had available at the time. After speaking with a neighbor, we learned about another option, the EZDrain. An EZDrain is a trademarked product created by NDS and is similar to what is commonly known as a French Drain but does not involve the use of gravel and can cut your installation time in half. Check out below video to see how both an EZDrain and a French Drain are installed.
Follow these simple steps to install an EZDrain and enjoy a drier environment this season:
1) Find the best area of your yard in which to re-route the water. Make sure to be neighborly and not point the flow of water towards a nearby property.
2) Determine a downward-pointing slope at least one meter away from any obstructions such as fencing, shrubs or trees. The best result will come from drains that are able to slope 6″ for every 50′ or a 1% slope.
3) Once you’ve determined the best path, use striping spray to mark your route.
4) Using a shovel, dig along your painted path creating a trench that is 6″ wide and has a depth no greater than that of the nearest foundation.
5) Add the EZDrain piping along the trench and connect with standard 4″ coupling.
6) Fill trench back in with topsoil and replace sod or seed.
If you can make the time some weekend soon to do this, I promise that you won’t regret it. Either the rain will come and your EZDrain will take care of it or Murphy’s Law will guarantee that by being prepared ahead of time, we will have the driest spring in years!
*Interested in purchasing EZDrain piping? Great Garden Supply carries a wide variety of sizes and grades at our warehouse in Peabody, Ma. For more information, email us at info@greatgardensupply.com or call 978-854-4417.
