Water should move away from your home and off your lawn. When it does not, you get damaged turf, muddy spots and sometimes bigger problems.
Five warning signs
- Standing water. Puddles that last a day or two after rain.
- Soggy or patchy turf. Spots that stay wet and thin out.
- Pooling at the foundation. Water collecting next to the house.
- Washouts and erosion. Bare channels, exposed roots or soil washed onto walks.
- Ground that slopes toward the house. The soil should fall away from the foundation.
How the ground should slope
A common guideline is for the soil to drop about six inches over the first ten feet away from the foundation. Settling over the years can flatten or reverse that slope.
What can help
- Regrading to move water in the right direction
- Filling low spots with topsoil
- Extending downspouts away from the house
- Resurfacing with new sod once the grade is right
If water is getting into your basement or you see foundation cracks, call a foundation or drainage specialist as well. For yard regrading, see our dirt work and grading service.