Fixing yard drainage problems in Connecticut

Water problems around a house are among the most common calls a site contractor gets: a wet basement every spring, a lawn that never dries out, ice across the driveway all winter. The fix depends on one question: where is the water coming from?

Step 1: Watch it rain

The best diagnostic tool is a raincoat. During a steady rain, walk the property and look for:

• Gutters overflowing, or downspouts dumping water right at the foundation
• Water running toward the house instead of away from it
• Runoff coming from a neighbor's yard, the street or a hill above you
• Puddles that sit in the same spots every time

Then look again a day or two after the rain. Water that's still standing long after the surface has dried points to soil or groundwater, not just runoff.

Common causes in Connecticut

Roof water at the foundation

A roof sheds a lot of water. If downspouts empty at the corner of the house, much of it soaks into the backfill right next to the basement wall. This is the most common cause of wet basements we see, and the cheapest to fix.

Negative grade

Over the years, backfill settles and the ground next to the house ends up lower than the yard. Water then flows toward the foundation. The residential building code calls for the ground to fall at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet from the house where the lot allows.

Uphill water

Houses built into a slope get water from above, both on the surface and underground as seepage. Connecticut's hills and shallow ledge make this common.

Soil that doesn't drain

Much of Connecticut has dense glacial till, hardpan or clay layers, and ledge close to the surface. Water hits these layers and sits, or moves sideways. In spring, snowmelt and rain raise the water table, and low spots stay soggy for weeks.

The fixes, from simplest to most involved

Clean gutters and extend downspouts

Start here. Make sure gutters are clear and sized for the roof. Get downspout water at least several feet from the house, and ideally into a solid pipe that carries it underground to daylight downhill or to a drywell.

Regrade around the house

Adding and shaping soil so the ground pitches away from the foundation fixes a lot of problems on its own. It needs to be done right: compacted, with the right material, and without burying siding or creating new low spots.

Swales

A swale is a shallow, grassed channel that steers surface water around the house or across the yard. It's the go-to fix for runoff coming from uphill. Done well, it just looks like a gentle dip in the lawn.

French drains and curtain drains

A French drain is a gravel-filled trench with a perforated pipe that collects water underground and carries it away. A curtain drain is the same idea placed across a slope above the house to intercept groundwater before it reaches the foundation. They need a place to discharge, which is the part that takes planning.

Drywells

When there's no downhill spot to daylight water, a drywell gives it an underground place to soak in slowly. Drywells work best in soils that drain. In tight till or near ledge they may need to be bigger, or a different approach may work better.

Driveway drainage

Trench drains across the bottom of a sloped driveway, culverts under it, or re-pitching the driveway itself keep water and ice off the surface and away from the garage.

When to call a contractor

Gutters and downspout extensions are often a homeowner job. Regrading, swales, French drains and drywells usually need equipment and experience, because the pitch has to be right and the water needs a safe place to go. If the work is near wetlands or a watercourse, check with your town first.

If you're dealing with water where you don't want it, we'll come look at it, find the source, and recommend the simplest fix that will actually work. See our grading and drainage services.