If you are working on your landscaping and you notice that you have standing water in your yard, it’s certainly a cause for concern. Standing water can be a problem that can lead to plant damage, dead areas of grass, erosion, and even foundation issues. The problem for many homeowners is that they don’t really understand the reasons why they have standing water in their yard. It’s an issue that kind of just pops up out of nowhere and leaves homeowners scrambling to figure out why it’s occurring. It’s better to deal with standing water in your yard sooner rather than later, which is why we’ve prepared the following article.

Standing water in your yard can occur for a variety of different reasons. The key to getting rid of standing water is understanding the potential reason why it is happening so that you can figure out the best approach. Below, we will be walking you through a few reasons why you might have standing water in your yard so that you will be able to recognize it when you see it. This article is brought to you by Cal Blend Soils, the leading supplier of landscaping products in the California area. Remember that you can always reach out to Cal Blend Soils for landscaping advice and products.

1. Paved Surfaces Don’t Have Enough Slope

Paved surfaces in your landscaping have a lot to offer. You can build out seating areas for you and your guests, cooking areas, pathways, and much more. However, if you don’t get the slope right on your paved areas, you could end up with standing water issues. Paved surfaces need to have the right amount of slope, otherwise, water will pool up on them. This can lead to safety risks as well as long term damages. The water can also form puddles and end up affecting nearby plant life and grass. Keep in mind that your plants need a specific amount of water to thrive. If your paved areas are pooling up and dumping tons of water on nearby plants, your landscaping will certainly suffer. Some solutions for this issue is to grade the area around the paved surface so that you can improve the drainage. You also might want to install retaining walls to help with this issue.

2. Soil Has Gotten Too Compacted

One of the keys to landscaping success is understanding the consistency and quality of your soil. Without the right levels of sand, clay, silt, and other valuable nutrients in the soil, you can end up facing problems with your landscaping. One of those problems includes standing water. When the soil in your landscaping becomes too compacted, it can result in standing water. You want your soil to be porous so that water can easily reach the roots of your plants. Soil that is overly compacted and too hard will make the water sit on top of it, which will result in large puddles forming all over your yard. If you have a lot of clay content in your soil, there’s a good chance you will be dealing with standing water in your yard. The good news is that you can purchase landscaping products like soil amendments and soil additives to change up the consistency of your soil. Reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you’d like some help determining what the right soil additives are for your yard.

3. Your House is at the Bottom of a Slope

It’s important to consider the location of your house if you are trying to figure out why you have standing water issues. If your house is located at the bottom of a slope, the water will typically run down towards your home. This can lead to significant issues including problems with your foundation. It can happen when the grading is poorly done prior to your house being built. Elevating the foundation of your home before you begin construction is one way to avoid dealing with these types of issues. You can also invest in grading around your home to allow the water to flow instead of pooling up. Another option is installing a sub-surface drainage system to help out with the flow of the water.

4. Gutter System Issues

One of the main tasks of a gutter system on your home is to help with the flow of water. When it rains, the gutters will help the water flow away from your house instead of pooling up around your foundation. If there are issues with your gutter system, such as holes in the gutters, they won’t be serving their purpose. Water will drip down the sides of your house and become standing water all around the foundation of your home. This can lead to serious problems and expenses if you don’t address the issue quickly. Make sure you have your gutter system inspected regularly to avoid standing water from gutters that aren’t working the way that they should.

5. Poor Landscape Design

Landscape design is both an art and a science. If you don’t get things right when laying out your landscape’s bed, you can definitely end up with standing water on your property. The wrong layout will lead to rainwater pooling up around your property instead of flowing away the right way. Your plants might end up drowning if this water isn’t able to run off naturally. You can always relocate your beds and add additional grading if you think that poor landscape design is the primary cause of the standing water in your yard. Make sure you take the time to think through the concept of proper drainage when you are building out your landscaping.

We hope this article has helped you learn a lot about how to deal with standing water on your property. It’s an issue that homeowners should take seriously, otherwise, it can lead to very expensive issues. You can always reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you have any questions about standing water issues or purchasing the right landscaping supplies to help with the problem.