Backyard Drainage: What Do You Need and What Will it Cost?

French drain forming part of successful backyard drainage

A proper backyard drainage system is crucial for any property – and especially those located in Brisbane’s humid subtropical climate. Without adequate backyard drainage, excess water can accumulate or flow across your property, leading to soil erosion, waterlogging, foundation damage, and potential flooding.

Investing in proper stormwater drainage in your backyard not only protects your property but also ensures a safer and more functional outdoor space for social and family activities, and any creative landscaping projects.

Whether prevention is your focus or you’re already dealing with pooling water, soggy soil, erosion, or dry rot in wooden features there are several backyard drainage solutions to consider. And, Salmon Plumbers are Brisbane’s experts in drainage, so you’ve come to the right place!

French Drains

Also known as a trench drain, rubble drain, agi drain or subsurface drain, a French drain is one of the most popular and effective solutions for redirecting excess water away from your home. Filled with gravel or rock, a perforated pipe is designed to be installed at the bottom of the trench to collect water and redirect it to a more suitable location, such as a storm drain or a designated runoff area. Commonly used to alleviate water accumulation around foundations, or in low-lying areas, they are very versatile and can be customised to suit your specific drainage needs.

Downpipe Extensions

After heavy rain, you might notice a pooling of water around the base of your downpipes. Keeping gutters and downpipes free of debris certainly helps to allow optimal water flow, however, if your existing gutter system isn’t allowing water to be redirected as you expect, consider a downpipe extension. Attached to your existing gutter system, they can extend several metres away from the house, ensuring that water is moved safely into designated areas. Available in various materials, they can match your home’s aesthetics and be quite an inexpensive solution.

Landscaping and Yard Drains

If your lawn has become more of a lake than an oasis of greenery, it might be time to up the ante and consider a more robust backyard drainage solution. A French drain isn’t likely to do the trick if your backyard has improper grading or landscaping. Water will start to gather around your foundation if the ground doesn’t have the appropriate slope. Alternatively, a yard drain that is built directly into the lawn area where flooding is common can move water through underground pipes to a point such as the street, stormwater drainage or a rubble pit (sometimes called a dry well).

Water Pumps

Depending on the severity of your drainage concerns, you may need to call in a plumber. Salmon Plumbing’s technicians are stormwater drainage experts who can assess your backyard drainage situation and suggest solutions. They may recommend a suitable water pump that can remove excess water from the affected area and pump it away to a designated drainage point, such as a storm drain, the street, a drainage ditch, or a rubble pit. Water pumps are particularly useful in situations where natural drainage methods like gravity or surface runoff are insufficient to remove excess water effectively. They come in various types, including submersible pumps, pedestal pumps, and portable pumps, each suited for different drainage needs and conditions.

DIY Drainage Solutions

Sometimes the solution is something you can tackle yourself. Do you have large, decorative rocks in your garden? If not placed properly, they can create barriers causing water to pool in undesirable locations. If you are handy with a shovel, you might want to dig a shallow drainage channel, almost like a mini creek bed. This can redirect water and help with levelling the ground – and they make an attractive garden feature, too. DIY drainage can result in blocked drains, there’s no point in laying the right drains, if you’re just going to block them.

When To Call In Backyard Drainage Experts

Understanding drainage options and implementing suitable measures can ensure a dry, healthy, and stable backyard environment. However, not all backyard drainage solutions will be suitable for your situation. Yard access can exclude some measures and others require costly digging and/or earthmoving. If you’re not sure where to begin, give your local plumber a call.

Salmon Plumbing has decades of experience providing Brisbane homeowners with innovative backyard drainage solutions. Enquire today!

3 ways you can prepare your plumbing for the Australian Summer

As Spring eases us into the Australian heat, now’s probably the time to start prepping your property’s plumbing system for the summer.

The hotter months can wreak havoc on plumbing systems and lead to damage without the proper preparation.

Lucky for you, we’ve put together 4 tasks you can add to your Sunday to-do list so that you don’t have to stare down an expensive plumbing bill around Christmas time.

Continue reading “3 ways you can prepare your plumbing for the Australian Summer”