North Texas soil is heavy clay. It soaks up water slowly, holds it, and then dries out and cracks. That means when it rains hard, the water has to go somewhere — and if your yard isn't set up for it, it goes where you don't want it.
Here are five signs your yard has a drainage problem.
1. Water stands for a day or more after rain. A puddle that's gone in a few hours is normal. Water still sitting 24 hours later means it has nowhere to go.
2. Soggy or mossy spots, or grass that keeps dying in the same place. Constant wetness suffocates roots, and the same low spot failing year after year is a drainage clue.
3. Water running toward the house. Soil around your foundation should slope away from the house. If rain runs toward it, water can end up at the slab.
4. Eroded beds and washed-out mulch. If heavy rain carries mulch and soil out of your beds, water is moving across the yard faster than the ground can handle.
5. Fences, patios or walkways that are shifting. Water sitting under hardscape and around fence posts speeds up rot, sinking and heaving.
The usual fixes are regrading the yard so it slopes away from the house, installing a French drain to collect water underground, adding catch basins in low spots, and extending downspouts so roof water is carried well away. The right answer depends on your yard, which is why we start by watching where the water actually goes.
Three Guys Landscaping handles drainage across the Dallas area. Call (214) 698-9037 for a free estimate.