It is very much pot luck as to whether or not your garden has drainage issues, which would likely be a layer of clay in the wrong place, or some bedrock that is non-porous, but there are ways that you can create a runaway for water.
Creating A Channel
The ideal way to deal with standing water on or around the patio is to dig out a channel and fill it with stones and gravel, which should be sloping away from the house. You could hire a mini-digger and do this in a single day and regarding materials, there are online drainage suppliers Essex and your city who can deliver for free, plus you can get trade prices on a wide range of building materials.
Drilling A Series Of Holes
This is sometimes a quick drainage remedy and if you are not sure where to drill, call in a local ground worker or landscape gardener and ask for their professional opinion on the matter. This works when a thin layer of clay is present and the drilled holes allow the surface water to drain away, thus solving the problem.
Removing A Layer Of Clay Soil
In severe cases, the best way to deal with the water retention is to dig out and remove an entire layer of clay soil, replacing it with light shingle and some top soil. Hiring a mini-digger would be the way to do this, along with a suitably sized skip to take away the waste, which can be recycled, while you can order the shingle (and anything else) from your local building materials supplier.
Laying Drainage Pipes
There are times when the drainage is so bad that the only way to remove the water is to lay drainage pipes that slope off to a lower part of the garden. Talk to a groundwork contractor about such a project and they would be able to give you an all-inclusive price to finally eliminate the drainage issue once and for all.
Building A Patio
If you are thinking of replacing your patio, or better still, creating a new garden at your dream home, you should add a four-inch layer of shingle and that will ensure you don’t have any water retention issues. Of course, the patio should slightly slope away from the house and with a concrete base, you have the perfect foundation on which to install your paving slabs. Prior to the concrete arriving, make sure you have your drainage in place and you should not experience any drainage problems.
Houses that sit on low land are more likely to be affected by lack of drainage and the best way to deal with it is use one of the above methods. If you are not confident to take in such a challenge, search online for a local landscape gardener, who would be happy to give you a quote.
