We just moved into our new house about a month ago. I have drainage issues at the walkout area. I would really love to have a nice patio built in the walkout area but need ideas. I gotta get the water to stay off the cement pad that is there already. The one gutter drain is plugged somewhere underground. I tried snaking it. So I just ran a section of black gutter drain on the surface for now till I figure out what to do. I still get lots of standing water on the patio. Also I added a pic of the yard where the shop is gonna go eventually. Back where the shed is at. I have a hilly lot. Any ideas on how I should design the patio? Would like to keep it simple.
Walkout drainage/patio ideas
- Thread starter mrrooG8
- Start date
Chris705
Well-known member
My first questions would be does the swale continue to fall away from the patio or does grade stay higher than the patio? At the far rear edge of the swale does the grade get below the patio elevation? Not sure if the rear row of trees & shrubs is your property line or if you own more property to be able to trench or rework this swale to be a natural surface drainage? The drain pipe to pick up all of your gutters would probably want to be in the 6" size leading from this rear corner of the patio out to the low point. If your are going to be pricing a new enlarged patio, this drainage work should be part of that design (I'd make sure there was positive fall away from the patio via this swale in addition to a new pipe sized to carry all the roof rainfall). I imagine there is/was a pipe buried there and it has either gotten crushed or packed full of sediment....it might be possible to find the outlet or old evidence of it somewhere along that swale....but grade should carry the water away naturally or your going to have a water problem in your basement sometime in the future....
csp
Well-known member
Positive drainage away from the patio or a French drain to pick up the water and carry it to a lower elevation, or a combination of both.
Bondo
Well-known member
Ayuh,..... Water flows downhill,....
In the last picture it's quite obvious that the lawn is to high, 'n the swale rises before it falls to the trees,.....
Lower the swale from the concrete to the trees, then replant the grass,.....
In the last picture it's quite obvious that the lawn is to high, 'n the swale rises before it falls to the trees,.....
Lower the swale from the concrete to the trees, then replant the grass,.....
Unfortunately the current patio is the low spot. I own well beyond the tree line. So running drainage to below the tree line is do able. The house was built in 88 with no previous signs of water entering the basement luckily. I am going to re design the patio layout. Maybe this summer. Not sure yet. Gotta get garage situated first. Priorities right? The honey do list which is never ending. But the patio is high on that list.
Chris705
Well-known member
as you plan the garage think about grading for both the garage and patio at the same time. Then when you bring in an excavator have them rework that swale so it drains correctly...I always encourage to folks I work with to have a master plan for everything you will eventually want to do to your home/place/yard...always work towards that master plan so you don't have to redo things multiple times....
RegeSullivan
Well-known member
What Chris705 said. The fix is to regrade so water flows away from the house/patio. Any other solution I can think of would fail at some point or be stupid expensive compared to the small amount of grading needed on your lot.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
You have to get it off of the surface first !
Bust out that concrete pad, but keep the concrete ! You are going to install a brick paver patio.
Remove the soil down about 12-14". Lay down heavy duty landscape cloth and about 2-3" of 3/4" crushed stone. This first layer is to help setting the pitch. Install drain tile with a sock around the perimeter and connect it to you "lower elevation".
Bust up the concrete into pieces <6" and scatter around. Add more 3/4" gravel and compact. Now add "stone dust" (finely crushed rock) to a level that would keep the top of the pavers about 6" below the height of yiur threshold. Compact before laying pavers.
Water will drain through the pavers and be carried away to you "lower elevation". Make sure any down spots are connected in. Heavy rains can be a problem because it will take a few minutes for the water to drain through the cracks in the pavers. This is why the level of the patio need to be about 6" below your threshold and pitched away from the house.
You are going to need a retaining wall to the right of your door.
This IS a big job ! While it can be done by a couple of guys with shovels, if you have not done this before and you are only working at it part time, it is going to take most of the summer.
The most critical thing is to locate that "lower elevation" where all the water is going to go. In my tiny yard I dug a dry well. When it over flows (a couple of times a year) I have a very small pump that I use to pumpe the excess to the street.
Bondo
Well-known member
Ayuh,.... The grass looks to be 2" to 6" Above the concrete, 'n rises for 10', maybe 20',.....
A 'ell of a dam,...
Then drops off into the trees,....
A sight level or lazer will tell ya where to cut, 'n how much,....
A dozer or trackhoe could carve that out easily, combine that with the garage site prep to save money,....
For the patio, a low-rise deck over to the upper deck, with a staircase would be nice,....
I have lots of ideas to think about. I am in the planning stages right now. I am planning a second deck that comes off the main deck. A set of stairs will tie them together to the new patio area. As everyone said, I need to plan it all out keeping in mind my future garage build as the drive to the garage will play into how I grade the yard. I have a nice Kubota tractor to help me at least with the dig. Thanks everyone! This site is great. I'll keep updating this as I go. 
Sent from a engineering facility...
Sent from a engineering facility...
csp
Well-known member
Umm, that's what positive drainage away from the patio means. I didn't feel the need to create a how-to for the OP, but that's what was meant.
A simple swale cut through the high ground beyond the patio would do the trick, especially if the patio has the correct slope to it. I have a similar layout, only with a 2% grade away from my lower patio. No problems whatsoever and not a stitch of underlying stone or drain tile or anything other than the native soil.
You seriously decided for the OP that he's going to be breaking up his concrete patio and installing a paver patio? Wow
Last edited:
I should clarify that the current patio is not gonna be tore up. It is in perfect shape. The slope on the cement is just very slightly sloped towards the yard. Just the grass is higher than the cement at this time. I'm just going to add brick pavers of some sort around the cement with drainage installed to run to backside of property and build a small retaining wall on both sides of the patio. i'm trying to keep it simple and as cheap as possible. I just really want a nice patio and deck to tie into it for now. And the wife wants a pool and hot tub....
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
My "real world" experience says you will not get satisfactory results.
Take out the concrete. Dig it down 12-18". Drainage pipe (to the lowest place in your yard). Back fill with crushed concrete and 3/4" crush stone. Then stone dust and pavers, keeping the top level of the pavers 6-8" below the threshold of the door.
If the retaining wall you are building is <3', you can get away with 1 block BELOW GRADE as the foundation.
BEEN THERE. DONE THAT. HAPPY WITH MY RESULTS !!
csp
Well-known member
Water always takes the path of least resistance. If you give it somewhere to go on the surface it will go there, and it will go there long before it percolates through the soil.
I don't see any gutters on house . . . . .right ??
All that water should never be splashing on your patio if you want any chance to improve water problem.
I'd design gutter system to tie in with underground drainage pipes to take water away properly.
+1 for Master Plan on entire property while you plan on garage.
All that water should never be splashing on your patio if you want any chance to improve water problem.
I'd design gutter system to tie in with underground drainage pipes to take water away properly.
+1 for Master Plan on entire property while you plan on garage.
The house does have gutters with gutter toppers. All the gutters drain into black pipe that runs underground somewhere. Where it runs into I have no idea?
bczygan
Well-known member
From a design point of view, you have some interesting options.
I have some questions.
Is there, or will there be, a finished entertainment space in the basement, accessible through those sliding glass doors at the existing patio?
Is it a living room/kitchen area that opens out onto the existing deck?
What I'm trying to get a feel for, is how your entertaining will flow from the upstairs to the basement.
Obviously, stepping areas down the slope will connect the two.
I would create a second level of deck, a couple of steps or so, below the existing one, and make it a place for the hot tub, taking advantage of the view and proximity to the forested area nearby. This would still be close enough to the existing deck and lounging and dining areas I would create there, so that all could be served by the kitchen.
Then steps would wind down the slope to an upper patio area with a water feature incorporated into it. This feature would begin near the existing upper deck, wind around the hot tub portion, to a pool created at the upper patio. It could then overflow and flow down to a second, but smaller pool at the existing patio.
This would connect all the levels and you will have created a cascade of living and entertaining spaces. Special care should be taken with landscaping this whole area.
The design of the pool is something to think about. The old fashioned finished looking pools are kind of passe. Now, a lot of people try to create pools that look natural in the landscape. They create plunge pools or lap pools or pools that create their own current for swimming, but edge them with boulders and water plants and such. You can make it look like a water course, draining down your slope with a pond or two.
Bill
I have some questions.
Is there, or will there be, a finished entertainment space in the basement, accessible through those sliding glass doors at the existing patio?
Is it a living room/kitchen area that opens out onto the existing deck?
What I'm trying to get a feel for, is how your entertaining will flow from the upstairs to the basement.
Obviously, stepping areas down the slope will connect the two.
I would create a second level of deck, a couple of steps or so, below the existing one, and make it a place for the hot tub, taking advantage of the view and proximity to the forested area nearby. This would still be close enough to the existing deck and lounging and dining areas I would create there, so that all could be served by the kitchen.
Then steps would wind down the slope to an upper patio area with a water feature incorporated into it. This feature would begin near the existing upper deck, wind around the hot tub portion, to a pool created at the upper patio. It could then overflow and flow down to a second, but smaller pool at the existing patio.
This would connect all the levels and you will have created a cascade of living and entertaining spaces. Special care should be taken with landscaping this whole area.
The design of the pool is something to think about. The old fashioned finished looking pools are kind of passe. Now, a lot of people try to create pools that look natural in the landscape. They create plunge pools or lap pools or pools that create their own current for swimming, but edge them with boulders and water plants and such. You can make it look like a water course, draining down your slope with a pond or two.
Bill
Last edited:
ejkuhl
Well-known member
Take that nice little tractor you have and start grading the slope away from the patio.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
I like the way your thinking!! I'll show this idea to my wife. The lower patio slider goes to the "man" room with a wood burning fire place in there. The upper deck wraps around the other side of house also. Kitchen has a slider and so does the main family room to the deck. I love how I have lots of options with the current layout. But a two level deck tying into the lower patio is a must. And making the lower patio area much larger and entertaining is a must. I am going to see what I can draw up. And have a few good friends come over and give me ideas. I'll post some pics of the current driveway and leveling that needs to be done.
