I hear you on the “uncovering weird stuff” part. Dug a trench for my own pool drainage last summer and hit what I thought was a rock, but nope—old toy dump truck from the ‘90s. Anyway, I went the cheap route: shallow trench, landscape fabric, gravel, and a few stepping stones on top so I don’t twist an ankle mowing. Not pretty, but it works. Sometimes “good enough” is all you need when you’re on a budget… and tired.
Not gonna lie, I get the appeal of “good enough”—sometimes you just want it done and over with. But have you ever thought about how that shallow trench might hold up long-term? I’ve seen a few setups like that where the drainage worked at first, but a couple heavy rains later, the water started pooling again or the stones shifted out of place.
Is there a reason you didn’t go with a French drain or something a bit deeper? I know it’s more work up front (and definitely less fun if you keep running into buried toys), but it can save you headaches down the line. Plus, there are some ways to make it look a bit nicer without breaking the bank—like mixing in river rocks or even tucking in some low ground cover plants between the stones. Just curious if you’ve had any issues with mud or erosion since you put it in, or if it’s held up better than expected? Sometimes the quick fixes do surprise me...
Not gonna lie, I get the appeal of “good enough”—sometimes you just want it done and over with.
I totally get where you’re coming from about shortcuts sometimes biting you later. I went the “shallow trench” route behind one of my rentals a few years back, thinking it’d be fine for light rain. Sure enough, after a gnarly storm, the rocks shifted and I had a mini swamp for a week.
You mentioned French drains—did you have to deal with a lot of tree roots when you dug yours? That’s what slowed me down last time, but maybe there’s a trick I’m missing...
French drains are a solid choice, but yeah, tree roots can be a real pain. When I put one in along the side of my house, I ran into a mess of roots from an old maple. I tried to hack through them with a shovel at first, but that was just exhausting and honestly, I probably did more harm than good to the tree. Ended up borrowing a reciprocating saw from a neighbor, which made things way easier—just had to be careful not to go overboard and destabilize the tree.
One thing I learned the hard way: if you’re dealing with a lot of roots, it’s worth mapping out your trench path first and seeing if you can snake around the worst of them. Sometimes shifting the line by even a foot or two saves a ton of work. Also, laying down landscape fabric before adding gravel helps keep roots from growing back into the drain over time. It’s not foolproof, but it does slow things down.
I get wanting to just get it done and move on—especially when you’re trying to keep costs down. But after having to redo my first attempt (and dealing with that muddy mess for weeks), I’m convinced it’s worth spending a little extra time up front. If you’re draining a pool, you might want to look at where the water naturally wants to go and try to work with that slope instead of fighting it. Sometimes gravity is your friend.
Not sure there’s a perfect trick for roots, but sharp tools and a bit of patience seem to help. And if you’re really stuck, renting a trencher can save your back, though it’s not exactly cheap. Just my two cents—hope something here helps.
Sometimes shifting the line by even a foot or two saves a ton of work.
This is so true. I learned the hard way that “just a little to the left” can mean the difference between a quick job and a full-on root wrestling match. I tried to brute-force my way through a root once and ended up with a bent shovel and a sore back. Mapping it out first is definitely the move. And yeah, landscape fabric is like the unsung hero—doesn’t stop everything, but it’s better than nothing. Hang in there, it gets less muddy... eventually.
