French drains are great, but you're right—clay soil can be a real headache. Landscaping definitely helps, but I've found that adding a dry well or two can make a huge difference. Basically, it's just a deep hole filled with gravel that gives excess water somewhere to go during heavy rains. I put one in last year after my French drain got overwhelmed, and it's been smooth sailing since. Might be worth looking into if you're still having trouble...
"Basically, it's just a deep hole filled with gravel that gives excess water somewhere to go during heavy rains."
Interesting idea—I hadn't considered dry wells before. But I'm curious, how deep did you make yours? I've got clay soil too, and digging even a small hole feels like excavating concrete sometimes... Did you rent equipment or tough it out by hand? Also, have you noticed any issues with mosquitoes or standing water afterward? Seems like a great solution, just wondering about the practical details before I jump in.
I feel your pain about digging in clay soil—last summer I tried putting in fence posts by hand and it was like chiseling through solid rock. Ended up borrowing my neighbor's auger, which saved my sanity (and back).
"Seems like a great solution, just wondering about the practical details before I jump in."
From what I've heard, dry wells usually go down at least a few feet, sometimes deeper depending on how much water you're dealing with. Mosquitoes shouldn't be an issue if it's draining properly, but maybe toss in some landscape fabric to keep dirt from clogging things up over time.
Dry wells can work great, but honestly, if you're dealing with heavy clay soil, you might run into trouble getting the water to actually drain fast enough. I put one in last spring thinking it'd solve my flooding issues, and it ended up filling faster than it drained—turned into a mini pond for a couple days after heavy rains. Not exactly the backyard water feature I had in mind...
If you're set on going this route, definitely go deeper rather than shallower, and maybe even consider adding some gravel around the well to help drainage. Landscape fabric is good advice too—keeps things from clogging up down there. But if your soil is as stubborn as mine, you might wanna look into alternatives like running a drainage pipe further away from the yard or even renting equipment to dig deeper trenches. Trust me, your back will thank you later.
"Dry wells can work great, but honestly, if you're dealing with heavy clay soil, you might run into trouble getting the water to actually drain fast enough."
Yeah, clay soil is a beast. Had a similar issue at my old place—thought a dry well would fix things, but it ended up being more of a headache than a solution. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: have you considered creating a rain garden instead? I know it sounds kinda fancy, but honestly, it's just a shallow depression filled with plants that love water. I put one in after my dry well fiasco, and it turned out great—no more standing water, plus it's eco-friendly and looks pretty nice.
Bonus tip: native plants are your best friends here. They soak up water fast and help break up that stubborn clay over time. Might be worth a shot if you're open to something different...
