How to Drain And Redirect Water From Driveway

Common Causes of Standing & Pooling Water on Driveway

There can be several reasons for water to begin collecting on your driveway.

One such reason being that the driveway was not set-up properly. This may be the case if the materials used for the project were not laid correctly for the project for proper drainage.  

Furthermore, this might also mean that there are cracks and indents beginning to form within the driveway from constantly having puddles settling on them. 

Another possible cause of stagnant water is because the drainage system was not set up well.  This may mean several things. 

Firstly, if there is a drainage system, it’s possible that it is simply clogged with leaves and twigs and just needs to be cleared out.  Second, this may also mean that there simply isn’t any drainage system set up, and you may need to put one in yourself.

Also, another big issue could be that the shape of the driveway may be an issue. 

If it is sloped towards your house or curved inwards, this makes it easier for water to get into the house, or to just get stuck on the driveway.

Problems This Can Cause:

If the pooling water on the driveway is not contained or controlled, it may begin to flood your house. 

This, of course, would probably be the worst case scenario since unwanted water inside can lead to mold and other problems such as wood rot.

Any cracks that have water stuck in them during freezing temperatures leave themselves open to have it freeze inside the crack. 

Naturally, water expands when it freezes, meaning that this would cause the holes to become bigger, allowing for more water to fill them, and continuing the cycle.

If the sealant in the driveway has water trapped within it, it leaves itself open to housing tons of mold, bacteria, and algae.

Flooded Driveway –  What Now?

If the issue is bad enough, and it’s beginning to affect your house, you’re going to want to get in touch with some professionals.  You don’t want to mess around with unwanted water in your house.  

However, if the problem seems to be within your control, you can try to drain it, by either diverting the flow of it, or removing by hand, if necessary.

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How To Drain Water From Driveway

The first thing to try and see is if there is a nearby area that you can drain the water to.

This can be a small ravine or drainage area, near your property, or even your street.  

The important thing is for the area to be downhill from the standing water.  In this case, you can simply dig a small trench for the water to flow along as it heads towards the new spot.  

Make sure that you start digging at the bottom point and don’t get to the pooled water until the end, so that you can maintain control of it throughout the process.

However, most people are probably not lucky enough to have a simple fix like that.

In which case you’ll have to bite the bullet and get a Water pump or even use a shop vacuum to pump out the water.  

But if you don’t have something like that available then you can even use any bucket. 

In either case, fill up the container with as much water as possible, then bring it to an area that can handle all the water when you dump it there.

Somewhere that it can be absorbed into the ground, giving it a chance to join the water system again.  Then you’ll  just have to repeat this process until you’re able to scoop out a majority of the water in the area.  

The fortunate thing about the issue being water is that it can be evaporated, so you don’t have to painstakingly remove every single drop, so just remove the biggest portions of it. 

Just make sure that any areas indoors are dry, in order to avoid mold.

Best Driveway Water Diverters

The best of the driveway diverters include a water dam bag, which are a kind of bag that are able to swell up a few inches when they are wet.  

They are most efficiently used when they are lined up in a row with them also being piled on top of each other. 

This way they can act as a wall to keep any unwanted water from traveling to a certain area.  

The only problem with this one is that one is typically only a few inches tall, so you’ll need to buy a bunch in order to make a constructive wall.

Also, another option is a trench drain.

This is similar to an ordinary drain, however, the helpful difference is that there are slits throughout the system, so that water can flow into it throughout its run length. 

This allows for more space to be able to drain the water.

Another option if you are trying to guard the entrance of your house against the flood is a product called a Dam Easy Flood Barrier.  There are multiple brands that create a similar product.

The way that these products works are that they are like a child proof doors in that they are only 28 inches high, covering only a portion of a door or whatever it is that you’re guarding. 

However, it is able to create an airtight, waterproof seal since there is an inflatable seal that can be pumped up.

Additionally, it’s fairly easy to add attachments to the design so that more than one can be hooked together to cover a greater distance, such as a garage door.  

The only problem with a product like this is that it will be most effective within a framed space, such as a door frame or a garage, so won’t be as effective in an open space covering up just any portion of the driveway.

How To Redirect Water From Driveway

I’ll go into more detail in a few moments in regards to specific driveways, however, as a general rule, you can create a drainage system that starts next to the driveway and runs parallel to it until closer to the road where it drains off either into the road or a more open area of grass.

Also, you need to use gravity to move the water, so make sure you’re moving it from a higher to a lower point. 

As a general rule, for every ten feet that the pipe stretches, you want it to get lower by one inch.

The way to implement a new drainage system is to first mark and measure where you’re going to put it. 

• Then you’ll have to dig up along the path that it will follow.
• Make sure you dig deep enough so that there will be a few inches of soil above the pipe.
• Then lay the pipe and make sure that water is able to run through it smoothly. 
• After that, cover up the pipe with the extra soil.

Also, if possible, clear some extra soil from the exit point of the drain, so that there is ample room for the water.

Diverting Water From Gravel Driveway

You can make a french drain for Gravel driveway.  This could be created by using a perforated pipe that runs along the Gravel driveway, which is covered up by gravel, so that the water is able to easily drip through the gravel and enter into the pipe.

You can also try to insert a trench drain across your driveway, as you see fit.

This would be possible with a gravel driveway by moving the gravel around to make space for the drain. 

Then dig down a little further into the soil and have the exit point be on either side of the driveway.

A trench drain will have a cover over it, allowing for vehicles to easily drive over it. 

Alternatively, you can also separate some of the gravel to simulate a similar shape without adding an actual drain.

If water seems to be settling in one corner of your gravel driveway and this corner is surrounded by either a grassy or dirt area, then you can try to turn this area into a drainage ditch.

You can get this down by spreading out the gravel on that corner so that it gets lower there, this will allow the water to drain easier at this point.

For Steep Gravel Driveways…

The thing that you’ll want to watch out for when it comes to steep driveways made of gravel is loose gravel beginning to collect at the bottom from both cars and water moving it around.  One way to appease this problem is to make a french drain.

However, the difference in this case is that after you lay the pipe, you should wrap it in fabric, then pour the gravel over it.  This will allow it to settle a little sturdier.

Diverting Water From Slab And Asphalt Driveway

For the areas that seem to have water constantly pooling in it, you can pour extra pavement on top of it like a speed bump.

This will be able to work as a water diverter, and will be able to last longer.  This could also work if it’s poured up against a wall.

A more extreme measure might be to actually cut into the asphalt and add a drain that goes perpendicular across the driveway to catch the water in a more direct way.

Diverting Water From Paving Driveway

Similar to an Asphalt driveway, the areas that have water pooling in it can be filled in in order to create more of a hill to divert the water out of this area.

Furthermore, you can create divots and trenches within this new material to control the rainwater even better.

If need be, you could cut into the pavement and add a drain that starts in the middle of the driveway to catch the water more directly.

Diverting Water Runoff From Driveway

Water runoff can be dealt with by inputting a french drain. 

A french drain has a perforated pipe covered in gravel and can have sod on top.  

This will allow any contaminants to be caught before actually entering the soil or even the drainage system.

Water Pooling At The End Of Driveway

First, make sure that there is no debris or leaves or soil that might be causing a blockage that directs the water into an unwanted area. 

If so, clear this away to make a smoother path for the water.

Additionally, you may want to consider filling in this area with either more asphalt or another slab, whatever your driveway is made of, just adding another layer. 

This will deter a specific spot for the water to settle at, forcing it to go to a better spot.

Then you can try to add a drain on the side of the driveway that can direct this water into the street.

How to Redirect Water From Road Going Down Driveway

One way that you could keep the water from the street from going into your driveway is to make sure your driveway is actually angled above the street. 

So that the lowest point of the driveway connects to the road.

However, some houses are unfortunately not set up that way.  

The best way to deal with this, without having to rearrange your entire driveway is to simply set up a few trench drains throughout your driveway so that it’s able to leak out before reaching the house.

Also, it’s a good idea to keep a few water diverting products handy in case there is ever a chance of too heavy of rain.

Troubleshooting Driveway Drainage Problems

One thing to keep in mind is that the drains that you might implement are not impervious to getting clogged or having issues. 

The main thing that you need to look out for is leaves and twigs getting clogged in it. 

The first thing that you’ll want to do is take a hose with a nozzle and use the highest pressure stream available to blast away some of the looser sediment.  

After this is done, go to the output end of the tube and clear out anything that is coming out.

After this, if the clog is still there you should take a plumber’s snake and feed it from the top entry point of the piping all the way down until it hits the blockage.  

Make sure to read the exact directions for the machine so that you don’t end up tearing the pipe in half, but essentially you’ll turn it on just enough to loosen the debris to flow out, then you’ll want to blast it out once more with the hose.

When To Call A Professional

If there are large amounts of water that is pooling on your driveaway and begins to enter your house, you’ll need to deal with this quickly to avoid serious water damage to your house.

A water damage Mitigation team will have the proper equipment to remove large amounts of water fast before it can cause catastrophic damage to your home.

Not only that, they can also Repair any water damage that has already been done.

We have Water Damage Restoration Technicians that can deal with the Water & Repair any Water Damage Caused.

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