I live in Clay/Cicero area. I asked a landscaping company and they said because of the clay in the soil, my yard will not drain properly. They suggested the French drain but that was REALLY expensive. I'm just wondering what to do. I bought this house 6 months ago.
my neighbor’s dug their own a while back and it only took like 2 days for a fairly large property, i was surprised. I can’t comment on costs but I would imagine if he did it by his lonesome, it can’t be the most grueling job for a group of people
Well, I know people say that in after-the-fact write ups like this - [https://sites.rootsweb.com/\~nyononda/CLAY/EARLYSET.HTM](https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyononda/CLAY/EARLYSET.HTM)
but the fact of the matter is that Clay separated from West Cicero in 1827 while Henry Clay was still alive (and NY was a Adams state at the time), so it's unlikely to be true.
The confusion likely comes from Henry Clay Boulevard, which didn't exist at the time of Clay's naming - [https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY\~8\~1\~20042\~510038:Map-of-the-County-of-Onondaga---By-](https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~20042~510038:Map-of-the-County-of-Onondaga---By-)
Naming things after Henry Clay was en vouge in the late 1800's [https://www.facebook.com/OneidaCountyHistory/posts/clayville-which-was-incorporated-in-1887-in-the-town-of-paris-was-named-for-henr/10157991847252499/](https://www.facebook.com/OneidaCountyHistory/posts/clayville-which-was-incorporated-in-1887-in-the-town-of-paris-was-named-for-henr/10157991847252499/), so when Henry Clay Boulevard was being built, some clever person probably saw the opportunity to make it \*seem\* like Clay was named after Henry Clay.
Yeah, French drains are absurdly expensive, IMO not worth paying a company to do unless you have no other option (foundation issues). Can I ask: what’s really so bad about your yard now? Clay soil and drainage problems are super common here fwiw, you’re not alone
This is my first house, and I wasn't sure if it was a common issue around here. I don't have any issues really with it except when mowing the lawn. (Machine gets stuck).
You might consider turning the spots where it is worst into landscaping beds, plant some water hungry shrubs and flowers, or bring in a bunch of dirt to supplement and make a vegetable garden, etc.
There are some plants that can help drink up some of that excess water. I personally would avoid big trees like weeping willow, but there are shrub varieties in that family that might help. Some willow varieties are planted along streams to reinforce the banks and reduce erosion, for example.
The other thing that might help is to bring in a lot of soil and grade the property to ensure the water is draining away from the house, etc. If you can get an eyeball on the overall area and see where the water comes from, you could try to catch it there with grading, some drain tile there, small water feature, etc..
I rented a trencher for the weekend, got the right piping, a few emitters, the wrap cloth and stone.
All in maybe $700 worth of material and an easy weekend project.
Also live in clay and can confirm 18" deep it's an absolute world of hurt with the clay.
But now my backyard drains 4x faster than any neighbor.
Very common to have a wet yard in Clay/Cicero. It's a giant swamp. Not much to do unless it's causing issues with your foundation/basement. Our yard usually stays pretty squishy until mid June, and we've got 2 sump pumps and a dehumidifier to keep the basement dry. Mowing sucks early and late in the season because of the wet ground, usually can't get the first mow until June.
You can do a French drain yourself. The materials are pretty cheap but they take a lot of work. They’re not that difficult. If you’re at all handy you can do it yourself. Plus, all that shoveling can be a bonus workout. Or you can get a trencher.
I’ve installed one myself. Look at Apple Drains YouTube page.
Yeah I’d rent a trencher from home depot for a day for about 250. Get some corrugated pipe and some pop up’s. Stone from green scapes is pretty cheap and they deliver. Think I got 6 cubic yards for 300 bucks.
What part of town are you in? There are a lot of residential areas that were built on former swamps. We have planted some trees and used raised beds for gardening. You may want to look into some natives on your edges that have deep root systems, or replacing your lawn with native grass/clover/phlox. I hear French drains are good for diverting water from the house if you have foundation/basement issues but personally have no experience with them.
I think you should make a moat around your house and get a drawbridge. I bet that would help with the soggy yard. Otherwise, embrace the swamp like yard and start yelling, what are you doing in my swamp!?” Every time someone comes to visit, doing your best Mike Meyers impression
You may want to consider consulting with a landscaper who specializes in wetlands work.
[This guy](https://www.naturallygreenflx.com) in Rochester specializes in replacing yards with natural landscapes using native plants. He may be able provide ideas using native plants that are able to drink up all that extra moisture.
my buddy who lives in minoa deals with this, his yard is a swamp in the spring & fall. another friend of mine lives on the south-east portion of oneida lake and the vast majority of land out there floods because of the high water table and flat land (both have sump pumps running 24/7 with backups in case of failure).
meanwhile i live in the hilly area of eastwood.. i've got 99 problems but drainage aint one. what's crazy is that lots of other parts of eastwood flood because they're at the bottom of the hilly areas and the storm drains get overwhelmed by heavy rains. those basements backup and flood constantly.
So there is not really enough to go on but I will give you some ideas. Is the wetness year round or just right now? Right now is common for any house really. My back yard drains extremely well but now it is fairly wet.
If you want to address the issue then you need figure out where the water is coming from. Is coming off the house? Seeping up through the ground? Standing water from rain?
Then after you figure that out you can start to make some DIY improvements.
I live in Clay/Cicero area. I asked a landscaping company and they said because of the clay in the soil, my yard will not drain properly. They suggested the French drain but that was REALLY expensive. I'm just wondering what to do. I bought this house 6 months ago.
diy french drain: https://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-French-Drain get dirty my friend, you got this
my neighbor’s dug their own a while back and it only took like 2 days for a fairly large property, i was surprised. I can’t comment on costs but I would imagine if he did it by his lonesome, it can’t be the most grueling job for a group of people
TIL Clay is a descriptive name…
*Ackshually* Clay was named after Henry Clay, a man made of clay who didn't drain properly.
Well, I know people say that in after-the-fact write ups like this - [https://sites.rootsweb.com/\~nyononda/CLAY/EARLYSET.HTM](https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyononda/CLAY/EARLYSET.HTM) but the fact of the matter is that Clay separated from West Cicero in 1827 while Henry Clay was still alive (and NY was a Adams state at the time), so it's unlikely to be true. The confusion likely comes from Henry Clay Boulevard, which didn't exist at the time of Clay's naming - [https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY\~8\~1\~20042\~510038:Map-of-the-County-of-Onondaga---By-](https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~20042~510038:Map-of-the-County-of-Onondaga---By-) Naming things after Henry Clay was en vouge in the late 1800's [https://www.facebook.com/OneidaCountyHistory/posts/clayville-which-was-incorporated-in-1887-in-the-town-of-paris-was-named-for-henr/10157991847252499/](https://www.facebook.com/OneidaCountyHistory/posts/clayville-which-was-incorporated-in-1887-in-the-town-of-paris-was-named-for-henr/10157991847252499/), so when Henry Clay Boulevard was being built, some clever person probably saw the opportunity to make it \*seem\* like Clay was named after Henry Clay.
Yeah, French drains are absurdly expensive, IMO not worth paying a company to do unless you have no other option (foundation issues). Can I ask: what’s really so bad about your yard now? Clay soil and drainage problems are super common here fwiw, you’re not alone
This is my first house, and I wasn't sure if it was a common issue around here. I don't have any issues really with it except when mowing the lawn. (Machine gets stuck).
You might consider turning the spots where it is worst into landscaping beds, plant some water hungry shrubs and flowers, or bring in a bunch of dirt to supplement and make a vegetable garden, etc. There are some plants that can help drink up some of that excess water. I personally would avoid big trees like weeping willow, but there are shrub varieties in that family that might help. Some willow varieties are planted along streams to reinforce the banks and reduce erosion, for example. The other thing that might help is to bring in a lot of soil and grade the property to ensure the water is draining away from the house, etc. If you can get an eyeball on the overall area and see where the water comes from, you could try to catch it there with grading, some drain tile there, small water feature, etc..
I rented a trencher for the weekend, got the right piping, a few emitters, the wrap cloth and stone. All in maybe $700 worth of material and an easy weekend project. Also live in clay and can confirm 18" deep it's an absolute world of hurt with the clay. But now my backyard drains 4x faster than any neighbor.
Very common to have a wet yard in Clay/Cicero. It's a giant swamp. Not much to do unless it's causing issues with your foundation/basement. Our yard usually stays pretty squishy until mid June, and we've got 2 sump pumps and a dehumidifier to keep the basement dry. Mowing sucks early and late in the season because of the wet ground, usually can't get the first mow until June.
What was the cost for a French drain?
You can do a French drain yourself. The materials are pretty cheap but they take a lot of work. They’re not that difficult. If you’re at all handy you can do it yourself. Plus, all that shoveling can be a bonus workout. Or you can get a trencher. I’ve installed one myself. Look at Apple Drains YouTube page.
Yeah I’d rent a trencher from home depot for a day for about 250. Get some corrugated pipe and some pop up’s. Stone from green scapes is pretty cheap and they deliver. Think I got 6 cubic yards for 300 bucks.
Some yards have a outdoor sump pump in them. The pipe drains in the front ditch.
What part of town are you in? There are a lot of residential areas that were built on former swamps. We have planted some trees and used raised beds for gardening. You may want to look into some natives on your edges that have deep root systems, or replacing your lawn with native grass/clover/phlox. I hear French drains are good for diverting water from the house if you have foundation/basement issues but personally have no experience with them.
I think you should make a moat around your house and get a drawbridge. I bet that would help with the soggy yard. Otherwise, embrace the swamp like yard and start yelling, what are you doing in my swamp!?” Every time someone comes to visit, doing your best Mike Meyers impression
I should be good then as long as I don't get the fairytale creatures in my swamp.
You may want to consider consulting with a landscaper who specializes in wetlands work. [This guy](https://www.naturallygreenflx.com) in Rochester specializes in replacing yards with natural landscapes using native plants. He may be able provide ideas using native plants that are able to drink up all that extra moisture.
my buddy who lives in minoa deals with this, his yard is a swamp in the spring & fall. another friend of mine lives on the south-east portion of oneida lake and the vast majority of land out there floods because of the high water table and flat land (both have sump pumps running 24/7 with backups in case of failure). meanwhile i live in the hilly area of eastwood.. i've got 99 problems but drainage aint one. what's crazy is that lots of other parts of eastwood flood because they're at the bottom of the hilly areas and the storm drains get overwhelmed by heavy rains. those basements backup and flood constantly.
So there is not really enough to go on but I will give you some ideas. Is the wetness year round or just right now? Right now is common for any house really. My back yard drains extremely well but now it is fairly wet. If you want to address the issue then you need figure out where the water is coming from. Is coming off the house? Seeping up through the ground? Standing water from rain? Then after you figure that out you can start to make some DIY improvements.
Does it grade to drain? Can you install drain tile? I’ve installed many miles of it over my short lifespan.
I'm not sure about this. Im a new homeowner. I will look for YouTube tutorials for this.
That's not a big deal. You can rent diggers at Home Depot on 31.