Hand-dug a trench to fix my soggy backyard

Honestly, my yard used to hold water like a bowl after every rain. Tbh, I saw online that a small trench could help, so I decided to try it. Ngl, I had never used a shovel for something like this before. I learned you need a steady slope so the water moves away from the house. After a day of digging and checking with a level, it was done. Now the water runs off and my grass isn't always wet. It feels awesome to have solved that problem myself.

4 comments

4 Comments

the_pat1mo ago

Yeah, nothing like a full day of manual labor to make you question all your life choices. From the sound of it, your back now looks like a topographic map and you probably walk like you're 90 years old. But hey, the grass is dry, so it's a win, even if you look like you lost a fight with a bear.

davidyoung1mo ago

Oof, that feeling is so real. I had to move like fifty bags of mulch last month and my spine felt like a busted zipper for days. Makes you wonder if the whole "nice yard" thing is even worth it, you know? Like, what's the actual trade-off here between looking good and being able to bend over to tie your shoes?

susan_baker851mo ago

Actually, a killer yard is worth the temporary pain. You get major pride and it seriously ups your home's value.

wren63814d ago

Oh man, this reminds me of my buddy Mark after he decided to redo his whole patio himself. He spent a whole weekend hauling concrete pavers. On Monday, he called me, his voice totally flat, and said he had to call out of work because he physically could not put on his own socks. His wife had to help him get dressed like a little kid. He said the new patio looked amazing but he was eating ibuprofen like candy for a week.