Drainage - Backyard - advised to use plastic sheets to help keep the soil dry?

i recently had drainage pipes installed in my backyard. the pipes are draining to the front street. my yard is all dirt. the landscaper suggest that i put plastic sheets down all over the back yard and put gravel or wood chips on top of it. he called it walking mulch. he said to put the plastic down to keep the rain from penetrating the soil right away. he also graded the yard so that the yard is sloped away from my home. has anyone every done this before. he suggest i do it before the next rain which is coming soon. thank you for any advice or comments in advance.Drainage - Backyard - advised to use plastic sheets to help keep the soil dry?
That just does not sound right.





The drainage pipes are supposed to drain the water away. If you cover the ground with plastic, you are going to have a big, artificial lake. When you go to remove the plastic, the water has to go somewhere. That's right, it will go right onto the ground you just kept it off of.





Ask him to give you a better explanation of what he did. Is it perforated pipe? Does it need time to compact properly, if so the rain should do that.





Good luck.Drainage - Backyard - advised to use plastic sheets to help keep the soil dry?
I'd think you'd be better off sowing some quick growing annual grass seed to hold the soil. If necessary you could even cover the seeded dirt with burlap to stop erosion. The grass will grow right thru and the burlap will decompose so no need to pull it up. Annual grass will sprout within a week and hold the soil for awhile.You'd want to reseed with a good perennial lawn mix for permanent grass. The grading away from the house is a very good idea is you want a dry basement.