How to Hide Ugly Pipes in the Yard

Most home properties will have one or more outside water and/or sewer drainage pipes somewhere on the site. There are some easy ways to hide ugly pipes with some creativity.

Most people would agree that beautifully landscaped lawns not only look incredible, a nicely landscaped property will generally raise the overall entire value and worth of the property as well. This can be a crucial element if planning to sell your home now or at a future date.

Just like a well-tended lawn looks better, a badly landscaped property has the opposite effect. Yard eyesores can turn off a prospective property buyer fast. There are a number of things that would generally be construed as a definite yard eyesore. Many homeowners wonder how to hide the ugly drain pipes and sewer lines currently visible in their yards.

Where are These Drainage Pipes Generally Located on the Property?

Some homeowners who have a large property often are unsure of where all of the property's elusive drain and sewer pipes are even located. Typically, these drainage pipes were installed due to some problems with water runoff ability of the lawn and surrounding grounds.

Homeowners are likely to find these hard-to-miss drainage pipes near their home's basement foundations and farther down the yard towards the usual storm drainage system openings usually found on the street. These drains are also common under or near a driveway as well.

How Can These Unattractive Drainage Pipes be Hidden?

There are a number of strategic ways that homeowners can hide their undesirable and unattractive drainage pipes visible in their lawns. One good option is to place something decorative in front of the exposed drain pipe. These items can range from decorative garden and lawn statues, a bird bath, planter, garden trellis or other common yard object. This is best for those drain pipes that are seen mostly from one direction only.

Other ideas include installing a water feature like a waterfall, pond or a garden fountain. Place one of these features over or in front of the objectionable drain pipe or grate. Make sure that the drain pipe will still be able to effectively do the job it was placed there for. Check to ensure that water drains properly to avoid future flooding and other potential property damaging events.

Are Faux Rocks or Other Lawn Objects a Good Choice?

These faux rocks, tree branches and other fake lawn objects are indeed a good choice for hiding nasty drainage pipes. These come in a vast array of beautiful designs from realistic rock models to more ornate garden creatures like bunnies or birds. The fake rocks and other items can be easily found at retail stores that sell lawn and garden equipment or online from garden supply retailer sites.

The rocks look just like the real deal, and most have some type of drainage holes in them to keep that water flowing while still keeping those pipe ends effectively hidden from view. There are also realistic looking tree stumps for a bigger pipe or drain, and these items can also be found with hollow centers in styles able to hide hard-to-hide vertical pipes. These items do a nice job of keeping those unsightly drains hidden so that your lawn or garden setting is not overshadowed.

Camouflage Drainage Pipes with Paint to Blend Into the Surrounding Environment

A quick and easy fix for any exposed property drain and/or sewer pipes is to camouflage the pipes with paint in a shade that will blend the disguised pipe into the surrounding environment. For example, paint the pipe green if it is in the open with only grass around. Alternately, if the pipe is sticking out from a flower bed that has already been mulched, it might be best to paint the drain pipe a brown tone instead.

When purchasing the paint, be sure to check what material the drainage pipe is made of to ensure that the right paint style is selected. If the pipe is crafted from metal, pick a paint that is made for metal. For pipes that are made of plastic, choose a paint hue that is recommended for plastic materials. Generally, a spray paint is easier and less costly.

Hiding Drain & Sewer Pipes in Plain Sight by Using Natural Ground-Cover Plants

Some property owners prefer a more natural method to hide those unsightly visible drain pipe portions. Planting an evergreen type of ground-cover plant is a fantastic way to keep the drainage system pipes out of sight. This will work better for shorter vertical pipes or horizontal ones that are low-lying. Always be alert to plants that tend to develop longer underground roots that could then wrap around those pipes in the future causing a massive amount of damage. Choose plants known to grow only a few inches.

It is possible to plant some shrubs or bushes in a location that hides these drainage system portions. Remember to ensure that any roots will steer clear of the areas where the drains are located for the best end results. Depending on where your property is located, there may also be decorative grasses and other plant life that could work as a blocking item that still offers beauty.

Landscapers also have a number of tricks that they use when attempting to cover and hide exposed drainage system outside pipes and sewer lines. It could be valuable to get a professional opinion. Otherwise, property owners can design their landscaping around the pipes to entice attention elsewhere. Remember that any live plants used will need to be kept neat and healthy, and property owners should invest in some better quality landscaping tools like pruning shears to name just one.

With a bit of thought and minimal effort, it is possible to easily hide unsightly drainage pipes, sewer lines, septic risers and water wells parts. This can also be done on a grander scale using a carefully planted rock garden.