[saukprairieeagl]

I have an exterior cement patio off my walk out basement. It also happens to be directly under my wooden deck which is off my first story living room. The cement patio does have a drain but it appears to be either too small or clogged. How can I make the drain more efficient so that I don't have to worry about possible water in my basement because the patio is flooded.

[Milo Dolezal]

The drain should be 3" or 4". If clogged, remove grid, take hose with pressure nozzle and insert it into the drain. See if you can push the hose as far as possible inside the pipe. Turn water on and let it run. Go to the outlet and see if you are getting lots of mud or leaves out of that outlet. When clean water starts running out, your drain should be clean.

Garden drains should be cleaned periodically - not when clogged. Make it a habit to run clean water through the drain once a week.