The reasons for the stagnation of water in the countryside are varied. These include the location of the site in the lowlands, high ground waters, prevailing clay and loamy soils in the site. Constant soil moisture leads to the death of plants and increases the risk of wash-out of the house foundation. To prevent this from happening, install a drainage system. I will explain the peculiarities of installation of deep, surface and wall drainage systems.
Deep drainage system
Start the installation of the deep drainage system by studying the terrain. Use a leveller or laser level for this purpose. If the necessary tools are not available, observe the movement of water in the area. Dig trenches in the selected directions, pour a layer of sand 10 cm high. Place a geotextile fabric with allowances on the surface in the pit. Backfill 20 cm of crushed stone (do not use limestone crushed stone), lay drainage pipes with holes down, cover with crushed stone and cover with fabric. This design will hold the debris on the surface and only allow water to flow down. Fill the trench with soil. Install drip collectors at the bottom of the terrain.
Surface drainage system
There are two types of surface drainage system: point and linear. Install point drainage in the areas where water accumulates most often. Near the gazebo, in the parking lot, near the porch and at every corner of the house. The system is a rain collector for collecting liquid, covered with a lattice cover to avoid the ingress of garbage and clogging. The water flows through the pipes into the collector. Linear drainage is a system of slightly recessed channels with catchment gutters. To prevent garbage from entering the system, cover the gutters with grids and install sand traps around the perimeter. They hold up the fine particles of garbage. Water flows through the duct system into the collector. The linear drainage system protects the paths from excess water.
Wall drainage system
The wall drainage system is installed as close as possible to the foundation of the house. Place the drainage pipe in the prepared trench in the same way as the deep drainage method. Install a collector at each corner of the house. Note that the pipes should be laid at a slight angle to help the water flow in the right direction. The water collected in the collector will only be pumped out if necessary. Don’t worry if the house is already built, but you’ve only learned about the wall drainage system now. Installation of the system is allowed at any stage of construction of the house.
Which drainage system should you prefer?
Each drainage system has its own purpose, so you will not be able to do without choosing one of them. Install surface point drainage in the visited and important places where water is constantly accumulating, linear surface drainage – along the paths in the area. Surface systems are designed to cope with puddles of rain and add comfort to the movement of people around the site. But to combat high ground water, flooding and plantation loss due to overwetting, install a deep drainage system. The main task of wall drainage is to reduce the load on the foundation of the house. Experts recommend: if the countryside is prone to flooding, install all three types of drainage systems. A few more tips from professionals:
- Installation of deep drainage leads to digging up the entire area of the site. Wait for plants and trees to be planted before completing the work.
- The detailed design of the drainage system is an important stage. In the future you may need to know where the pipes are laid.
- Don’t forget about the inspection wells, they will be needed for the maintenance of the drainage system.
- The slope of the drain pipe varies from 2 to 10 mm/m depending on the terrain. Take this into account in your design and calculations.
Installation of a drainage system with your own hands is a feasible task to be performed if the area is to be flooded. The article will help to determine the sequence of actions and to choose the type of drainage that your site needs.