Laying perforated drainage pipe. Laying a drainage pipe - how to do it yourself? Purpose of drainage pipes

Contrary to popular belief, moisture may not always be a plant's best friend. Too much water is often harmful to most of them. Excess moisture is also not good for buildings. It has a destructive effect on various building materials. Therefore, it is important for every owner of a country or summer cottage (garden plots) to divert excess water from their own territory.

The most effective way to protect the foundation of a private house from the destructive effects of storm and groundwater is a concrete installation. This is especially important when water accumulates in the upper layers of the earth, since it can provoke flooding of the basement or ground floor, moistening and further deformation of the walls, as well as the appearance of fungal formations.

Here we will talk about how to find out how to lay drainage pipes with your own hands.

Pipes for drainage systems, which are installed along the entire perimeter of the site at the dacha, make it possible to create quite high-quality drainage.

After all, the danger of flooding is borne not only by groundwater, but also by flood water. Damage can also be caused by various types of precipitation that exceed permissible standards.

Installation requirements:

• The flat location of the site (on a slope), which contributes to a large accumulation of water.
• Loamy and clay soil, which have very weak water-permeability properties.
• Increased level of location of drainage groundwater.

Types of drainage systems

What types of installation are there? Today there are two main installation options:

• Open or surface - used to remove excess moisture that occurs due to the accumulation of melt water or precipitation. Laying of this type is presented in the form of trenches and ditches (pipe in ditch).
• Closed or deep - round and flat drainage pipes with perforation (drainage pipes with perforation) are used in installation, which are laid to the required depth in a previously prepared trench (laying depth varies). The main function is to drain groundwater, as well as protect the foundation of the house.

Materials required for laying a closed system

From bulk building materials you will need:

• Sand. River sand is used in drainage work. Its main function is to create a special filtration cushion.
• Crushed stone. The purpose of crushed stone is to form a stable layer to prevent the penetration of large parts of soil and dirt.

Main materials:

• Pumps. They are used exclusively in cases of severe flooding of the area with groundwater.
• Drainage pipe.
• Geotextiles – protects against soil contamination.
• Connecting couplings are needed for fastening laid underground pipes to each other.

Basically, the in-ground system needs regular cleaning. To do this, inspection wells are installed along its perimeter. To collect deep water, a collector well is installed in the system.

Selection of drainage pipes

Before installing the system, great attention should be paid to selecting perforated drainage pipes for the job.

The first thing to consider is the use of perforated drainage pipes in the design of the drainage system. The second is the diameter and the presence of holes for moisture drainage, as well as air exchange.

An equally important nuance is the material from which round or flat drainage pipes are made. Today the following types are presented on the building materials market:

• Asbestos-cement.
• Made of ceramics.
• Polymer.

The most popular drainage systems are polymer drainage pipes and their check valve. Their advantage is as follows.

• Quite a long period of use - up to seventy years.
• High strength indicators (check valve).
• Resistant to corrosion and aggressive environments.
• Reduced weight, simplifying the process of transportation and installation.
• Self-cleaning ability due to its smooth surface.
• Resistance to siltation.
• Value for money.
• Easy to maintain. Due to the geotextile filter, the system does not require flushing.

• Up to 150 mm - for a system that drains a small amount of water.
• Up to 300 mm – for systems with heavy loads.

For a branched system, pipes will be required for both small (for branches) and large diameter (for the main branch of the system).

Plastic pipes

Polymer types and their check valve, which are mainly used for laying drainage systems in the ground, are made of PVC, polyethylene or polypropylene and are available in the following varieties:

• Single-layer or double-layer. The choice of the number of layers depends on the density of the soil.
• Rigid and flexible drainage pipes (high flexibility). Rigid drainage pipes of large diameter are used for simple schemes, while flexible ones allow you to create very complex branching throughout the entire area.
• Types with or without filter casing. Basically, they already have special holes along their entire length. However, if the purchased material does not have holes, then you can make them yourself using a thin drill or drill.
• Smooth and corrugated.

If we talk about geo-fabric, then the building materials market often offers samples already covered with filter textiles (high-quality fabric). When purchasing uncoated systems, you can easily wrap their surface yourself by securing the material with thin wire or rope around the perimeter.

Pipe laying design

Before starting work on installing a minimal system, you must first draw up a plan diagram for its location on the site.

• To install the system, you need to take into account the type of soil, as well as the height of the groundwater. The most often used is a branched scheme, at the joints of which inspection wells are installed.
• The distance between drainage branches depends on the type of soil. For clay soil it is 10 m, for loamy soil - 20 m, for sandy soil - 45 m.

Laying drainage pipes yourself

How to properly lay drainage pipes?

First you need to determine the location of the drainage pipes. There are two types of accommodation:

• “Wall” drainage - passes only near the foundation of the house, preventing moisture from entering the building itself.
• Drainage pipe laying, which is located along the entire perimeter of the site. It protects not only the base of the building, but also other outbuildings and plantings located on the territory.

Stages of work

• The first step will be to mark the area for placing ditches. To facilitate the process, you can use a laser rangefinder. Particular attention should be paid to places where moisture accumulates after rain. This means that water exchange in this area is difficult due to the presence of barriers or soil density.
• Trench. The recess under the trench should be laid taking into account differences in height. The main task of the prepared ditch system is the unhindered and rapid outflow of water.
• Before installation, the bottom of the trench should be well compacted. After this, a special filter material is laid. Its ends must necessarily extend beyond the trench. Then river sand and crushed stone are poured to a thickness of no more than 20 cm.
• The drainage pipe is cut according to the dimensions of the diagram. When you have figured out the size, you can begin laying, connecting the joints using fittings.
• The pipes must be carefully wrapped in geotextile, securing the joints with rope or thin wire, and only then can they be laid. In addition to throughput, the functions of geotextiles include protecting the perforations of the perforated drainage pipe from clogging.
• Laying must be done at a slope, connecting the ends to inspection wells. Two types of wells can be used in the system: sealed, allowing the use of water for technical purposes, and absorption - the water will go back into the soil. The slope of the drainage pipe depends on its diameter; the larger it is, the less slope is required.
• The next installation step will be filling the surface with crushed stone and sand. After which the structure is wrapped with sheets of filter material located on the surface and covered with a layer of soil. How deep should I dig? Everything is individual.

System Maintenance

When arranging a site with a drainage system, it is extremely important not only its high-quality and thoughtful installation, but also compliance with all operating rules. This will extend the period of operation of the system for a sufficiently long period.

Once every two years it is necessary to measure , its significant change may indicate the following factors:

• Damage to the integrity of the operating system.
• Formation of a dense blockage.
• Accumulation of silt deposits on the surface.

To avoid such problems, you must not ignore the rules, promptly inspect the drainage system and clean it from any contaminants.

(Draining the area - do-it-yourself drainage pipe)

Common mistakes

Laying drainage pipes with your own hands must be done in accordance with all requirements. This also applies to the selection of installations that should be suitable for the type of soil. For example, if you have loamy soil on your site, you cannot use systems that do not have a filter.

So, among the most popular mistakes that are made when installing a system around a house with your own hands today are:

• Incorrect type of system.
• During installation, the angle of inclination that is accepted for laying the system is not observed.
• There is no water drainage from the collection well.
• Incorrect do-it-yourself installation technology, that is, the filter layer consisting of gravel and sand was not made.

High groundwater is a serious obstacle not only to successful farming on the site, but also to safe living, because excess moisture floods buildings and provokes their deformation. There is only one way to avoid such troubles - by organizing. And to do this, you need to understand the main elements of the system - drainage pipes. Today, corrugated perforated versions of these products are most often used, which we will talk about: how to choose, why reinforce with geofabric, how to install it yourself - more about this, not only in theory, but also with video.

Selection of corrugated pipes

Corrugated drainage pipes are distinguished by a wide variety of types, therefore, so that you can successfully select products for your system, we will understand by what criteria they are classified and what are their fundamental differences.

Based on the material used, there are two types of corrugated pipes:

1. Polyethylene - made of low-density polyethylene, due to which, despite their affordable price, they are characterized by strength and resistance to impurities of ground and rainwater.
2. Polyvinyl chloride pipes are highly reliable and durable pipes, almost the only disadvantage of which is their high cost.

Pipe for drainage system

The most important characteristic of drainage pipes is the type of perforation. It can be either partial or complete, made around the circumference. The second option is preferable - such pipes are characterized by higher rigidity.

Advice. For efficient operation of the system, choose perforated pipes with a hole diameter in the walls of at least 5 mm.

The diameter of corrugated drainage pipes can be presented in four options: 63 mm, 110 mm, 160 m and 200 mm. The most popular lines are rightfully with a diameter of 110 mm - they guarantee the passage of 7 liters of liquid in 1 second and are relatively light in weight, so they are easy to install.

The next factor that should never be ignored is the strength of the pipes. This parameter is selected depending on the expected depth of laying drainage lines: for trenches up to 2 m deep, pipes of strength class SN 4-2 are suitable; for a depth of 2-3 m - SN6; for depths greater than 4 m – SN8.

Functions of geofabric

We will consider another criterion for the classification of drainage mains - the presence or absence of geofabric - separately, since it requires a more detailed study. So, why are pipes reinforced with geotextile and is it possible to do without it?

If the system is being installed on an area with crushed stone soil, you can safely use standard pipes without geofabric, since here the risk of clogging the drainage with silt, sand and other dirt is reduced. But on all other types of soil, especially sandy, loamy and clayey soils, it is simply impossible to do without a filter material, otherwise a rapid layer of dirt cannot be avoided on the internal walls of the highways, which will provoke a significant decrease in their performance.

The use of geofabric as a drainage filter is due to its wide range of advantages:

• rot resistance;
• elasticity – does not tear even under increased mechanical loads;
• strength - the material is not afraid of insects and rodents;

Geotextile prevents dirt from penetrating the drainage system

• resistance to chemical compounds dissolved in water;
• long service life - up to 25 years.

Now is the time to consider how to properly lay corrugated perforated pipes with geotextile - we will divide the installation process into two stages.

Stage No. 1: Preparation and organization of the water intake

The arrangement of the drainage system begins with the preparation of the main installation materials - pipes and geofabric. To calculate the required footage of materials, first determine where the highways will pass and carry out working markings of the area.

Next, proceed to creating a water intake. must be located in the lowest zone of the site to ensure rapid movement of liquid to the receiver. As a well, you can use any container made of a material that does not react with water and its impurities: concrete, plastic, galvanized steel. Select the dimensions of the container depending on the area of ​​the area to be drained and its level of moisture.

Important! The well must be sealed and have a lid.

The well-water intake is buried in the ground - to do this, you need to dig a suitable hole in the intended place and secure it with a sand-crushed stone cushion. If the container is very large, you can additionally pour a shallow cement foundation to ensure its stability.

Drainage installation

To prevent the well from overflowing and flooding the area, you need to consider a water disposal system. There are several options: the liquid can be discharged into a storm sewer or to an open drain, or it can be used for various economic and technical needs.

Stage 2: Digging trenches and laying pipes

At this stage, all work on organizing the drainage system must be carried out according to a clear algorithm:

• Dig trenches along the marked area, taking into account the level of soil freezing. As a rule, even in the highest zone of the site, a depth of 40-60 cm is sufficient. Closer to the well, all trenches need to be connected into one, which will lead to the receiving tank.

Important! The trenches should have a bottom slope of 5-10 degrees towards the water intake.

• Place a sand cushion of no more than 10 cm at the bottom of the trenches and compact it. If necessary, adjust the angle of the trench.
• Lay geofabric on the sand. Bring its edges onto the walls of the trench so that the material subsequently covers all layers of drainage.
• Place a layer of crushed stone on the geofabric. Crushed granite stone of the middle fraction is best suited - it is resistant to erosion.
• Begin laying prepared drainage corrugated pipes on the crushed stone. Connect individual sections of highways using adapters and tees. Connect the side elements to the central pipe, which goes to the water inlet. If the area to be drained is very large, install inspection wells every 50 m along the main line - they will facilitate the maintenance of the drainage system. Choose plastic wells with lattice covers - they are the easiest to install and subsequently use.
• After laying the pipes is complete, fill them with another layer of crushed stone and cover them with the remaining edges of the geofabric.
• Fill the trenches with a mixture of sand and soil.

Without a doubt, corrugated perforated pipes in combination with geofabric are one of the most effective variations of arranging a drainage system in an area with high groundwater. Such pipes are reliable, durable and, as you can see, relatively easy to install, so you can easily handle the installation of the system yourself if you first study all the above-mentioned intricacies of the process.

How to choose a drainage pipe: video

Drainage pipes: photo

The most commonly used engineering installation for drainage is a drainage system. You can install the drainage system yourself. Drainage systems, properly installed on the site, do an excellent job of lowering the groundwater level. Drainage systems can be installed from materials that are always on hand in the garden, and from materials specially purchased for this purpose.

Drainage system diagram: 1 – collecting drains; 2 – main drain; 3 – inspection wells with settling tanks; 4 – drainage well.

Correct installation of drainage systems

Installation has a number of features. First of all, it must be carried out before planting and building, since a large volume of soil must be removed. Before work, a calculation must be performed. It is necessary to maintain a slope towards the spillway of 0.2 to 1 cm, the pipes are wrapped in geotextiles, and the trenches are covered with gravel.

You can make the drainage system yourself. For this, simple tools and materials are used, namely:

• shovel;
• rail for checking the level of pipe installation;
• pipe cutting knife;
• garden wheelbarrow;
• drains - plastic pipes with holes;
• tamping;
• rotary wells;
• corners for pipes;
• crushed stone;
• geotextiles.

The system consists of main and additional drainage trenches, a ditch or a well. The main trenches are oriented towards the catchment area, and additional trenches are laid to them in a herringbone pattern, i.e. the main trenches end in a drainage ditch or well, and they must be located taking into account the future garden and house, leaving space for them.

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Economical options for a drainage system using improvised means

To decide how to install a drainage system on your site, you need to clearly understand all stages of the work.

Drain designs: I - drainage path; II - drainage with a wooden tray; III - drainage with a tray of large stones; IV - drainage with a tray made of wooden boards; V - fascine drainage (bunch of bushes); VI - fascine drainage; VII - tray made of perforated asbestos-cement pipe; VIII - tray-ceramic pipe;
1 - sand; 2 - fine crushed stone (small pebbles); 3 - large crushed stone with a fraction of more than 50 mm; 4 - turf; 5 - reinforced concrete slabs; 6 - antiseptic, perforated boards; 7 - large stones, wattle; 8 - fascine; 9 - “goats” made of bars; 10 - asbestos-cement pipe; 11 - ceramic pipe; A, h - variable depth and base of the drain.

At the preparatory stage, you must perform the following steps:

dig a trench 50 cm wide around the perimeter of the house at a distance of about 2-5 m from the foundation to a depth corresponding to the level of the foundation base;

1. determine the lowest and highest points of the site;
2. calculate the slope angle of the drainage system, which should be about 2-3%, i.e. 2-3 cm per 1 m of drainage gutter;
3. determine the location: this may be a nearby body of water or, if there is none, a general drainage system.

Organization of the territory's relief: A - collection of storm water from the utility yard;
B - storm drains; 1 - zone of a residential building; 2 - yard zone; 3 - vegetable garden 4.5 - fruit and ornamental gardens.

The next stage involves choosing a trench design suitable for your site, designed for water drainage (drain). Drains of all types have a similar design. The main materials for constructing any drainage are sand, coarse and fine crushed stone, and turf.

There are several types of drainage that you can do yourself:

1. The simplest option that does not require the use of additional materials. In this case, the water will flow by gravity into the receiver.
2. Reinforced concrete slabs are laid in a triangle. The water flows through the formed channel to the collection point.
3. Drainage in the shape of the letter "P". It is made of perforated and antiseptic-treated boards or small stones.
4. Fashina is a bundle of branches. For such a system, birch, alder, oak, or coniferous branches can be used. To make a fascine, thicker branches need to be surrounded by thin branches and wrapped with wire. The branches should be laid with thin ends towards the drainage of water. This structure must be built on the ground next to the trench. Width of finished and uniform, i.e. not in separate bunches, the fascine must be at least 25 cm.
5. Drainage in the form of a plank channel lined on all sides with large crushed stone.
6. A perforated asbestos-cement pipe is used as a water supply.
7. A perforated ceramic pipe is also a very good solution for drainage.

All these structures will ensure effective drainage of groundwater from the house.

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Drainage device using special materials

Construction of a drainage system: a – grooves in the direction of the slope with walls sloping downward; b – pipes laid end to end. c – side pipes are connected to the main pipe at an angle of 60°. d – hole for a drainage well.

The most reliable way to organize an open drainage system on a site is to use special pipes. Installing such a system on site involves performing several standard simple operations.

You need to start by preparing a trench for the pipes. The best option is herringbone-shaped trenches dug throughout the area. The trench width is about 20 cm, the depth in clay soil is 60 cm, in sandy soils it is up to 110 cm.

To collect water at a distance of 2 m from the blind area, you need to build a trench with special gratings around the perimeter of the house. The slope of the entire drainage system is calculated towards the lowest part of the site.

Determine the wastewater disposal location. This could be a ditch, a well, an artificial or natural reservoir. At the bottom of the trench, crushed stone must be poured and compacted well in a layer of up to 25 cm. Special perforated pipes must be wrapped in geotextile - a material that can filter water well, and laid on a bed of crushed stone. The diameter of the pipes is 63 m, for drainage – 110 mm.

Pipes, pre-wrapped with geotextiles, must be laid on crushed stone and covered with it on top. It is also recommended to wrap the joints of the system pipes well with geotextiles. Such a system will serve effectively and efficiently for many years.

Building a house is a responsible and very expensive undertaking. Naturally, any owner wants the constructed building to last as long as possible. And to do this, it is necessary to protect the foundation of the house from the destructive effects of soil water, that is, build drainage. Let's look at how to lay drainage pipes with your own hands, what materials are used for this, and what nuances need to be taken into account when performing this work.

The construction of drainage seems to many to be an optional event. In fact, protection from soil water is very important. Properly constructed drainage helps avoid dampness in the basement and prevents the destruction of the materials from which the foundation of the house is built.

In addition, drainage installation may be necessary on a personal plot or in a country house if high-lying waters interfere with the growth of trees and shrubs. Let's consider the main points of constructing drainage systems.

What is drainage?

Before describing the construction technology, it is worth understanding what drainage is and in what cases its construction is necessary. So, drainage is a system of pipes that is used to drain soil water from the foundation of a building, as well as to drain the site. In what cases is it necessary to build drainage?

• If a building is being built that will have a basement.
• If the site is initially swampy, or the soil is heavy and poorly permeable to water.
• If you plan to make changes to the natural topography of the site - level the sites, build artificial hills, etc.

Where to begin?

First of all, it is necessary to find out how deep the soil waters lie. This can be done by studying the water level in nearby wells. The well, which is dug to a depth of 5-15 meters, is filled just to the groundwater level. In addition, from the marks on the concrete walls of the well you can understand how high the water rises during the flood period.

Advice! The ideal solution for determining the level of soil water is to conduct a geodetic examination by a specialist.

Next you need to decide on the type of drainage. The easiest way, of course, is to build an open drainage, that is, simply dig trenches with a slope. However, such a solution will not decorate the site, so most owners choose a more labor-intensive construction option.

Selection of materials for construction

About 30 years ago there was no special choice of pipes for the construction of drainage systems. It was necessary to use asbestos-cement or ceramic pipes; before laying them in ditches, it was necessary to make many holes so that water could freely penetrate into them. Today, there are more convenient and affordable materials - corrugated pipes made of polymer materials, which already have ready-made perforations.

Advice! On sale you can find drainage pipes with geotextiles or coconut fiber. These materials provide additional filtration and prevent clogging of the drainage system.

The process of installing a drainage system requires serious labor and preliminary preparation of the material. For construction you will need:

• Sand. To create a drainage system, it is necessary to use river sand. It is used to create a cushion at the bottom of the ditch, this is necessary in order to prevent damage to structures due to soil movements.
• Crushed stone. To equip the system, you will need two types of crushed stone. Material of medium and large fractions is used. The main purpose of crushed stone is to create a filter layer and prevent various debris contained in the water from getting into the drains. In addition, crushed stone prevents damage to drainage pipes during soil movements.

• Geotextiles. This is a material made of synthetic threads, it is used to wrap a drainage layer of crushed stone. The use of this material additionally protects the laid pipes from silting.
• Fitting. Couplings are used to connect pipes, and angles are used to ensure turns.

Advantages of plastic pipes

• The pipes are characterized by increased strength; they are laid to a considerable depth - up to 10 meters.
• The service life of polymer pipes is at least 50 years.
• Connections are easy to make yourself using couplings
• They are easy to transport, unload and install, as they are quite lightweight.
• To cut plastic pipes, you do not need to use a special tool.

Advice! To prevent clogging of pipes with soil particles, additional filters are used - geotexile or coconut fiber material.

To install the system, pipes of different diameters are used, most often used:

• 150 mm – for systems that drain small amounts of water;
• 300 mm – for systems operating with increased load.

To install the system, two types of pipes are used: a larger cross-section is used for the main line, and a smaller cross-section is used for branches. Plastic pipes for installation of drainage systems can be:

• Single or double layer. The second option is more durable and is suitable for installation in heavy soils.
• Flexible and tough. The first option is ideal for installing simple systems. If a network with a large number of turns and branches is being installed, it is more profitable to use flexible pipes.

• Smooth and corrugated. The latter option is more durable.
• With and without shell. The choice depends on the quality of the soil. Pipes without casing can be laid in crushed stone soil. In sandy areas, it is better to lay them wrapped in geotextiles. If the area is clay, then pipes with a coir (coconut fiber) filter would be the ideal choice.

Installation of drainage systems

Let's look at how drainage is installed and what are the nuances of pipe laying.

Planning

At the first stage, a scheme for laying drainage pipes should be drawn up. A preliminary geodetic examination of the site will be very helpful in carrying out this work, as a result of which the types of soil and the level of groundwater will be determined. Based on the results of the examination, the diameters of the pipes are selected, as well as the depth of their installation.

Advice! It is advisable to entrust drawing up a drainage diagram and performing calculations to specialists.

Laying

How should pipes be laid in a ditch correctly?

• A layer of sand 15 cm high is poured into trenches dug to the required depth.
• Geotextiles are laid over the sand so that the edges of the fabric cover the sides of the ditch.
• A layer of fine crushed stone is poured onto the geotextile.
• Pipes are laid on top of the crushed stone with the perforation down.
• When laying pipes, it is necessary to maintain a slope directed towards the collection well. The slope is at least 3 degrees.

• To be able to monitor the operation of the system and, if necessary, flush it, you need to plan the installation of inspection wells. The minimum distance between wells is 50 meters. In addition, wells must be placed at places where the pipeline turns or when its angle of inclination changes.
• The choice of filter depends on the type of soil. If it is light sandy loam or loam, then it is worth using pipes wrapped in geotextiles. In heavy soils, it is more profitable to use pipes wrapped in coconut fiber cloth.
• Crushed stone is poured over the laid pipes; as a rule, the thickness of the top filling is 40 cm.
• The top layer of crushed stone is covered with geotextile, which was previously secured to the sides of the trench.
• The trenches are covered with soil from above and covered with pre-cut turf.

Mistakes you shouldn't make

• Wrong selection. For example, pipes without a filter cannot be used in loamy soils.
• Unmaintained slope.
• Incorrect choice of location for installing a collection well or untimely removal of water from it.

So, the drainage system is a necessary element to protect the house and site from excess soil moisture. When installing drainage, it is extremely important to correctly develop its design and carry out installation in strict accordance with the technology. Errors made during installation will lead to the fact that water from the foundation will not be drained in full, that is, the efficiency of the system will be reduced.

Moisture, contrary to popular belief, cannot always be considered a plant's best friend. Too much water is harmful to most of them. Excess moisture is also not beneficial for buildings; it has a destructive effect on building materials. That is why it is very important for every owner of a suburban area to divert excess water from their territory. The solution to the problem will be a drainage pipe: almost every home craftsman can install such a structure with his own hands.

What is drainage and why is it necessary?

The new owner of a country plot often has to work hard before he can fully enjoy his vacation in the lap of nature. Most land plots suffer from waterlogging.

Having built a house on such a site, you may encounter the problem of destruction of the foundation and difficulties in arranging a personal plot. To remove excess moisture, drainage is installed - an artificially constructed watercourse in the soil. It is a special system of underground channels or pipelines. The water that gets into them is collected in special storage tanks or discharged outside the site.

Drainage allows you to protect the foundation from destruction and create comfortable conditions for growing plants

Practice shows that the first warning signs that make you think about installing drainage are:

• a large number of moisture-loving plants on the site;
• the presence or periodic appearance of groundwater in basements and cellars of nearby buildings;
• the appearance after rain of a large number of poorly drying puddles.

However, the absence of these signs does not mean that problems with waterlogging will not arise. It is best to invite a specialist to accurately determine the level of moisture in the area and, if necessary, begin to arrange drainage.

Methods for arranging a drainage structure

When thinking about how to lay a drainage pipe, you need to understand that there are several ways to install drainage structures:

• Trenches with crushed stone and sand. Closed drainage, which consists of grooves dug in the ground, filled with a layer of crushed stone, on top of which sand is laid. For better effect, they can be made in the shape of a “herringbone”, while the central trench, to which the secondary trenches approach, should be made with a slope directed towards the water discharge point. The distance between drains is selected depending on the composition of the soil. On clayey soils it should not exceed 10, loamy soils – 20 and sandy ones – 50 m.
• Open drainage. The simplest and cheapest option. It consists of grooves, half a meter wide and about 70 cm deep, dug along the perimeter of the site. The sides in the drains are made beveled, at an angle of about 30°. Water is discharged from the system into a common drainage ditch. The main drawback of the design is its unaesthetic appearance, which somewhat spoils the landscape of the site.
• Design using perforated pipeline. The most common technology for laying drainage pipes. Deep drainage designed to drain high-lying groundwater. Ceramic or asbestos-cement pipes with holes drilled in them are laid in the ground. A more modern option is perforated plastic or ready-to-install drainage systems, which can be found on sale.
• Drainage trays. This is a surface drainage that allows you to remove moisture from the site that has fallen on it in the form of precipitation. To equip the structure, special trays are used, which can be made of modified concrete or plastic. Trenches are led from water intakes to the discharge point, while a slight slope of about 2-3° must be observed. The parts are installed in small grooves, their sides should be at ground level. The top of the trays must be covered with decorative grilles.

If the area is located on a hill, open drainage ditches are dug across the slope. This way it will be possible to “intercept” the water flowing from above.

The disadvantage of an open drainage system is the somewhat unaesthetic appearance of the structure.

This is the most popular drainage system for owners of private plots and country houses

Drainage trays are used to remove excess moisture that enters the area in the form of precipitation.

Installation instructions for perforated pipes

Before proceeding directly with installation, it is necessary to perform calculations and select the appropriate material.

For design work, you will need a site layout and special data, which is best requested from your local land resources office:

• seasonal groundwater level;
• soil characteristics and soil structure;
• the volume of moisture falling in the form of precipitation and flood waters.

Using this data, specialists will carry out the necessary calculations and determine the required trench depth and pipe diameter.

The most affordable solution for arranging the system are plastic parts. An extremely simple design of a drainage pipe involves the presence of two layers of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, which allows them to serve for at least 50 years at a fairly significant depth. In addition, the double-layer design promotes self-cleaning, preventing blockages. To prevent clogging of the holes in the pipe body with soil particles and small debris, they are wrapped in coconut fiber cloth or geotextile before installation.

The order of work is as follows:

• Installation of the drainage system begins with marking the territory, which is carried out according to a pre-drawn diagram. Trenches are dug along the designated lines, the depth of which is determined by preliminary calculations. To determine the width of the structure, add 40 cm to the outer diameter of the prepared parts. When carrying out work, you need to remember the required slope of the drainage pipe, which is usually at least 3°.
• A crushed stone-sand cushion is installed at the bottom of the prepared trench. To do this, first fill in a layer of sand 10 cm thick. The material is well compacted. Then a layer of crushed stone 20 cm wide is laid on top of it.
• Geotextile-wrapped pipes are laid on the prepared base. You can cut the part to the required length with a regular mounting knife. Special couplings are used to connect the elements. In order to prevent freezing of the system, it is recommended to lay drainage pipes deeper than the freezing level of the soil.
• After laying the pipes, their slope is checked again. To do this, you can use a regular cord stretched along the pipeline.
• In places where trenches turn and in areas where the angle of slope changes, special inspection wells must be installed. They are equipped with lids to prevent littering of the structure. These structures are necessary for monitoring and periodically cleaning the drainage system.
• At the last stage, backfilling is carried out, that is, all actions are performed in reverse order. A layer of crushed stone is poured over the pipe, followed by sand, and the last layer is the soil that was removed when digging the trench. You can lay turf on top.

The system is discharged into an open reservoir or rainwater drainage system. In any case, a check valve is installed at the end of the outlet pipe. If it is impossible to organize such a withdrawal, a so-called prefabricated well is installed. As it fills, it is necessary to pump out water.

Perforated drainage pipes are laid on a sand-crushed stone bed

During installation, you should try to avoid common mistakes that lead to disruption of the functionality of the drainage. These include:

• Insufficient depth of trenches, which can lead to disruption of the water balance of the site.
• Using pipes that are not suitable for the type, which leads to rapid failure of the system.
• Incorrect drainage angle, which disrupts the functioning of the structure and can lead to serious problems with the water regime in the area.

Practice shows that laying drainage pipes with your own hands is a completely doable undertaking. The only thing that must be entrusted to specialists is calculating the system and drawing up a pipe laying diagram. Everything else is fairly simple work. When performing it, it is very important to follow the instructions, carefully monitoring key points: the slope of the system, the reliability of pipe connections, the organization of inspection wells, etc. A properly equipped drainage system will serve for many years, preventing excess moisture from damaging the foundation of the house and ruining the site.