How to Add Yard Drains
Proper yard drainage makes the difference between a soggy, wet mess or having a comfortable place to spend time with your family. Adequate drainage in the yard is also crucial to maintaining and protecting the foundation and structure of your home. Depending on the problem, there are several drainage options available, including French drains, land drains and interconnected drainage trenches that can carry large amounts of water away from your house. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Dry well
- Utility knife
- Hammer
- Drain tube
- Fittings
- Drain cover
- Level
- Landscape fabric
- Grass seed (optional)
Instructions
-
-
1
Call your local utility company and request to have all of the utilities marked. A representative will come out and mark the water lines, power lines and any other utilities that are under the ground in your yard. If you do not call, you will have to pay full repair and replacement costs for any damaged utilities, and you risk personal injury if the lines are inadvertently hit.
-
2
Dig a trench approximately 1-foot wide and, starting out, 1-foot deep along your chosen path for the drainage with a shovel. Gradually increase the depth of the trench as you move farther away from the house. The final depth will depend on the length of the trench. Haul the dirt to a convenient location so that it can be retrieved to fill in the trench once you have set the drain.
-
-
3
Dig a hole at the highest point of the drain, or the point closest to your home, large enough to accommodate the dry well. The hole is deep enough when the dry well can sit inside and the top is level with the ground.
-
4
Assemble the dry well, including removing any drainage ports. To remove the ports, score around the edges with a utility knife and then strike the ports with a hammer.
-
5
Place the dry well into the hole and pack some of the dirt you removed from the hole tightly around the outside to prevent any shifting.
-
6
Place a layer of dirt along the entire length of the trench. The dirt should be approximately 1 to 2 inches deep.
-
7
Connect the drain tubes to the dry well and lay the tube into the trench you dug. Continue laying the drain tile until you have reached the opposite end of the trench. Join tubes as needed with the fittings. The fittings are available in corner, Y-shapes and as small extensions to accommodate any drainage design. Cover the end of the tube with a drain cover.
-
8
Ensure that the drain is sloping downward and away from the dry well with a level. Check at several points along the path of the drain. You need 1/2 inch of slope for every 4 feet of drain tube. Adjust the dirt as needed to maintain the slope.
-
9
Cover the drain tube with a 3-inch layer of dirt.
-
10
Cover the dirt with a layer of landscape fabric.
-
11
Cover the fabric with dirt, packing it down and filling it in until the ground is level with the rest of your lawn. New grass seed can be planted to conceal the drain.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To prevent silt buildup, wrap the dry well with landscaping fabric before placing it in the ground.
The drain tube can be covered with sock material, available at your local home and garden center, to prevent gravel dust, silt or finer soil from creating a buildup in the tube.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Lifesize/Getty Images
