How to Install Drain Tile on Land

Installing a drain tile around your home is vital to keeping your basement or cellar free of water. When your home was built, drain tile should have been put in before the foundation was backfilled. If not, or you need a new drain tile, this article will help you with the basics of drain tile installation.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shovel or trench digger
• Gravel (amount varies based on length of drain tile)
• Perforated drain tile pipe (minimum 4 inches in diameter)
• Wheelbarrow
• Rock shovel

Digging a Drain Tile

1. Dig
   The first step to installing drain tile is the hardest, especially if you use a shovel. Digging a drain tile is never a small amount of digging because trenching tends to run along foundation walls and has to be dug deep. So, you're not only digging out an area for your drain tile, you are digging out an area so that you can get in there and dig as deep as you need to dig. Obviously, the best way to approach the initial steps of any drain tile project is to hire someone who has a trench digger or rent one yourself. This will save you a ton of time and effort. Your trench should run a little below the foundation walls for best results. Make sure that your trench has a slope so that the water will run from one end to the other and pool.

2. Lay Down the Drain Tile Pipe
   Once you have trenched out your drain you need to run your drain tile pipe. Place the pipe's perforated side down so the perforations won't get clogged with dirt and mud. This will help keep your drain functioning properly. It's best, if you have enough slope, to let your drain tile run out onto land. But this is rarely the case. If you have water problems it's best to look at installing a sump pump, which can pump out the excess water.

3. Cover with Gravel
   Now for the other hard part in doing drain tile -- the gravel. Try to get your load of rock placed close to where you are digging. This usually doesn't happen, so you'll end up lugging the gravel from far away to dump it in your trench. Gravel is porous, so it helps to move the water quickly through to the drain tile pipe that carries it quickly away from your foundation. Cover your drain tile with at least 12 inches of gravel.

4. Refill the Trench
   Your drain tile should now be complete, and your efforts should have eliminated your water problems. Now all you need to do is refill the trench, wash your tools and clothes, and relax.

Tips & Warnings

• Always call the local utility company before you start any type of digging project to make sure that you don't hit power, gas, or water lines.

Resources

• Good site for Do-It-Yourself Information