How to Drain Rain Water from Your Eaves, Driveway and Yard

Excess rain water can seep into your basement as well as damage your yard

Most yards and gutter systems are set up to handle a significant amount of rainfall. Yards are usually contoured away from the house to avoid puddles near the foundation and therefore seepage into the basement. However during excessively heavy rains water can build up and kill sections of grass, wash away landscaping and cause leaks in basements and crawl spaces. The following steps will help illustrate how to start or improve your exterior drainage system.

Things You'll Need

• Lengths of 3'' PVC pipe
• 3'' PVC pipe fittings, angle connectors
• Shovel
• Wheel Barrow
• Flat head shovel
• line level
• 4' level
• pvc cement
• Possibly cement and PVC drain

Instructions

1. 

   The first step is to create a layout. Determine low spots and problem areas as well as any down spout that you want to tie into the drainage system (if you have had basement leaks in the past, or an area of the yard that tends to flood or puddle, consider tying in down spouts near the problem area into your drainage system). Using stakes and a string line, mark the area that your drain pipes will go through.

2. 

   The next step is to prep the area. Call 1-800-DIG-RITE to be sure that there are no utility lines near the surface of your work area. Once they have marked any areas to avoid adjust your layout if necessary and obtain materials (if your layout makes any sharp turns consider using short pieces of pvc and 45 degree angle elbows to ease the difference) . If you are going to install any drains in low spots dig the holes for the drains first, build wooden forms to hold in concrete, put the drain in place along with a short section of pvc pipe that extends passed the form. Fill the form with concrete and allow to cure for a day.

3. 

   Now you can dig the holes for your drain pipes. Start near your drain or downspout and dig to a point just barely deep enough for the elbow connector for the downspout or the continued piping off of the drain. Continue digging along your layout periodically using a level to make sure that you are consistently going down slope.

4. 

   Once the holes are all dug you can begin laying pipe. Begin be connecting the PVC pipes to the down spouts and drains. Use a chop saw or hand saw to cut the PVC pipe sections to fit. You can use PVC cement to connect the pipe sections and pipe connectors together near the drain or down spouts. During the rest of the run it is optional as a small amount of give will allow the pipes to settle with the ground. Continue until all of the pipe are laid and connected.

5. Run water through your down spouts and drain to be sure that the water flows correctly and then refill the holes above the pipe with the dirt that you previously removed. Use rocks or clay first on either side of the pipe and use loose soil on top. Compact it by stomping on it or by placing a board over it and hitting with a sledge hammer. When the holes are all filled up level to the surrounding soil, place sod or grass seed into the loose soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Use two 45 degree angle pvc elbows rather than any 90 degree elbows as this will increase water flow.

• Use a flat head shovel to remove the grass over the area you will be digging so that you can reuse it at the end of the project.

• When connecting a downspout to the main drain line connect it at an angle pointing towards the down flow of the water rather than perpendicular to increase water flow.

• It is best to set up your drainage system to terminate on the street but if that is not an option direct it towards a low spot in the yard as far from the house as possible. Plant water loving plants near the drain end.