The device of the drainage system in a private house. How to make drainage in a summer cottage - the easiest way and something more complicated

  • 27.06.2020

Drainage around the house is necessary to protect the buried parts of the building - the basement, the foundation. Underground structures are dangerous from flooding from heavy rains and snowmelt, as well as from high groundwater, especially if groundwater is aggressive to concrete. Protecting a house with a drainage system is one of the first and foremost tasks in a new construction, and when working around an already built house, drainage becomes an extremely difficult and costly undertaking. Reworking unsuccessful drainage or installing it in a landscaped landscape is almost a disaster. Whereas timely, competent drainage around the house will remove excess moisture from the foundation, and thereby increase the service life of both structures and the building as a whole.

Drainage around the house with your own hands

On their own, it is possible to arrange drainage according to the wall and ring (trench) type. The second type of drainage is successful on clay and loam, and of course, if the house does not have a basement, a technical underground, a warm basement, and so on. For example, a house on stilts, because it also needs to be protected from aggressive groundwater. Trench or ring drainage consists of drains directed into water-permeable layers. Crushed stone has good filtration, and the correct slopes of drains are formed by laying them on a stable (carefully compacted) base. All connections and turns of drainage pipes are on special connecting elements, special attention is paid to the waterproofing of pipes and connections. A clay aquiclude is organized around the house for protection. At the same time, the trench ring is separated from the foundation structures by about 1.2 - 3.0 m. This type of drainage protects the house from flooding and quickly discharges flood water when its level decreases. In addition, when arranging a trench drainage ring, the groundwater level almost always decreases: the new GWL is much lower and passes under the foundation, which is the purpose of drainage. An important plus is that the annular drainage trench can be used for the simultaneous laying of storm sewers, subject to the design and calculation.

Approximate stages of the ring drainage device:

  • The marking must be accurate, it is best to work with a laser level. The base is prepared after measuring the height difference and installing a control pole at each point in the scheme. Accuracy is needed maximum, up to a millimeter;
  • According to the set marks, they are backed up with coarse sand, with layer-by-layer compaction. The slopes of the drains must be uniform, counter-slopes should not be allowed. Water drainage will be gravity flow to the drainage well (receiving ditch, collector, ravine, and so on), and it is best that the “water intake” be away from the house;
  • Mandatory pipe protection and phase separation with geotextiles. The fabric needs to be thermally bonded (not needle-punched, which quickly silts up). Filtration clip - from clean, washed crushed stone or gravel. It is also necessary to observe the specified slopes of trenches and pipes. In the backfill filter, a notch is carefully made and a perforated drainage pipe is laid. Flat drainage pipes with additional geotextile protection can become especially effective and economical. A budget option for simple drainage (or an irresponsible building) is a PVC sewer pipe familiar to everyone, and perforation is done with a drill or drill. It is important that the size and shape of the holes be such that gravel or gravel cannot clog them or make it difficult for water to drain from the pipe into the filter;
  • Mount pipes with a reliable connection in sections, then once again control the slope. The minimum slope is 20 mm per 1 running meter. trenches. The excess is checked with a level, the uniformity of the slope is also checked with a level at control points, it can also be checked by stretching the cord along the pipeline sections;
  • All drainage turns are equipped with cleaning - vertical pipe sections built into the drain and protected from water and debris (tight cover). To remove blockages, cleaning is very effective. It is also important to protect the pipe and filter with a continuous geotextile cocoon without the slightest gap, and secure it firmly (with twine, tape, staples). Finished pipes with geofabric and coconut fiber casings are more expensive, but they last longer and have better filtration performance and do not silt much longer;
  • The top of the drainage trenches is covered with an overpipe with washed filtering gravel or gravel to a height of 200 mm, then a clip is made, not sparing the overlap geotextile. To do this, along the edge of the trench (when laying under the pipe), a canvas is left with a known margin. The top of the drainage layer - coarse washed sand - is one of the best filters, and without heaving properties.

The completion of the system is a drainage well, made of concrete prepared at the site or purchased - corrugated plastic. The second option when calculating material, time and labor is often more economical. But they are used for the drainage well and reinforced concrete rings, and the walls are concreted along the reinforced mesh. The hatch is cast iron or modern high-strength plastic. All sewer outlets are necessarily insulated, usually expanded polystyrene or a foam clip is used, the thickness of the thermal insulation is from 250 mm.

wall drainage

Wall drainage is relevant in many cases:

  • The sole of the foundation is laid below the groundwater level (groundwater level, taking into account seasonal fluctuations);
  • The basement floor is not high enough from the groundwater level (a distance of more than 0.5 m is considered safe);
  • The base of the site under the house is composed of clays or loams, strongly heaving soils, which, when saturated with water, are capable of pushing the structure out of the ground in winter and thaw. At the same time, the height of groundwater practically does not affect the operation of the foundation and the consequences of soil movements;
  • Effective and constant capillary moistening of soils under the house;
  • When deepening the basement floor by more than 1.25 m, when building on clay and loam.

Arrangement of wall drainage is rational before backfilling the pit, after building the house this event will be difficult and expensive, and the improvement will be disturbed - after all, you will have to dig the house along the contour in small sections, taking into account security measures.

Rectangular in plan, the buildings are drained along the perimeter of the base, and each corner drain must have access to a manhole. The lowest, deepest point of the drainage contour is led to a facility for pumping water or, if possible, for spontaneous flow into a ravine, quarry or storm sewer. An old and proven method to additionally protect the foundation is the installation of a clay castle along the contour of the foundation, with a distance of about 0.5-1.0 m from the wall. When saturated with water, many types of clays turn into an effective aquiclude.

Basic requirements for wall drainage:

  • Accurate and uniform drain slope - not less than 20 mm / 1 r.m. pipeline;
  • The upper point of water intake by the drainage pipe is at the highest in relation to the rest of the corner of the building, and the lower one is the drainage well;
  • Each corner joint of the drainage conduit is supplied with a manhole, and straight linear sections must have a manhole for every forty meters of their length;
  • Accounting for GPG (depth of soil freezing for a specific construction area - reference value);
  • Drainage bottom - no higher than 0.3-0.5 m from the base of the foundation (cushion, backfill);
  • Removal of the drainage circuit from the foundation of the floating slab type - from 300 cm;
  • Inserting a drain pipe into a drain well with a non-return valve only to prevent backflow. The height of the tie-in is 200 mm from the bottom of the well.

Drainage around the house and blind area

It is important to take into account the height of the contour drainage around the house relative to the blind area - they must match.

Any type of drainage is laid to a depth below the lowest foundation structure no less than half a meter. In addition, it is important to understand that the presence of drainage does not in any way cancel the measures for waterproofing foundation structures - depending on the conditions, purpose and financial capabilities, this can be budgetary bitumen-coated and pasted waterproofing, rubber coatings, sprayed insulation and effective expensive membranes. But in any case, the protection of the foundation from water should be comprehensive: waterproofing plus drainage and dewatering.

The problem of flooding and increased waterlogging of the soil is familiar to the owners of sites located in the central region of Russia. Dampness and stagnant water after snow melt does not allow for proper preparation of the summer cottage for the summer season, and waterlogging of the soil with constant precipitation is detrimental to many plants. There are several ways to solve these problems, but the most effective is the arrangement of drainage.

When is a drainage system needed?

Drainage is a technology for collecting and diverting ground, melt and storm water from a site, technical and residential buildings. The drainage system prevents washing out, heaving and waterlogging of the soil, which occurs due to oversaturation with moisture.

The arrangement of the drainage system is not necessary in every area. In order to determine how badly your site needs drainage, you will need to conduct a visual inspection. Pay attention to whether the area is flooded after the snow melts, how quickly water is absorbed after watering the plants, whether there are puddles after heavy rain and heavy rain. If you have observed these signs more than once, then drainage is required.

Drainage system helps to remove stagnant water from the site

If there is little visual confirmation, then a simple experiment can be carried out - using a hand drill or a conventional shovel, you should dig a hole 70–100 cm deep. It is better to do this in several places on the site. If after 24–36 hours water accumulates at the bottom of the pit and does not leave, then this is direct evidence of oversaturation of the soil with moisture.

Soil drainage is carried out under the following conditions:

  • high occurrence of groundwater;
  • the site is located in an area with clay soil;
  • the site is located in a lowland or vice versa - on a slope;
  • falls out at the location of the site a large number of precipitation.

The presence of drainage contributes to the preservation of finishing and facing materials used for laying garden paths, finishing the basement and facade of the building.

Types of dehumidification systems

There are a wide variety of land drainage systems. At the same time, in various sources, their classification can be very different from each other. In the case of drainage systems for suburban and summer cottages it is recommended to use the most simple and proven solutions.

Surface type drainage

Surface drainage is the most simple and efficient system. The main task is to drain the soil by draining water formed as a result of heavy rainfall and uneven snowmelt.

Grids protect the open drainage system from large debris

The surface drainage system is constructed over the area of ​​the site, around the house and adjacent buildings, about garage structures, warehouses and courtyard. Surface drainage is divided into two subspecies:

  1. Point - in some sources it is designated as local drainage. It is used to collect and divert water from a certain place on the site. The main area of ​​application is drainage of areas under drains, near entrance doors and gates, in the area of ​​containers and irrigation taps. Often used as an emergency system if another type of drainage is overloaded.
  2. Linear - used to drain the entire area. It is a system consisting of receiving trays and channels arranged at a certain angle, providing a constant flow of water. The drainage system is equipped with filter grates and sand traps. Trays and drains are made of PVC, polypropylene, HDPE or polymer concrete.

When installing a surface drainage system, it is recommended to combine point and linear drainage. This will ensure the most efficient operation of the system. If necessary, point and line drainage can be combined with the system described below.

deep drainage

Deep drainage is carried out in the form of a pipeline laid in places where it is necessary to constantly drain the soil or lower the groundwater level. Drains are laid with observance of a slope in the direction of the flow of water, which enters the collector, well or reservoir located outside the site.

The process of constructing deep drainage in a suburban area

To lower the groundwater level, pipes are laid along the perimeter of the site to a depth of 80-150 cm. In the case when it is necessary to divert water from the foundation of the building, the pipes must be laid below its depth. And also drainage pipes can be laid over the entire area of ​​​​the site with a certain step. The distance between drains depends on the depth of their laying and the mechanical composition of the soil.

For example, when constructing a drainage system, when drains are laid to a depth of 0.9–1 m, the recommended distance between them is at least 9–11 m. On loamy soil, under the same conditions, the step between drains decreases to 7–9 m, and on clayey up to 4–5.5 m. More detailed data for different depths of laying can be seen in the table below. The information is taken from the book "Draining land for gardens" by A.M.Dumblyauskas.

Drainage depth, mDistance between drains, m
sandy soilloamy soilClay soil
0,45 4,5–5,5 4–5 2–3
0,6 6,5–7,5 5–6,5 3–4
0,9 9–11 7–9 4–5,5
1,2 12–15 10–12 4,5–7
1,5 15,5–18 12–15 6,5–9
1,8 18–22 15–18 7–11

When laying the pipe, the features of the terrain are observed. According to the technology, drains are laid from the highest to the lowest point on the site. If the site is relatively flat, then to give a slope, a slope is formed along the bottom of the trench. The minimum slope level is 2 cm per 1 linear meter of the drainage pipe when constructing drainage in clay and loamy soil. For sandy soil, a slope of 3 cm per 1 meter is observed.

When arranging drainage of a long length, a minimum slope must be observed along the entire length of the drainage route. For example, for a drainage system with a length of 15 m, the minimum level difference between the start and end points of the route will be at least 30 cm.

If possible, it is recommended to exceed the declared slope standards. This will provide faster drainage, reduce the risk of silting and clogging of the drain. In addition, digging a trench with a large slope is much easier than measuring out 1–2 cm.

Drainage at their summer cottage - the easiest way with instructions

In order to independently carry out the drainage of a land plot through a drainage system, you will need to familiarize yourself with the technology of work, calculate and purchase the necessary materials, prepare a tool and a place to perform work.

Surface drainage of a summer cottage

Open surface drainage is a universal solution for draining suburban areas of a small area. For example, for typical plots of 6 acres. You can use the diagram below as a basis. It depicts a drainage route in the shape of a Christmas tree. The distance between the drains, as discussed above, is selected based on the type of soil (see table).

An example of the location of the drainage system at their summer cottage

To carry out the work, you will need a shovel and bayonet shovel, tape measure, bubble level, hammer and sharp construction knife. As materials, it will be necessary to prepare gravel of a fraction of 20–40, geotextiles, an edged bar or a board 2–3 m long.

For the construction of surface drainage in a summer cottage, you will need to do the following:


Sometimes, the base of the trench is concreted along the entire length of the drainage route. This allows you not to worry that over time the earthen walls will begin to crumble, the water flow will deteriorate, etc. But this approach is more laborious and requires the ability to work with concrete mix.

Drainage of the site using deep drainage

Deep drainage is a standard solution for draining summer cottages and suburban areas. A deep drainage system can be installed even when there is a protective pavement around the building, concrete or slab paths. If necessary, their partial dismantling can be performed, but in general the structure will not suffer.

An example of a project for a drainage system in a suburban area

Deep drainage works include the following:

  1. According to the design plan of the site, it is necessary to draw up a diagram of the location of the drainage pipes and determine the point of discharge of water, that is, the place from which the collected water will drain into the sewer pipes leading to the drainage well. The depth of the pipeline should be below the freezing level of the soil. For the Northwestern region, this value is about 60–80 cm.

    Preparation of trenches for the construction of deep drainage

  2. Taking into account the plan, a trench is excavated along the perimeter and area of ​​​​a site up to 1 m deep. The width of the trench is at least 30 cm. All horizontal sections of the trenches are combined into single system, which is supplied to the point of discharge of water. After that, the trenches are dug with a slope of 2–4 cm per 1 m of surface. To check the quality of the runoff, the trenches are shed with a large volume of water. If necessary, the slope towards the drainage well increases.

    A pit for a drainage well must be dug at the lowest point on the site

  3. At the lowest point of the site, a place is arranged for the installation of a water intake or filtering drainage well. For large areas located on loamy and clay soil types, it is better to install storage types of wells with a volume of up to 1000 liters. For small areas, both storage and filter wells can be used. The type of tank is selected based on the type of soil.

    A wide sheet of geotextile is laid on top of the gravel layer.

  4. Fine-grained gravel is poured into the bottom of the trench. The thickness of the layer is 10 cm. Geofabric is laid on the gravel with an overlap on the walls of the trench. To fix the canvas to the walls, wooden or plastic pegs are used, which are driven into the ground. After that, a 10 cm layer of crushed stone with a fraction of 50–60 is poured onto the laid geotextile and carefully leveled in compliance with the slope. A drainage pipe from Ø 110 mm is laid on the crushed stone.
  5. In places where the drain turns, modular manholes are installed. The diameter and height of the well depend on the estimated volume of wastewater. To connect the pipe to the mounting hole, a coupling is used, which is coated with a waterproof sealant before joining. Similar actions are carried out to connect the drainage pipe to the well pipe.

    An inspection drainage well is installed in places where the drainage pipe turns

  6. Before backfilling, the drainage system is checked for operability. To do this, a large amount of water is drained through the drains. If the water quickly drains and enters the well, then everything is done correctly and you can proceed to the final stage. In other cases, you need to find and fix the problem.
  7. A 20–30 cm layer of gravel with a fraction of 20–40 is poured over the drainage pipes and carefully leveled. After that, drains with laid rubble are covered with geotextiles. A 10-15 cm layer of quarry sand is poured over the geotextile and carefully compacted. The remaining space in the trench can be covered with fertile soil or ordinary soil from the site.

Ways to drain a site without drainage

Excessive moisture in the soil and stagnant water in the area are not always associated with high level ground water. Sometimes this is due to abnormally low temperatures and heavy rainfall. The combination of these factors leads to the fact that moisture does not have time to evaporate, puddles and mold form on the soil surface.

Sanding clay soil is one way to drain a site without drainage.

If, due to some circumstances, the installation of a drainage system is impossible, then there are several effective ways to drain the land:


Of the above methods of draining the site, the most effective are the addition of a sufficient amount of fertile soil and the arrangement of trenches around the perimeter. On average, 1 m 3 of soil will cost 550–600 rubles. For a plot of 6 acres, 10–12 m 3 of soil is enough.

The easiest way to drain the soil on the site

The arrangement of shallow trenches filled with rubble is the most in a simple way drainage of the suburban area. Despite the general simplicity, this method is very effective and is able to cope with a large amount of water formed during the melting of snow.

Work on the arrangement of trenches around the perimeter and area of ​​​​the site includes the following:


If desired, the second layer of crushed stone can be reduced, and the remaining space can be sprinkled with soil from the site. This will hide the drainage under the turf layer. It is not recommended to plant flowers and greenery over the drainage trench. This is fraught with their death due to the high humidity in this place.

How to clear a blockage in a drain pipe

Failure to comply with the technology of laying drainage pipes is the main cause of stagnation and poor drainage of water from distribution wells. In addition, very often stagnant water is not associated with blockage at all. Insufficient slope does not provide a constant and uniform discharge of accumulated water towards the drainage pit.

To clear small blockages, use a steel cable or a hose with strong water pressure.

The easiest way to clean drain pipes is to use a steel cable to clean the drains. At one end of the cable there is a spiral nozzle, at the other there is a handle with which you can rotate the cable, creating a mechanical load at the site of blockage.

For cleaning pipes Ø110 mm and more, it is recommended to use a cable with a steel brush of the appropriate size. During the cleaning process, it is necessary to lower the cable into the drain pipe until its end reaches the blockage. Further, by rotating the cable clockwise, you need to try to break through the blockage or move it towards the water drain. Usually, small accumulations of silt and foliage are pushed through without much difficulty.

If it was not possible to eliminate the blockage, then it will be necessary to call specialists who, using a pneumatic installation and other equipment, will not only clean the blockage, but also carry out preventive cleaning of the entire surface of the drainage pipes.

Video: do-it-yourself site drainage

Oversaturation of the soil with moisture and stagnant water on the site are a big problem that affects not only the growth of fruit-bearing crops, but also reduces the life of a residential building. But it is worth remembering that an excess of water can be dealt with with the help of a drainage system. It is much worse if there is enough fresh water and moisture, and the arrangement of the well is impossible due to some circumstances.

Starting out building a small country house or a solid cottage, everyone expects that his offspring will stand for more than one ten years and will serve the growing children and even grandchildren.
How long will it last built house- depends primarily on the correct execution grounds.
But even quality foundation will not help if he is in conditions of constant dampness caused by the presence of moisture in the surrounding soil.

Water can penetrate the ground after rain, when snow melts, and the most unpleasant case is if the area is high ground water level(UGV).

What is it and what is its purpose
To avoid flooding foundation with rain, melt or groundwater and serves drainage system, which is a set of devices designed to remove excess moisture: trays, channels, trenches, wells and so on.

Drainage systems perform for foundation protection a detached building or the entire site, if it is located on a terrain with low relief. The proposed article discusses drainage systems for the foundation house under construction.

The main types of drainage structures

Trenches of this type are used to drain surface water when the site on which the house under construction is located has practically no no bias or even in small lowland.

After prolonged rains, you can only approach such a house in rubber boots, not to mention the spring high water.

With the help of open ground trenches they organize collection and withdrawal surface water into the sewer system, a special collection well or off site, if possible.

Open systems are easy to make, but they spoil the landscape and unsafe when walking - you can easily stumble.

Closed

Such drainage is a more efficient solution for draining soil on considerable depth- up to one and a half meters.

Represents a system filter pipes placed in a water-permeable material: small gravel, gravel, expanded clay

For this purpose, special perforated pipes with numerous holes small diameter.

You can also use regular plastic sewer pipes by drilling holes with an electric drill. The device of such a system is much more complicated and expensive.

zasypnye

For a small area, use backfill drainage trenches. They successfully remove both superficial and ground water.

At the same time, there is no need to spend money on the purchase of pipes and related accessories (angles, tees, gratings, etc.). Ditches are dug to a depth of 1 to 1.5 m. house perimeter at some distance and fill them with broken bricks or crushed stone of large fractions.


From above, it is better to cover this backfill with a strip of geotextile, and then fall asleep ground with turf. True, they cannot be cleaned after silting.

Surface

There is nothing but drainage open type. It has 2 varieties: point and line.

Point drainage

Perform for local lead water (from one point). For example, from a drain pipe, from a garden shower or a water tap.

If there is a place on the site where often accumulates water, getting rid of it using this method is the easiest. The device is receiving water, usually purchased, laid flush with the ground in the required location.

It is joined by concrete or plastic trays laid with a slope of about 1 degree towards the water outlet. From above, the trays are closed with metal or plastic gratings.

Linear drainage

If several point receivers merge into one general branch line, you get a linear drainage system.

It should be recalled that the point and linear systems take away only superficial water

The end point can be storm sewer, receiving sump or filter well.

deep

If the house is located in the valley, or at a depth there is a waterproof clay layer, as well as at high GWL number underground water will be great.

In this case, deep drainage should be performed closed type, the device of which is described above. To avoid clogging drainage pipes, make revision (cleaning) wells big enough to put your hand in.

dispose cleaning elements follows in the corner, T-shaped junctions and after 10-12 meters of underground utilities. By location relative to the foundation, deep drainage can be wall or ring.

wall drainage

Satisfied when there is a building under the building basement or basement. Dig a trench close to the wall strip foundation.

You can avoid additional excavation work if you do it with laying the foundation. The depth of the shallowest point should be about 20 cm more than the depth of the sole.

The pipe is laid inside drainage layer of gravel, small gravel or expanded clay, wrapping everything with geotextile fabric.

When backfilling the ditch with soil, close to the side surface of the foundation, a layer of pure coarse-grained river sand, with layer-by-layer compaction 25–30 cm thick.

First, coat the foundation wall with a layer of greasy crumpled clay(clay castle).

ring drainage

Execute if there is no basement in the house. In this case, a trench is dug after the construction of the house is completed at a distance of 1.5–3 m from the foundation.

Doing your own drainage

best time to make

The drainage system is best build in the summer, although in the heat it pulls to rest in the shade

And the earth at this time is so dry that at least pick it with a crowbar. Despite these negative points, there is no better time of year to do this job.

spring, after the snow melts, the earth retains dampness for a long time. If a drainage system is made at this time, the earth will settle by autumn, and may leak tightness connection of drainage pipes, which will require additional time to eliminate defects in the future.

On the autumn months hoping frivolously, inclement rains can cause work to be rescheduled until next summer.

Preparing for installation

More attention should be paid to preparation for production drainage around the house. Lack of thoughtful layout of the device can lead to unnecessary excavation or the purchase of unnecessary building materials, which then will uselessly occupy storage space.

Before starting work, it is necessary to draw up a large-scale site plan with indication of elevation marks, choose a place for placement sump.


If you plan to divert waste for the area, it is necessary to enlist the permission of the local sanitary and epidemiological station (SES). Otherwise, all the work may be in vain, and money - thrown to the wind.

Required Tools

For the manufacture of drainage system not many tools are required. Most of them, as a rule, are available for each owner:

  • measuring tape 30–50 m long;
  • building level;
  • hydraulic level up to 50 m long;
  • bayonet and shovel;
  • wheelbarrow.

Instead of a hydraulic level, it's a good idea to get an optical or laser level. level. The laser device is useful for interior decoration house under construction.

As experience shows, the hydraulic level has an unpleasant property. "lie" in the measurement process. This happens due to the fact that air bubbles, which lead to distortion of the result.

Drainage production

Consider the implementation of the drainage system around the house with your own hands. We will do this using the example of a deep-seated structure wall drainage(meaning that the drainage system is being built simultaneously with the manufacture of the foundation):


Making a drainage well

At the end of the drainage system erect filter or overflow drainage well. If it is not possible to drain water from it directly at the location, you will have to pump out water using submersible pump.

For well installation you can buy ready-made concrete or plastic sections and assemble a finished structure from them. Purchased rings from reinforced concrete during installation will create difficulties due to heavy weight.

Alternatively, you can cast a well concrete directly at the installation site.

Made according to all the rules drainage system along the perimeter of a house under construction will save foundation from exposure to moisture, thanks to which the waterproofing will retain its protective functions for a long time, it will be dry in the basement, and the walls of the house will serve more than one generation.

There are several places in a private house that need to be protected from getting wet from the outside. This is the foundation and recessed buildings. Rainwater, all kinds of runoff and rising groundwater gradually destroy the monolithic foundations and walls of the basements. A properly equipped drainage system around the house can prevent the occurrence of this process. It is able to remove excess moisture from structures. Even a very good blind area cannot be compared in terms of the degree of protection of a house with a laid drainage system. It is highly recommended to equip such a system near each house, regardless of the presence of a basement or basement.

A high-quality drainage system around the house with your own hands can be made in several ways:

Features of different foundation drainage systems

The choice of a particular type of drainage depends on the presence of buried rooms, the depth of groundwater, the composition of the soil on the site and the topography of the site itself. Consider what features the drainage device around the house has.

In total, there are 3 types of drainage, which differ in their location and design:


Important: Please note that formation drainage does not replace other types of drainage, but only complements it. Therefore, in addition to it, the main drainage system should be carried out.

Please note that if you decide to do ring drainage around the house with your own hands, the system should be located 0.5 m below the foundation level. Such an arrangement will ensure high-quality removal of groundwater from the building at any time of the year.

And if you are thinking about that, then our separate material on this topic may be useful to you.

Drainage installation

Consider how to make a drainage system around the house in two ways.

Production of wall drainage

Before performing work, it is necessary to prepare the foundation, since the system will directly adjoin it.

For this, the following work is carried out:

  1. The foundation from the outside is primed with a special bituminous primer.
  2. Bituminous mastic is applied to the dried surface.
  3. A reinforcing mesh with 2 x 2 mm cells is glued onto the mastic.
  4. The next day, after the mastic has hardened, the second layer of mastic is again applied to the mesh.

In the photo, the drainage system around the house is a trench and manholes along the edges
  • a collector well is mounted, to which drainage pipes will be connected. It is located at the lowest point on the site;
  • using a laser or building level, the slope of the trench passing near the foundation is ensured towards the water collector;
  • the bottom of the trenches is covered with a layer of sand of at least 5 cm;
  • geotextiles are laid on the sand, the sides of which will subsequently be overlapped;
  • a gravel backfill is created having a thickness of the order of 10 cm;
  • prepared perforated pipes are laid on the gravel layer. They are provided with a slope of 2 degrees;
  • pipes are joined by adapters and corner connectors;
  • at the corners of the building, all pipelines enter the installed manholes;
  • pipes are laid from the manholes, diverting water into a collection well or drain hole. These pipes are also located in trenches and have a slope;
  • the pipes are backfilled with gravel (about 10 cm) and the entire contents are wrapped with geotextiles. By means of synthetic ropes, the geotextile is firmly fixed;
  • further backfilling of the trenches to the level of the soil is carried out with sand or soddy soil.

We looked at how to make drainage around a wall-type foundation. Next, we will pay attention to the manufacture of trench drainage, which is even more popular.

Production of an annular drainage

For this type of work, you will also need perforated pipes, crushed stone, sand and geotextiles. When an annular drainage system is made around the house, the technology involves digging trenches at a distance of 5-8 m from the foundation of the building in order to exclude the possibility of subsidence of the soil around it. The trenches are located around the building and represent a closed system. The depth of the trenches should be such that the drainage passes below the level of the foundation by 50 cm.

A trench (or several trenches) is immediately carried out towards the main catchment well. The slope of the trenches is provided at least 2-3 cm per linear meter. The slope can be adjusted by adding sand in the right places.


  • the bottom of the trenches is lined with a layer of sand, and then with geotextiles, the edges of which are wrapped around their walls;
  • crushed stone is poured onto the geotextile with a layer of 10 cm;
  • pipes with holes drilled in them are laid out on crushed stone. It is desirable to use a pipe diameter of at least 10 cm. It is advisable to pre-wrap all pipes with a layer of geotextile, which will prevent their clogging;

Tip: Regular ones are fine. pvc pipes used for sewerage. In them, you can drill holes of small diameter with a drill, placing them in a certain order.

  • the slope of the pipes is checked, which must be at least 2 degrees;
  • manholes are mounted at pipe bends, closed with removable covers. The same wells should be installed on long straight sections, with a step of 12 m;
  • crushed stone or gravel is poured over the laid pipes with a layer of 20-30 cm;
  • the entire “pie” inside the trenches is wrapped with overlapping geotextiles;
  • the place remaining in the trenches is covered with river sand and covered with turf.

Features of drainage wells

Any drainage around a site or structure should be constructed using multiple manholes located at pipe bends. It is in these places that clogging of drainage pipes most often occurs. Through the manhole, you can control the cleanliness of the drains and clean them if necessary. Wells can be purchased or made from any material. They should be of such a width that it is convenient to clean them by lowering your hand there.


In addition to several manholes, at the lowest point of the site is collector well designed to collect all the water flowing through the channels. This is a wider and more voluminous structure, which can be concrete, plastic or metal. Its depth is chosen in such a way that the pipes entering it are at a considerable distance from the bottom. This makes it possible to periodically clean the well from sediments accumulated at its bottom and allows the well to be filled with sewage. From the collector tank, water can be pumped out by a pump or go by gravity to designated places.

By creating a drainage system around the house in accordance with all the rules, you will get rid of the detrimental effect of excessive dampness affecting the foundation and recessed rooms of the house.

If you ask anyone experienced builder, a developer, a landscape designer about what needs to be done, first of all, on a newly acquired and not yet built-up site, then the answer will be unequivocal: the first is drainage, if there is a need for it. And this is almost always the case. The drainage of the site is always associated with a very large amount of excavation, so it is better to do them right away so that later you do not disturb the beautiful landscape that any good owners equip in their possessions.

Of course, the easiest way is to order site drainage services to specialists who will do everything quickly and correctly, using special equipment. However, this will always come at a cost. Perhaps the owners did not plan these expenses, perhaps they will violate the entire budget planned for the construction and arrangement of the site. In the proposed article, we propose to consider the question of how to do the drainage of the site with your own hands, as this will allow you to save a lot, and in most cases it is quite possible to do these works yourself.

Why is site drainage needed?

Looking through the estimates and price lists related to the drainage of the site, some developers begin to doubt the appropriateness of these activities. And the main argument is that earlier, in principle, no one "bothered" much on this. With such an argument for refusing to drain the site, it is worth noting that the quality and comfort of human life have greatly improved. After all, no one wants to live in dampness or in a house with earthen floors. No one wants to see cracks in their house, on the blind areas and paths that appeared after the next cold season. All homeowners want to improve their yard or, to put it in a modern and fashionable way, to make landscape design. After the rain, no one wants to "knead the mud" in stagnant puddles. If so, then drainage is definitely needed. You can do without it only in very rare cases. In which cases we will describe a little later.

Drainage? No, I haven't heard...

Drainage is nothing more than the removal of excess water from the surface of the site or from the depth of the soil. Why is site drainage needed?

  • First of all, in order to remove excess water or from the foundations of buildings and structures. The appearance of water in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe base of the foundation can either provoke a movement of the soil - the house will “float”, which is typical for clay soils, or, in combination with freezing, frost heaving forces may appear that will create efforts to “squeeze” the house out of the ground.
  • Drainage is designed to remove water from basements and basements. No matter how effective waterproofing is, excess water will still seep through building structures. Basements without drainage can become damp and encourage the growth of mold and other fungi. In addition, precipitation in combination with the salts present in the soil very often form aggressive chemical compounds that adversely affect building materials.

  • Drainage will prevent the "squeezing out" of the septic tank at a high level of groundwater. Without drainage, a wastewater treatment system will not last long.
  • Drainage in conjunction with the system and around the buildings ensures that water is quickly removed, preventing it from seeping into the underground parts of the buildings.
  • Drainage prevents waterlogging of the soil. In areas equipped with well-planned and made drainage, water will not stagnate.
  • Waterlogged soil can cause rotting of the root parts of plants. Drainage prevents this and creates conditions for the growth of all garden, garden and ornamental plants.
  • With heavy precipitation in areas that have a slope, the fertile soil layer can be washed out by water flows. Drainage directs water flows into the drainage system, thereby preventing soil erosion.

Water erosion of fertile soil in the absence of drainage is a serious problem in agriculture
  • If the site is surrounded by a fence built on a strip foundation, then it can "seal" the natural ways of water drainage, creating conditions for waterlogging the soil. Drainage is designed to remove excess water from the perimeter of the site.
  • Drainage helps to avoid the formation of puddles on playgrounds, sidewalks and garden paths.

When Drainage Is Necessary Anyway

Consider those cases when drainage is needed in any case:

  • If the site is located on a flat area, then drainage is mandatory, since when a large amount of precipitation falls or snow melts, the water will simply have nowhere to go. According to the laws of physics, water always goes under the influence of gravity to a lower place, and on a flat landscape it will intensively soak the soil in a downward direction, which can lead to waterlogging. So, from a drainage point of view, it is beneficial for the site to have a slight slope.
  • If the site is located in a lowland, then its drainage is definitely needed, since water will drain from higher places to those below.
  • Strongly sloping sites also require drainage, as rapidly draining water will erode the top fertile soil layers. It is better to direct these flows into drainage channels or pipes. Then the main part of the water will go through them, preventing the soil layer from washing out.
  • If the site is dominated by clay and heavy loamy soils, then after precipitation or snow melt, water will often stagnate on them. Such soils prevent its penetration into the deep layers. Therefore, drainage is essential.
  • If the groundwater level (GWL) in the area is less than 1 meter, then drainage is indispensable.

  • If the buildings on the site have a heavily buried foundation, then it is likely that its sole will be in the zone of seasonal groundwater rise. Therefore, it is necessary to plan drainage at the stage of foundation work.
  • If a significant part of the site area is covered with artificial coverings made of concrete, paving stones or paving slabs, and if there are lawns equipped with an automatic irrigation system, then drainage is also needed.

From this impressive list, it becomes clear that drainage to one degree or another is necessary in most cases. But before you plan and do it, you need to study the site.

Studying the site for relief, soil type and groundwater level

Each site is individual in terms of relief, soil composition and groundwater level. Even two sites located nearby can be very different from each other, although there will still be a lot in common between them. Modern construction requirements suggest that the design of a house should begin only after geological and geodetic surveys have been carried out with the preparation of special reports that contain a lot of data, most of which are understandable only to specialists. If they are “translated” into the language of ordinary citizens who do not have education in the field of geology, hydrogeology and geodesy, then they can be listed as follows:

  • Topographic survey of the area where it is supposed. The photographs must show the cadastral boundaries of the site.
  • A characteristic of the relief, which should indicate what type of relief is present on the site (wavy or flat). If there are slopes, then their presence and direction are indicated, it is in their direction that water will flow. Attached is a topographic plan of the site indicating the contour lines of the relief.

  • Characteristics of the soil, what kind of soil it is and at what depth it lies on the site. To do this, experts drill exploratory wells in different places of the site, from where they take samples, which are then examined in the laboratory.
  • Physical and chemical properties of the soil. Its ability to be load-bearing for the planned house, as well as soil in combination with water, will affect concrete, metal and other building materials.
  • The presence and depth of groundwater, their seasonal fluctuations, taking into account exploration, archival and analytical data. It is also indicated in which soils water can appear and how they will affect the planned building structures.

  • The degree of heaving of soils, the possibility of landslides, subsidence, flooding and swelling.

The result of all these studies should be recommendations on the design and depth of the foundation, the degree of waterproofing, insulation, protection from aggressive chemical compounds, and drainage. It happens that on an impeccable-looking site, experts, in general, will not allow building such a house as the owners intended. For example, a house with a basement was planned, and a high GWL forces specialists to recommend not to do this, therefore, instead of the originally planned strip foundation with a basement, they will recommend a pile foundation without underground facilities. There is no reason not to trust both these studies and specialists, since they have indisputable tools in their hands - measurements, drilling, laboratory experiments, statistics and calculations.


Of course, geological and geodetic surveys are not done free of charge, and they are done at the expense of the developer and they are mandatory on a new site. This fact is often the subject of indignation of some owners, but it should be understood that this procedure will help save a lot of money during the construction and further operation of the house, as well as maintaining the site in good condition. Therefore, this seemingly unnecessary and expensive bureaucracy is necessary and very useful.

If the site is purchased with existing buildings that have been in operation for at least a few years, then you can also order geological and geodetic surveys, but you can do without them, and learn about groundwater, its seasonal rise and unpleasant impact on human life on other grounds. Of course, this will be with a certain degree of risk, but in most cases it works. What you should pay attention to?

  • First of all, this is communication with the former owners of the site. It is clear that it is not always in their interests to talk in detail about problems with flooding, but, nevertheless, you can always find out if any drainage measures have been taken. This will not be hidden for anything.
  • Inspection of the basement can also tell a lot about something. Regardless of whether cosmetic repairs were made there. If indoors elevated level humidity, it will be immediately felt.

  • Getting to know your neighbors and interviewing them can be much more informative than talking to the former owners of the site and the house.
  • If there are wells or wells on your site and neighboring ones, then the water level in them will eloquently report on the GWL. Moreover, it is desirable to observe how the level changes in different seasons. Theoretically, the maximum water should rise in the spring after the snow has melted. In summer, if there were dry periods, the groundwater level should fall.
  • Plants growing on the site can also “tell” a lot to the owner. The presence of plants such as cattail, reeds, sedge, horse sorrel, nettle, hemlock, foxglove indicate that groundwater is at a level of no more than 2.5-3 meters. If even during a drought these plants continue their rapid growth, then this once again indicates the proximity of water. If licorice or wormwood grow on the site, then this is evidence that the water is at a safe depth.

  • Some sources speak of an old way of determining the level of groundwater, which was used by our ancestors before building a house. To do this, a piece of turf was removed in the area of ​​interest and a shallow hole was dug, on the bottom of which a piece of wool was laid, an egg was placed on it, and covered with an inverted clay pot and the removed turf. After dawn and sunrise, the pot was removed and watched as the dew fell. If the egg and wool are in dew, then the water is shallow. If dew fell only on wool, then there is water, but it is at a safe depth. If both the egg and the wool are dry, then the water is very deep. It may seem that this method is akin to quackery or shamanism, but in fact it has an absolutely correct explanation, from the point of view of science.
  • The growth of bright grass on the site even during a drought, as well as the appearance of fog in the evening hours, indicates the proximity of groundwater.
  • The best way to independently determine the groundwater level at the site is to drill test wells. To do this, you can use a regular garden drill with extension cords. Drilling is best done during the highest rise of water, that is, in the spring after the snow melts. First of all, wells should be made at the construction site of a house or an existing building. The well should be drilled to the depth of the foundation plus 50 cm. If water begins to appear in the well immediately or after 1-2 days, this indicates that drainage measures are mandatory.

Beginner's Geologist's Kit - Garden Drill with Extension
  • If, after rain, puddles stagnate on the site, then this may indicate the proximity of groundwater, as well as the fact that the soil is clayey or heavy loamy, which prevents the water from going deep into the ground. In this case, drainage is also necessary. It will still be very useful to update the fertile soil to a lighter one, then there will be problems with growing most garden and garden plants will not be.

Even a very high level of groundwater in the area, although it is a big problem, is a problem that can be completely solved with the help of well-calculated and well-executed drainage. Let's bring good example- more than half of the territory of Holland lies below sea level, including the capital - the famous Amsterdam. The groundwater level in this country can be at a depth of several centimeters. Those who have been to Holland noticed that after rain there are puddles that do not soak into the ground, because they simply have nowhere to soak. Nevertheless, in this cozy country, the issue of draining the land is being solved with the help of a set of measures: dams, dams, polders, locks, canals. The Netherlands even has a special department - Watershap, which deals with flood protection. The abundance of many windmills in this country does not at all mean that they grind grain. Most mills are pumping water.

We do not call for a special purchase of a site with a high level of groundwater, on the contrary, this should be avoided by all possible means. And the example of Holland was given only so that readers could understand that there is a solution to any problem with groundwater. Moreover, in most of the territory former USSR settlements and holiday villages are located in areas where GWL are within acceptable limits, and you can cope with seasonal rises on your own.

Types of drainage systems

There are a great variety of drainage systems and their varieties. And in different sources classification systems may differ from each other. We will try to talk about the simplest, from a technical point of view, drainage systems, but at the same time effective ones that will help solve the problem of removing excess water from the site. Another argument in favor of simplicity is that the fewer elements any system has and the more time it can do without human intervention, the more reliable it will be.

Surface drainage

This type of drainage is the simplest, but, nevertheless, quite effective. It is intended mainly to drain water coming in the form of precipitation or snowmelt, as well as to drain excess water in case of any technological processes, for example, when washing cars or garden paths. Surface drainage is done in any case around buildings or other structures, sites, places of exit from the garage or yard. Surface drainage is of two main types:

  • Point drainage designed to collect and drain water from a specific place. This type of drainage is also called local drainage. The main locations for point drainage are under roof drains, in pits in front of doors and garage doors, at the location of taps for irrigation. And also point drainage, in addition to its direct purpose, can complement another type of surface drainage system.

Rain inlet - the main element of point surface drainage
  • Linear drainage needed to remove water from a larger area compared to a point. It is a collection trays and channels, mounted with a slope, equipped with various elements: sand traps (sand traps), protective grilles , performing a filtering, protective and decorative function. Trays and channels can be made from a variety of materials. First of all, it is plastic in the form of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), low-pressure polyethylene (HDPE). And also materials such as concrete or polymer concrete are widely used. Grates are most often used plastic, but in those areas where increased load is expected, stainless steel or even cast iron products can be used. Work on the organization of linear drainage requires concrete preparation of the base.

Obviously, any good surface drainage system almost always combines elements of point and linear. And all of them are combined into a common drainage system, which may also include another subsystem, which we will consider in the next section of our article.

rain gutter prices

storm water inlet

deep drainage

In most cases, surface drainage alone cannot be dispensed with. To qualitatively solve the problem, we need a different type of drainage - deep, which is a system of special drainage pipes (drains) , laid in those places where it is required to lower the level of groundwater or divert water from the protected area. Drains are laid with a slope to the side collector, well , artificial or natural reservoir on the site or beyond. Naturally, they are laid below the level of the base of the foundation of the protected building or along the perimeter of the site at a depth of 0.8-1.5 meters to lower the groundwater level to non-critical values. Drains can also be laid in the middle of the site with a certain interval, which is calculated by experts. Typically, the interval between the pipes is 10-20 meters, and they are laid in the form of a Christmas tree, directed to the main outlet pipe-collector. It all depends on the level of groundwater and their quantity.


When laying drains in trenches, it is imperative to use all the features of the site relief. Water will always move from a higher place to a lower one, so the drains are laid in the same way. It is much more difficult if the site is absolutely flat, then the pipes are given the desired slope by giving a certain level to the bottom of the trenches. It is customary to make a slope of 2 cm per 1 meter of pipe for clay and loamy soils and 3 cm per 1 meter for sandy soils. Obviously, with sufficiently long drains, it will be difficult to maintain the desired slope on a flat area, since the level difference will already be 20 or 30 cm per 10 meters of the pipe, so the necessary measure is the organization of several drainage wells that will be able to receive the required volume of water.

It should be noted that even with a smaller slope, water, even at 1 cm per 1 meter or less, will still, obeying the laws of physics, try to go below the level, but the flow rate will be less, and this can contribute to silting and clogging of drains. And any owner who has laid sewer or drainage pipes at least once in his life knows that it is much more difficult to maintain a very small slope than a larger one. Therefore, you should not be “embarrassed” in this matter and boldly set a slope of 3, 4 and even 5 cm per meter of the drainage pipe, if the length and the planned difference in the depth of the trench allow.


Drainage wells are one of the most important components of deep drainage. They can be of three main types:

  • Rotary wells suit where the drains make a turn or there is a connection of several elements. These elements are needed for the revision and cleaning of the drainage system, which must be done periodically. They can be as small in diameter, which will only allow cleaning and washing with a jet of water under pressure, but they can also be wide, which provide human access.

  • Water intake wells - their purpose is absolutely clear from their name. In those areas where it is not possible to divert water into the depths or beyond, it becomes necessary to collect water. These wells are designed for just that. Previously, they were mainly a structure made of cast-in-place concrete, concrete rings or plastered cement mortar bricks. Now most commonly used plastic containers of various volumes, which are protected from clogging or silting with geotextiles and sprinkling of crushed stone or gravel. Water collected in a water intake well can be pumped out of the site using special submersible drainage pumps, can be pumped out and taken out by tank trucks, and can settle in a well or pool for further irrigation.

  • absorption wells designed to drain water in the event that the terrain of the site does not allow moisture to be removed beyond its limits, but the underlying soil layers have good absorbency. These soils include sandy and sandy loam. Such wells are made of large diameters (about 1.5 meters) and depths (at least 2 meters). The well is filled with filter material in the form of sand, sand-gravel mixture, crushed stone, gravel, broken brick or slag. To prevent the ingress of eroded fertile soil or various blockages from above, the well is covered and fertile soil. Naturally, the side walls and the bottom are protected by sprinkling. Water, falling into such a well, is filtered by its contents and goes deep into sandy or sandy loamy soils. The ability of such wells to remove water from the site may be limited, so they are arranged when the expected throughput should not exceed 1-1.5 m 3 per day.

Of the drainage systems, the main and most important is deep drainage, since it is it that provides the necessary water regime for both the site and all the buildings located on it. Any mistake in the design and installation of deep drainage can lead to very unpleasant consequences, which can lead to the death of plants, flooding of basements, destruction of house foundations, and uneven drainage of the site. That is why it is recommended not to neglect geological and geodetic studies and ordering a drainage system project from specialists. If it is possible to correct flaws in surface drainage without a strong violation of the landscape of the site, then with deep drainage everything is much more serious, the price of a mistake is too high.

Well prices

Overview of accessories for drainage systems

For self-execution of the drainage of the site and the buildings located on it, you need to find out what components will be required for this. Of the widest selection of them, we have tried to show the most used at the present time. If earlier the market was dominated by Western manufacturers, who, as monopolists, dictated high prices for their products, now a sufficient number of domestic enterprises offer their products, which are in no way inferior in quality.

Details for surface drainage

For point and linear surface drainage, the following parts can be used:

ImageName, manufacturerPurpose and description
Tray drainage concrete 1000*140*125 mm with a steel stamped galvanized lattice. Production - Russia.Designed for surface water drainage. Capacity 4.18 l/s, able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).880 rub.
Tray drainage concrete with cast iron grate, dimensions 1000*140*125 mm. Production - Russia.The purpose and throughput are the same as in the previous example. Able to withstand loads up to 25 tons (C250).1480 rub.
Concrete drainage tray with steel galvanized mesh grid, dimensions 1000*140*125 mm. Production - Russia.The purpose and throughput are the same. Able to withstand loads up to 12.5 tons (B125).1610 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 1000*140*70 mm with plastic grating. Production - Russia.The purpose is the same, the throughput is 1.9 l / s. Able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15). The material combines the advantages of plastic and concrete.820 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 1000*140*70 mm with cast-iron grate. Production - Russia.throughput is the same. Able to withstand up to 25 tons of load (C250).1420 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 1000*140*70 mm with steel mesh grating. Production - Russia.throughput is the same. Able to withstand up to 12.5 tons of load (B125).1550 rub.
Tray plastic drainage 1000*145*60 mm with a galvanized stamped lattice. Production - Russia.Made from frost-resistant polypropylene. Throughput 1.8 l/sec. Able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).760 rub.
Plastic drainage tray 1000*145*60 mm with cast-iron grate. Production - Russia.Throughput 1.8 l/sec. Able to withstand loads up to 25 tons (C250).1360 rub.
Completed plastic rainwater inlet (siphon-partitions 2 pcs., Waste basket - 1 pc.). Size 300*300*300 mm. With plastic grid. Production - Russia.Designed for point drainage of water flowing from the roof through the downpipe, and can also be used to collect water under yard, garden watering taps. Can be connected to fittings with diameters of 75, 110, 160 mm. Removable basket provides quick cleaning. Withstands loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).For a set together with siphon partitions, a waste basket and a plastic grate - 1000 rubles.
Completed plastic rainwater inlet (siphon-partitions 2 pcs., Waste basket - 1 pc.). Size 300*300*300 mm. With cast-iron grate "Snowflake". Production - Russia.The purpose is similar to the previous one. Withstands loads up to 25 tons (C250).For a set together with siphon partitions, a waste basket and a cast-iron grate - 1550 rubles.
Sand trap - plastic with a galvanized steel grate. Dimensions 500*116*320 mm.Designed to collect dirt and debris in surface linear drainage systems. It is installed at the end of the line of gutters (trays) and later it joins the pipes of the storm sewer system with a diameter of 110 mm. Able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).For a set together with gratings 975 rubles.

In the table, we deliberately showed Russian-made trays and storm water inlets, made of materials that differ from each other and have different configurations. It is also worth noting that the trays have different widths and depths and, accordingly, their throughput is also not the same. There are a lot of options for the materials from which they are made and sizes, there is no need to list them all, since it depends on many factors: the required throughput, the expected load on the soil, the specific scheme for implementing the drainage system. That is why it is best to entrust the calculations of the drainage system to specialists who will calculate both the required size and quantity, and select the components.

There was absolutely no need to talk about possible accessories for drainage trays, storm water inlets and sand traps in the table, since in each individual case they will be different. When buying, if there is a system project, the seller will always tell you the ones you need. They can be end caps for trays, mounts for gratings, various corner and transition elements, reinforcing profiles, and others.


A few words should be said about sand traps and storm water inlets. If the surface linear drainage around the house is implemented with storm water inlets in the corners (and this is usually done), then sand traps will not be required. Rain inlets with siphon partitions and waste baskets do an excellent job with their role. If the linear drainage does not have storm water inlets and goes into the sewer drainage pipe, then a sand trap is required. That is, any transition from drainage trays to pipes must be done either with the help of a storm inlet or a sand trap. Only this way and not otherwise! This is done so that sand and various heavy debris do not get into the pipes, as this can lead to their rapid wear, and over time, both they and the drainage wells will become clogged. It is hard to disagree that it is easier to periodically remove and wash the baskets while on the surface than to go down into the wells.


Surface drainage also includes wells and pipes, but they will be discussed in the next section, since, in principle, they are the same for both types of systems.

Details for deep drainage

Deep drainage is a more complex engineering system that requires more details. In the table we present only the main ones, since all their diversity will take up a lot of space and attention of our readers. If desired, it will not be difficult to find catalogs of manufacturers of these systems, select the necessary parts and accessories for them.

ImageName and manufacturerPurpose and descriptionApproximate price (as of October 2016)
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 63 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and sites.
Wrapped with geotextile to prevent clogging of pores with soil, sand, which prevents clogging and silting.
They have a full (circular) perforation.
Made from low pressure polyethylene (HDPE).
Rigidity class SN-4.
Depth of laying up to 4 m.
For 1 r.p. 48 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 110 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.similar to aboveFor 1 r.p. 60 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 160 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.similar to aboveFor 1 r.p. 115 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 200 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.similar to aboveFor 1 r.p. 190 rub.
Single-wall corrugated drainage pipes made of HDPE with a coconut coir filter with diameters of 90, 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of manufacture - Russia.Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and sites on clay and peat soils. Coconut coir has increased reclamation and strength compared to geotextiles. They have circular perforations. Rigidity class SN-4. Depth of laying up to 4 m.219, 310, 744, 1074 rubles. for 1 r.m. (depending on diameter).
Two-layer drainage pipes with Typar SF-27 geotextile filter. The outer layer of HDPE is corrugated, the inner layer of HDPE is smooth. Diameters 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of origin - Russia.Are intended for removal of excess moisture from the bases and sites on all types of soils. They have a full (circular) perforation. The outer layer protects against mechanical stress, and the inner layer allows, due to its smooth surface remove more water. The two-layer design has a stiffness class of SN-6 and allows you to lay pipes at a depth of up to 6 meters.160, 240, 385 rubles. for 1 r.m. (depending on diameter).
PVC pipes for sewerage are smooth with a socket with an outer diameter of 110, 125, 160, 200 mm, length 1061, 1072, 1086, 1106 mm, respectively. Country of origin - Russia.Designed for organizing an external sewer system, as well as storm sewer or drainage systems. They have a stiffness class of SN-4, which allows them to be laid at a depth of up to 4 meters.180, 305, 270, 490 rubles. for pipes: 110*1061 mm, 125*1072 mm, 160*1086 mm, 200*1106 mm respectively.
Well shafts with a diameter of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm from HDPE. Country of origin - Russia.Are intended for creation of drainage wells (rotary, water intake, absorption). They have a two-layer construction. Ring stiffness SN-4. The maximum length is 6 meters.950, 1650, 3700, 7400 rubles for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm, respectively.
Bottom-plug of wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm from HDPE. Country of origin - Russia.Designed to create drainage wells: rotary or water intake.940, 1560, 4140, 7100 for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm, respectively.
Inserts into the well in place with diameters of 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of origin - Russia.Designed for insertion into a well at any level of sewer or drainage pipes of appropriate diameters.350, 750, 2750 rubles for inserts with diameters of 110, 160, 200 mm, respectively.
Hatch polymer concrete for drainage wells with a diameter of 340 mm. Country of origin - Russia.500 rub.
Hatch polymer concrete for drainage wells with a diameter of 460 mm. Country of origin - Russia.It is intended for installation on drainage wells. Withstands loads up to 1.5 tons.850 rub.
Polyester geotextile with a density of 100 g/m². Country of origin - Russia.Used to create drainage systems. It is not subject to rotting, influence of a mold, rodents and insects. Roll length from 1 to 6 m.20 rub. for 1 m².

The presented table shows that the cost of even Russian-made parts for drainage systems can hardly be called cheap. But the effect of their use will delight the owners of the site for at least 50 years. It is about this service life that the manufacturer claims. Considering that the material for manufacturing drainage parts is absolutely inert with respect to all substances found in nature, it can be assumed that the service life will be much longer than stated.

Previously widely used asbestos-cement or ceramic pipes we deliberately did not indicate in the table, since apart from the high price and difficulties in transportation and installation, they will not bring anything. This is yesterday's age.


To create drainage systems, there are still a lot of components from various manufacturers. These include tray parts, which can be throughput, connecting, prefabricated and dead-end. They are designed to connect drainage pipes of various diameters to wells. They provide connections for drainage pipes at various angles.


With all the obvious advantages of tray parts with pipe sockets, their price is very high. For example, the part shown in the figure above costs 7 thousand rubles. Therefore, in most cases, inserts into the well are used, as indicated in the table. Another advantage of tie-ins is that they can be done at any level and at any angle to each other.

In addition to those parts for drainage systems that are indicated in the table, there are many others that are selected by calculation and during installation on site. These may include various cuffs and o-rings, couplings, tees and crosses, check valves for drainage and sewer pipes, eccentric transitions and necks, bends, plugs and much more. Their correct selection should be dealt with, first of all, during the design, and then make adjustments during installation.

Video: How to choose a drainage pipe

Video: Drainage wells

If readers find articles on drainage on the Internet that say that it is easy to make drainage with your own hands, then we advise you to immediately close this article without reading it. Making drainage with your own hands is not an easy task. But, the main thing is that it is possible if you do everything consistently and correctly.

Site drainage design

The drainage system is a complex engineering object that requires an appropriate attitude. Therefore, we recommend that our readers order the design of the drainage of the site from professionals who will take into account absolutely everything: the relief of the site, and the existing (or planned) buildings, and the composition of the soil, and the depth of the GWL, and other factors. After the design, the customer will have a set of documents in his hands, which includes:

  • Site plan with its relief.
  • A scheme for laying pipes for wall or ring drainage, indicating the section and type of pipes, the depth of occurrence, the required slopes, and the location of the wells.
  • The drainage scheme of the site, also indicating the depth of the trenches, types of pipes, slopes, the distance between adjacent drains, the location of rotary or water intake wells.

It will be difficult to independently make a detailed design of the drainage system without knowledge and experience. That is why you should turn to professionals
  • Scheme of surface point and linear drainage indicating the size of trays, sand traps, storm water inlets, used sewer pipes, location of water intake wells.
  • Transverse dimensions of trenches for near-wall and deep drainage, indicating the depth, material and thickness of the backfill, type of geotextile used.
  • Calculation of necessary components and materials.
  • An explanatory note to the project describing the entire drainage system and the technology for performing work.

The project of the drainage system of the site is much lower than the architectural one, so we once again strongly advise you to contact the specialists. This minimizes the likelihood of errors during self-arrangement of drainage.

Wall drainage equipment at home

To protect the foundations of houses from the effects of groundwater, the so-called wall drainage is made, which is located around the entire house on its outer side at some distance from the base of the foundation. usually it is 0.3-0.5 m, but in any case not more than 1 meter. Wall drainage is done even at the stage of building a house, along with measures for warming and waterproofing the foundation. When is this type of drainage necessary anyway?

Prices for drainage systems

  • When the house has a basement.

  • When the buried parts of the foundation are at a distance of no more than 0.5 meters above the groundwater level.
  • When a house is built on clay or loamy soils.

All modern house designs almost always provide wall drainage. An exception can only be those cases when the foundation is laid on sandy soils that do not freeze through more than 80 cm.

A typical wall drainage design is shown in the figure.

At some distance from the base of the foundation, approximately 30 cm below its level, a leveling layer of sand 10 cm is made, on which a geotextile membrane with a density of at least 150 g / m² is laid, on which a layer of crushed stone of a fraction of 20-40 mm with a thickness of at least 10 cm is poured. Instead of crushed stone, washed gravel may well be used. Crushed stone is better to use granite, but not limestone, since the latter tends to gradually erode with water. A drainage pipe wrapped with geotextile is laid on a crushed stone pillow. The pipes are given the desired slope - at least 2 cm per 1 linear meter of the pipe.

In the places where the pipe turns, inspection and inspection wells are necessarily made. The rules allow them to be done through one turn, but practice suggests that it is better not to save on this and put them on every turn. The slope of the pipes is done in one direction (in the figure from point K1, through points K2 and K3, to point K4). In this case, it is necessary to take into account the terrain. It is assumed that point K1 is at the very high place, and K4 is at its lowest.

Drains are inserted into wells not from the very foundation, but with an indent of at least 20 cm from the bottom. Then the small debris or silt that has fallen will not linger in the pipes, but will settle in the well. In the future, when revising the system, you can wash out the silted bottom with a strong jet of water, which will carry away everything unnecessary. If the soil in the area where the wells are located has a good absorbing capacity, then the bottom is not made. In all other cases, it is better to equip the wells with a bottom.

A layer of crushed stone or washed gravel with a thickness of at least 20 cm is again poured over the drains, and then it is wrapped around with the previously laid geotextile membrane. On top of such a “wrapped” structure made of a drainage pipe and rubble, a backfill of sand is made, and on top, after it is compacted, a blind area of ​​​​the building is already organized, which is also called upon, but already in the system of surface linear drainage. Even if atmospheric water enters from the outside of the foundation, then, having passed through the sand, it will fall into the drains and eventually merge into the main collector well, which can be equipped with a pump. If the relief of the site allows, then an overflow is made from the collector well without a pump, which removes water outside into a gutter, an artificial or natural reservoir, or a storm sewer system. Under no circumstances should drainage be connected to a conventional sewer system.


If groundwater begins to "support" from below, then they, first of all, impregnate the sandy preparation and crushed stone in which the drains are located. The speed of water movement along the drains is higher than in the ground, so the water is quickly removed and drained into a collector well, which is laid lower than the drains. It turns out that inside a closed circuit of drainage pipes, water simply cannot rise above the level of the drains, which means that the base of the foundation and the floor in the basement will be dry.

Such a wall drainage scheme is very often used and works very effectively. But it has a significant drawback. This is backfilling of the entire sinus between the foundation and the edge of the pit with sand. Given the considerable volume of the sinus, you will have to pay a tidy sum for this filling. But there is a beautiful way out of this situation. In order not to backfill with sand, you can use a special profiled geomembrane, which is a sheet of HDPE or PVD with various additives, which has a relief surface in the form of small truncated cones. When the underground part of the foundation is pasted over with such a membrane, it performs two main functions.

  • The geomembrane itself is an excellent waterproofing agent. It does not allow moisture to penetrate to the walls of the underground foundation structure.
  • The relief surface of the membrane helps to ensure that the water that appears on it flows down freely, where it is “intercepted” by the laid drains.

The design of wall drainage using a geomembrane is shown in the following figure.


On the outer wall of the foundation, after the measures and insulation (if necessary), the geomembrane is glued or mechanically attached with the relief part (pimples) outward. A geotextile fabric with a density of 150-200 g / m² is fixed on top of it, which will prevent soil particles from clogging the relief part of the geomembrane. Further organization of drainage is usually carried out: a drain is placed on a layer of sand, covered with crushed stone and wrapped with geotextile. Only backfilling of the sinuses is not done with sand or gravel, but with ordinary soil excavated when digging a pit or clay, which is much cheaper.

Drainage of water, "supporting" the foundation from below, proceeds as in the previous case. But water that has entered the wall from the outside through moistened soil or penetrated into the gap between the foundation and the soil will follow the path of least resistance: seep through the geotextile, flow freely along the relief surface of the geomembrane, pass through the rubble and fall into the drain. Foundations protected in this way will not be threatened for a minimum of 30-50 years. In the basement floors of such houses it will always be dry.

Consider the main stages of creating a wall drainage system at home.

ImageDescription of actions
After the measures for the construction of the foundation, its primary coating, and then rolled waterproofing and insulation, have been carried out, the geomembrane is glued with the relief part outward on the outer wall of the foundation, including its sole, using a special mastic that does not corrode polystyrene foam. The upper part of the membrane should protrude beyond the level of the future backfill by at least 20 cm, and the lower part should reach the very bottom of the foundation, including the sole.
The joints of most geomembranes have a special lock, which is "snapped" by overlapping one sheet over another, and then tapping with a rubber mallet.
A geotextile fabric with a density of 150-200 g/m² is attached over the geomembrane. It is better to use not needle-punched, but thermally bonded geotextiles, as it is less prone to clogging. For fixing, dish-shaped dowels are used. The fixing step of the dowels is no more than 1 m horizontally and no more than 2 m vertically. The overlap of adjacent geotextile sheets on each other is at least 10-15 cm. Dish-shaped dowels should fall at the junction.
In the upper part of the geomembrane and geotextile, it is recommended to use a special mounting strip, which will press both layers to the foundation structure.
The bottom of the pit from the outside of the foundation is cleaned to the required level. The level can be controlled with a theodolite with a measuring bar, a laser level and an improvised wooden bar with marked marks, stretched and set with a tensioned cord using a hydraulic level. You can also “beat off” a horizontal line on the wall and measure the depth with a tape measure.
Washed sand is poured at the bottom with a layer of at least 10 cm, which is wetted with water and rammed mechanically or manually until there are practically no traces left when walking.
In the designated places, inspection and inspection wells are installed. To do this, it is enough to use mines with a diameter of 340 or 460 mm. Having measured the desired length, they can be cut either with a conventional hacksaw for wood, or with an electric jigsaw, or with a reciprocating saw. Initially, the wells must be cut 20-30 cm more than the estimated length, and later, when designing the landscape, already fit it under it.
Bottoms are installed on the wells. To do this, in single-layer wells (for example, Wavin), a rubber cuff is placed in the rib of the body, then it is lubricated with soapy water and the bottom is put on. It must go in with force.
In Russian-made two-layer wells, before installing the cuff, it is necessary to cut a strip of the inner layer with a knife, and then do the same as in the previous case.
Wells are installed in their intended places. Sites for their installation are compacted and leveled. On their side surfaces, marks are made for the entrance and exit of the centers of drains (taking into account slopes of 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe). We remind you that the entrances and exits of drains must be at least 20 cm from the bottom.
For the convenience of inserting couplings, it is better to place the wells horizontally and make holes corresponding to the coupling with a crown with a center drill. In the absence of a crown, you can make holes with a jigsaw, but this requires certain skills.
After that, the edges are cleaned of burrs with a knife or brush.
The outer rubber cuff of the coupling is placed inside the hole. It should equally go inside the well and stay outside (about 2 cm each).
The inner surface of the rubber cuff of the coupling is lubricated with soapy water, and then the plastic part is inserted until it stops. The joints of the rubber part of the coupling to the well can be smeared with a waterproof sealant.
Wells are installed in their places and aligned vertically. Geotextiles are laid out on a sand cushion. Granite crushed stone of a fraction of 5-20 mm or washed gravel with a layer of at least 10 cm is poured on it. In this case, the necessary slopes of the drainage pipes are taken into account. Crushed stone is leveled and compacted.
Perforated drainage pipes of the required size are measured and cut. Pipes are inserted into couplings cut into wells after lubricating the cuff with soapy water. Their slope is checked.
A layer of crushed stone or gravel of at least 20 cm is poured on top of the drains. Then the edges of the geotextile fabric are wrapped on top of each other and a 20 cm layer of sand is sprinkled on top.
In the intended place, a pit is dug for the collector well of the drainage system. The level of its occurrence, of course, must be below the lowest drain in order to receive water from the wall drainage. To this pit, a trench is dug from the lower level of the inspection and inspection well for laying a sewer pipe.
Shafts with diameters of 460, 695 and even 930 mm can be used as a collector well. A prefabricated well made of reinforced concrete rings can also be equipped. Inserting a sewer pipe into a receiving collector well is done in exactly the same way as drains.
The sewer pipe leading from the lower wall drainage well to the collector well is laid on a 10 cm sand cushion and sprinkled with sand of at least 10 cm thickness on top. After compacting the sand, the trench is covered with soil.
The system is checked for functionality. To do this, water is poured into the topmost well in terms of level. After filling the bottom, water should begin to flow through the drains into other wells and, after filling their bottoms, eventually flow into the collector well. There should be no reverse current.
After checking the performance of the sinuses between the edge of the pit, they are covered with soil. It is preferable to use quarry clay for this, which will create a waterproof lock around the foundation.
The wells are covered with lids to prevent clogging. Final pruning and installation of covers should be done along with landscaping.

The collection well can be equipped with a check valve, which, even if it is overflowing, will not allow water to flow back into the drains. And also in the well can be automatic. When the GWL rises to critical values, water will collect in the well. The pump is set up so that when a certain level is exceeded in the well, it will turn on and pump water out of the site or into other containers or reservoirs. Thus, the GWL in the foundation area will always be lower than the laid drains.

It happens that one collector well is used for the wall drainage system and the surface one. Experts do not recommend doing this, since during intensive snowmelt or heavy rains in a short time, a very large amount of water will be collected, which will only interfere with inspecting the GWL in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe foundation. Water from precipitation and melted snow is best collected in separate containers and used for irrigation. In case of overflow of storm wells, water from them can be pumped in the same way to another place with a drainage pump.

Video: Wall drainage at home

Ring drainage equipment at home

Annular drainage, unlike wall drainage, is located not close to the foundation structure, but at some distance from it: from 2 to 10 meters or more. In what cases is ring drainage arranged?

  • If the house has already been built and any intervention in the foundation structure is undesirable.
  • If the house does not have a basement.
  • If the house or group of buildings is built on sandy or sandy loamy soils that have good water permeability.
  • If other types of drainage cannot cope with the seasonal rise of groundwater.

Regardless of the fact that ring drainage is much simpler in practical implementation, it should be treated more seriously than wall drainage. Why?

  • A very important characteristic is the depth of the drains. In any case, the laying depth must be greater than the depth of the base of the foundation or the level of the basement floor.
  • The distance from the foundation to the drain is also an important characteristic. The more sandy the soil, the greater the distance should be. And vice versa - the more clay soils, the closer the drains can be located to the foundation.
  • When calculating the ring foundation, the level of groundwater, its seasonal fluctuations and the direction of their inflow are also taken into account.

Based on the foregoing, we can safely say that it is better to entrust the calculation of the annular drainage to specialists. It would seem that the closer the drain is to the house and the deeper it is laid, the better it will be for the protected structure. It turns out not! Any drainage changes the hydrogeological situation in the foundation area, which is far from always good. The task of drainage is not to completely drain the site, but to lower the GWL to such values ​​that will not interfere with human and plant life. Drainage is a kind of contract with the forces of Mother Nature, and not an attempt to "rewrite" existing laws.

One of the options for the device of the annular drainage system is shown in the figure.


It can be seen that a trench has been dug around the house outside the blind area to such a depth that the upper part of the drainage pipe lies 30-50 cm below the lowest point of the foundation. The trench is lined with geotextiles and the pipe itself is also in a shell of it. The minimum underlying layer of crushed stone should be at least 10 cm. The minimum slope of drains with a diameter of 110-200 mm is 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe. The figure shows that the entire trench is covered with rubble. This is quite acceptable and does not contradict anything but common sense, in terms of excessive spending.

The diagram shows that the inspection and control wells are installed through one turn, which is quite acceptable if the drainage pipe is laid in one piece, without any fittings. But still it is better to do them at every turn. This will greatly facilitate the maintenance of the drainage system over time.

An annular drainage system can perfectly "get along" with a system of surface point and linear drainage. In one trench, drains can be laid at the lower level, and sewer pipes leading from trays and storm water inlets to the well for collecting rain and melt water can be laid next to them or on top in a layer of sand. If the path of both one and the other leads to one collector catchment well, then this is generally wonderful, the number of earthworks is reduced significantly. Although, we recall that we recommended collecting these waters separately. They can be collected together in only one case - if all water from precipitation and extracted from the soil is removed (naturally or forcibly) from the site into a collective storm sewer system, gutter or reservoir.


When organizing ring drainage, a trench is first dug to the estimated depth. The width of the trench in the area of ​​​​its bottom should be at least 40 cm; a certain slope is immediately given to the bottom of the trench, the control of which is most convenient to carry out with a theodolite, and in its absence, a horizontally stretched cord and a measuring rod from improvised means will help.

Washed sand is poured at the bottom with a layer of at least 10 cm, which is carefully rammed. It is obvious that it is impossible to do this in a narrow trench in a mechanized way, therefore, a manual rammer is used.

Installation of wells, tie-in couplings, adding crushed granite or gravel, laying and connecting drains is carried out in exactly the same way as when organizing wall drainage, so there is no point in repeating. The difference is that with ring drainage, it is better to fill the trench after crushed stone and geotextiles not with soil, but with sand. Only the upper fertile layer of soil is poured, about 10-15 cm. Then, already with the landscape equipment of the site, the places for laying drains are taken into account and trees or shrubs with a powerful root system are not planted in these places.

Video: Drainage around the house

Surface point and line drainage equipment

As in all cases, a surface drainage system can only be successfully installed if there is a project or at least a self-made plan. On this plan, it is necessary to take into account everything - from water intake points to a tank where rain and melt water will merge. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the slopes of pipelines and trays, the direction of movement along the trays.


The surface drainage system can be installed with an existing blind area, paths made of paving slabs or paving stones. It is possible that one of their parts will have to be intervened, but this still does not require complete dismantling. Consider an example of the installation of a surface drainage system using the example of polymer concrete trays and sand traps (sand traps) and sewer pipes.

To carry out the work you will need a very simple set of tools:


  • Shovels shovel and bayonet;
  • Building bubble level from 60 cm long;
  • Bench hammer;
  • Rubber hammer for laying tiles or paving stones;
  • Construction marking cord and a set of stakes made of wood or pieces of reinforcement;
  • Trowel and spatulas;
  • Roulette;
  • Construction knife;
  • Chisel;
  • Angle grinder (grinder) with discs of at least 230 mm for stone and metal;
  • Container for preparation of solutions.

We present the further process in the form of a table.

ImageProcess description
Given the plan or design of surface drainage, it is necessary to determine the points of water discharge, that is, those places where water collected from the surface will go into the sewer pipeline leading to the drainage well. The laying depth of this pipeline should be lower than the freezing depth of the soil, which is 60-80 cm for most populated climatic zones in Russia. It is in our interests to minimize the number of discharge points, but to ensure the required drainage capacity.
Discharge of water into the pipeline must be done either through sand traps or through storm water inlets to ensure the filtering of debris and sand. First of all, it is necessary to provide for their connection using standard shaped elements of external sewerage to the pipeline and try on these elements at the installation site.
It is better to foresee the connection of storm water inlets located under the drainpipes in advance, even at the stage of arranging wall drainage, so that when snow melts during the thaw and off-season, water flowing from the roofs immediately falls into the underground pipeline and would not freeze in trays, on blind areas and paths.
If it is not possible to install sand traps, then the sewer pipeline can be connected directly to the trays. For this, polymer concrete trays have special technological holes that allow you to connect a vertical pipeline.
Some manufacturers have special baskets fixed in the vertical water outlet, which protect the drainage system from clogging.
Most plastic trays, in addition to a vertical connection, can also have a side connection. But this should be done only when there is confidence in the purity of the water being drained, since it is much more difficult to clean drainage wells and catchment tanks than baskets.
To install surface drainage elements, you first need to select the soil to the required depth and width. To do this, with an already existing lawn, the turf is cut to the required width, which is defined as the width of the installed element plus 20 cm - 10 cm on each side. It may be necessary to dismantle the curbs and extreme rows of paving slabs or paving stones.
In depth for the installation of drainage elements, it is necessary to choose the soil by the depth of the element plus 20 cm. Of these, 10 cm for sand or crushed stone preparation, and 10 cm for concrete base. The soil is removed, the base is cleaned and rammed, and further filling is made of crushed stone of a fraction of 5-20 mm. Then pegs are driven in and a cord is pulled, which will determine the level of the installed trays.
Surface drainage elements are tried on at the installation site. In this case, one should take into account the direction of the water flow, which is usually indicated on the side surface of the trays.
Holes are made in the drainage elements for connecting sewer pipes. In plastic trays, this is done with a knife, and in polymer concrete trays with a chisel and a hammer.
When fitting parts, it may be necessary to cut off part of the tray. Plastic are easily cut with a hacksaw, and polymer concrete with a grinder. Galvanized metal gratings are cut with scissors for metal, and cast-iron gratings are cut with a grinder.
On the last trays, end caps are installed using a special adhesive-sealant.
To install surface drainage elements, it is best to use ready-made dry mixes of sand concrete M-300, which are in the assortment of many manufacturers. In a suitable container, a solution is prepared, which should be dense in consistency. Installation is best done from discharge points - sand traps. Concrete is laid out on the prepared base.
Then it is leveled with a trowel and a sand trap is installed on this pillow.
Then it is exposed along the previously stretched cord. If necessary, the tray is seated in place with a rubber mallet.
The correctness of the installation is checked by the cord and by the level.
Trays and sand traps are set so that when the grate is installed, its plane is 3-5 mm below the surface level. Then the water will flow freely into the trays, the gratings will not be damaged by the wheels of the car.
The sand trap installed according to the level is immediately fixed on the sides with a concrete mixture. The so-called concrete heel is formed.
Similarly, drainage trays are installed on a concrete base.
They also align with both cord and level.
After installation, the joints are covered with a special sealant, which is always offered when buying trays.
Experienced installers can apply sealant before installing the trays, applying it to the ends even before installation.
When installing plastic trays in concrete, they can be deformed. Therefore, it is better to install them with installed gratings, which, in order to avoid contamination, are best wrapped with plastic wrap.
If the surface is flat and has no slopes, then it will be problematic to provide the required slope of the trays. The way out of this situation is to install a cascade of trays of the same width, but different depths.
After installing all the elements of surface drainage, a concrete heel is formed, and then paving stones or paving slabs if they are dismantled. The surface of the paving stones should be 3-5 mm higher than the grate of the drainage tray.
Between the paving stones and the trays, it is imperative to make a deformation seam. Instead of the recommended rubber cords, you can use a double-folded strip of roofing material and sealant.
After the concrete has set, after 2-3 days, backfilling of the excavated soil can be done.
After compacting the soil, the previously removed layer of turf is laid out on top. It must be laid 5-7 cm higher than the rest of the lawn surface, as over time it will compact and settle.
After flushing the entire surface drainage system and checking its performance, the trays, storm water inlets and sand traps are closed with gratings. It is possible to expose elements to vertical loading only in 7-10 days.

When operating a surface drainage system, it is imperative to periodically clean the storm water inlets and sand traps. If necessary, you can remove the protective grids and rinse the trays themselves with a strong jet of water. Water collected after rains or snowmelt is the most suitable for further use for watering the garden, vegetable garden or lawns. The groundwater collected by a deep drainage system may have a different chemical composition and may not always be used for the same purposes. Therefore, we once again remind and advise our readers to collect groundwater and atmospheric water separately.

Video: Installation of a drainage system

Site deep drainage equipment

We have already described in which cases deep drainage of the site is needed and found out that it is almost always needed in order to forever forget about the problems of stagnant puddles, permanent dirt or the death of various plants that cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. The complexity of deep drainage equipment is that if the site has already been landscaped, trees and shrubs have been planted, there is a well-groomed lawn, then this order will have to be violated at least partially. Therefore, we recommend to immediately organize a deep drainage system on the acquired new construction sites. As in all other cases, the project of such a drainage system must be ordered from specialists. Independent incorrect calculation and execution of the drainage system can lead to the fact that waterlogged places on the site will be adjacent to dry ones.


In areas with a pronounced relief, the drainage system can become a beautiful part of the landscape. For this, organized open channel or a network of channels through which water can freely leave the site. Rainwater from the roof can also be directed into these channels. But readers will certainly agree with the authors that the presence of a large number of channels will bring more inconvenience than benefits from their contemplation. That is why deep drainage is most often equipped closed type. Opponents of deep drainage may argue that such systems can lead to excessive drainage of fertile soil, which will negatively affect plants. However, any fertile soils have a very good and useful property - they retain exactly as much water in their thickness as necessary, and plants growing on soils take exactly as much water from it as is necessary for their root system.


The main guiding document for the organization of the drainage system is a graphical plan of the drainage system, which indicates everything: the location of the collector and storage wells, the cross section of the drainage pipes and their depth, the cross section of the drainage trench and other helpful information. An example of a drainage system plan is shown in the figure.

Consider the main stages of creating a deep drainage site.

ImageProcess description
First of all, the site is marked, in which the position of the main elements of the drainage system is transferred from the plan to the terrain. Drainage pipe routes are marked with a stretched cord, which can immediately be pulled either horizontally or with a slope, which should be in each of the sections.
A pit is dug under the storage drainage well of the required depth. The bottom of the pit is compacted and 10 cm of sand is poured and compacted on it. The body of the well is tried on in place.
In the direction from the well towards the beginning of the main collector pipe, a trench is dug, the bottom of which is immediately given the desired slope specified in the project, but not less than 2 cm per 1 linear meter of the pipe. The width of the trench in the bottom area is 40 m. The depth depends on the specific project.
From the collector trench, trenches are dug for drains, which will be connected to the collector pipe. The bottom of the trenches is immediately given the desired slope. The width of the trenches in the bottom area is 40 cm. The depth is according to the project. On clay and loamy soils, the average depth of drains is 0.6-0.8 meters, and on sandy soils - 0.8-1.2 meters.
The locations of rotary and collector inspection manholes are being prepared.
After checking the depth and the required slopes, 10 cm of sand is poured onto the bottom of all trenches, which is then wetted and compacted by hand.
Geotextile is lined at the bottom of the trenches so that it also goes onto the side walls. Depending on the depth of the trench and the width of the geotextile fabric, it is fixed either on the walls of the trench or on top.
The wells are installed and tried on in their places, the places where the couplings are inserted are marked. Then the wells are removed and the necessary couplings are cut into them to connect the drains, the bottoms are mounted.
Wells are installed in their places, leveled. A layer of crushed granite or washed gravel with a fraction of 20-40 mm, 10 cm thick is poured into the trenches. The crushed stone layer is compacted, the necessary slopes are created.
The necessary sections of drainage pipes are cut off, which are completed with plugs (if necessary). In most cases, drain-beams are made from pipes with a diameter of 110 mm, and collectors - 160 mm. Pipes are laid in trenches and connected to well couplings and fittings. Their depth and slopes are checked.
A 20 cm layer of crushed stone or washed gravel is poured over the drains. After tamping, the crushed stone layer is covered with geotextiles previously attached to the walls of the trenches or from above.
The drainage system is checked for operability. To do this, in various places where drains are laid, a large amount of water is poured into the trenches. Its absorption into the crushed stone layer and flow through the rotary, collector wells and getting into the main catchment well are controlled.
A layer of sand is poured over the geotextile, at least 20 cm thick. The sand is compacted, and on top of it, the trenches are covered with fertile soil - 15-20 cm.
Covers are put on the wells.

Even if the deep drainage of the site was done without a project, it is still necessary to draw up, on which to indicate the location of the drains and the depth of their occurrence. This will help in the future when carrying out any excavation work to leave the system intact. If the relief allows, then the catchment wells may not be arranged, and the water collected by drains is immediately sent to sewers, reservoirs or a collective storm sewer system. Any of these steps must be coordinated with the neighbors and the administration of the villages. But the well is still desirable, if only to control the GWL and its seasonal fluctuations.

The collector well for collecting groundwater can be made overflow. When the water level in such wells becomes higher than the overflow pipe, then part of the water sewer pipe overflows into another storage well. Such a system allows you to get clean water in the storage well, since all the dirt, silt and debris settles in the collector overflow well.

When well-known thinkers, called great ones, whose statements are constantly quoted and cited as examples, put their thoughts on paper, they probably did not even suspect that they were writing about deep drainage. Here are some examples:

  • The collective image of the thinker, which is known to most people, as Kozma Prutkov said: "Look at the root!". Great phrase talking about deep drainage! If the owner wishes to grow garden trees on his site, then he simply must know where the groundwater lies, since their excess in the root system area has a bad effect on most plants.
  • The very famous thinker and “generator of wisdom” Oscar Wilde also said, without knowing it, about deep drainage: “The greatest vice in a person is superficiality. Everything that happens in our life has its own deep meaning.
  • Stanisław Jerzy Lec said the following about depth: “A swamp sometimes gives the impression of depth.” As well as possible, this phrase fits the drainage, since without it the site may well turn into a swamp.

You can cite many more quotes from great people and connect them with drainage, but we will not distract the readers of our portal from the main idea. For the safety of homes and the comfort of their inhabitants, creating ideal conditions for growth desired plants, arranging a cozy landscape, drainage is definitely needed.

Conclusion

It should be noted that residents of most regions of Russia are unspeakably lucky if the issue of drainage is raised. An abundance of water, especially fresh water, is much better than its lack. Residents of arid and desert regions, after reading such an article, would sigh and say: “We would have your problems!” Therefore, we simply must consider ourselves lucky that we live in a country that does not lack fresh water.

As we have already noted, you can always “negotiate” with water using the drainage system. Modern market abundance offers just a gigantic range of various components, allowing you to create a system of any complexity. But in this matter one must be very selective and careful, since the excessive complexity of any system reduces its reliability. Therefore, we again and again recommend ordering a drainage project from specialists. And the independent implementation of the drainage of the site is quite within the power of any good owner, and we hope that our article will help in some way.