How to make drainage in a summer cottage with your own hands - a step-by-step guide to drainage with photos and videos. How to make a reliable drainage system on your site with your own hands How to drain a garden plot with your own hands

The water on the site never left anyone indifferent. Both owners of various suburban land plots and owners of high land are once faced with the following question: how can they drain their land, especially in early spring - just at this time, due to melt water, the water level on the site begins to rise, although and for a short time.

So, you need to figure out what dehumidification options are available, which of them should be used and at what time?

Land drainage options

The first option, which is the easiest and quite possible for a large number of people, is to plant plants that can hold a large amount of moisture. It’s quite difficult to call this method truly excellent, but for most people it is the only solution. For example, when you need to drain a small one, and there is a house in the middle of an already planned area. In such a situation, birch or oak trees, which are considered moisture lovers, are best suited, and they help reduce water in the soil.

Another effective way is to raise the soil level. This is not so difficult to do - you just need to find out where inexpensive land is available, order several trucks and evenly raise the land to the required height. However, it must be remembered that it is best to do this when the house has not yet been built, otherwise there will be a risk that all the water on the ground will collect in the lowest place, namely near the house, and then it may even turn into more bad problem.

2.​ Drainage of water from a specific piece of land.

When the soil on a site is very porous, then it simply will not be able to retain water for a certain time, which is so necessary for plants to absorb it well. If, on the contrary, the soil is quite dense, then it will allow water to be retained on the surface itself and, this way, it will not get directly to the roots of the plant itself. If you want to find out exactly what the density of your soil is, then you should dig a small hole, about 1 m deep, and pour water into that place. If the water disappears completely over time, your soil will become very porous. If after a couple of days it does not disappear completely, then its density will be quite high.

What drainage methods are available?

The most effective way to do drainage is to correctly lay special pipes exactly so that they are placed underground, if done in places where the soil is heavy and very clayey, or peaty. It is quite possible to make such a system using plastic pipes, which are laid in trenches at a depth of 70 cm. It is also an excellent system in which the pipes are placed in a “herringbone” pattern - in this case there must be one main pipe and several side pipes extending from it. In this case, the largest pipe must have a diameter of about 10 cm and be at a slight slope. The diameter of the side pipes can be smaller, about 7 cm. It is also necessary to look at where exactly all the unnecessary water on the ground will go - it is advisable to direct the drain somewhere into a ditch or a nearby stream. If there is nothing of this kind, then an excellent solution would be to build a small well, even 1 m deep, which must be built in the lowest place in your garden.

Imagine that you have already purchased a great plot of land, but when it rains heavily, it simply turns into a swamp. You have to go there all weekend to work on this garden, however, in order to take it and walk through it, you have to walk barefoot - the amount of water on the ground may be such that rubber boots simply cannot help, water will sneak into them. This is very noticeable in the spring, when the entire area may be under water. Because of this, all plantings may soon rot - in the first season it is worth deciding which drainage system to choose. To lay drainage pipes, it is necessary to dig a large number of ditches on the site, and the pipes are very expensive.

Nowadays, a large number of people use a very funny drainage system that is not worth spending money on. To do this, they simply collect the top layer of soil right down to the clay, and in its place they throw various branches, as well as tree trunks. From above you need to dump all the earth that was previously collected before. This method is very simple, it won’t last long, and similar actions will have to be taken all seasons - and it takes a lot of time to complete all these actions.

Own drainage system

One of the best options is open drainage of the land. The first thing to do for this is to dig a ditch along the very perimeter of the entire territory. An excavator can be suitable for this, which can save a lot of time and effort. To enter the territory, you can easily place a pipe in the groove and pour crushed stone on top of it. After the ditch has been dug around the entire perimeter, you can make sure that all the water on the ground drains into the main ditch, which should be placed strictly along the road. In addition, you can use an excavator to make a small one in the center - it will be an excellent reservoir for water after the snow melts or heavy rains. Well, of course, it is necessary to do it in such a way that water from the entire territory can flow directly into the ditches.

Many people solve this problem by raising the general level of the ground - for this it is worth purchasing additional land. It must be remembered that 1 cu. m. of land can cover about 40 square meters. m of area on the ground, with a layer level of 25 mm. If you calculate correctly, then for a lawn you need a layer of about 10 cm, for sowing seeds - about 15 mm, but for various ornamental plants or shrubs you need about 40 cm of new soil. At the same time, the imported soil may not be of very high quality and may contain weed seeds, stones, wood chips or even microbes.

Alternatively, you can increase the level of all those places where you want to grow all your plantings. Plantings can be easily planted along the perimeter by allocating a strip of about 3 m. Along this strip, leave a 1 m path, which will be a ditch. With this land, you can raise the level of the place where those plantings will grow in the future. Therefore, there is no need to purchase any excess soil, but connect the ditch with the main ditch along the route, where all excess water on the land plot will then drain.

When working with, the distance between them should be left about 50 cm, while completely removing all the soil from this distance to the clay itself, and again raising the ground level of all the beds. All the water in the local area will drain through these ditches, without greatly moistening your beds. As a result of all these actions, you will notice that the soil level in all these places will rise significantly, which will have a great effect on the overall appearance of your garden.

How to use gardening equipment?

If you have started all this work, then it is much easier to do it when the soil is a little damp - although it is the heaviest, nevertheless, dry soil is more difficult to process with a shovel, and even with special equipment. It is very convenient to use a motor cultivator for digging ditches. The acquisition of this equipment will definitely justify itself, especially if you approach it with great responsibility. Basically, it weighs about 10 kg and helps to cultivate all the beds and do a large number of other works in the local area. A motor cultivator can plow loose soil, which after this process can be immediately dumped directly onto the beds, leaving behind a certain ditch.

Drainage effect (Video)

Just in this simple way you can create a personal drainage system in your local area. It will work perfectly, there will be no flooding. Before each season, it is imperative to carefully clean all ditches, including the main one, as well as passages, so that no water remains in them at all. The big disadvantage is that during heavy rain, the ditches fill with water, and you can only move around in boots. However, you can definitely forget about the fact that your plantings will suffer from excess water, since all the water in the local area now passes directly through the soil and flows directly down the ditches. But in the summer you will be able to move around the garden in only slippers, enjoying your personal harvest!

You can learn more about the arrangement of the drainage system in our video

The dream of a landscaped suburban area may well become a reality. A local area with luxurious lawns, a beautiful garden, a productive vegetable garden, gazebos, patios, alpine slides - all this today can be arranged on soil of any quality and lands of any geodetic complexity, the main thing is to approach the decision correctly and not forget about such a procedure as site drainage.

This system is expensive, so in order not to get into trouble and not pay twice, you should figure out whether the existing landscape needs drainage, and if so, what type.

Why is drainage needed on the site?

What are the functions of drainage? The objectives of the system are as follows:

1.​ Collection of melt water.

2. Rainfall drainage.

3.​ Removal of groundwater beyond the boundaries of the territory.

It is not always advisable to comprehensively drain the soil by laying deep and surface drainage at the same time. Deep drainage systems are required only for swampy soil and those lands where the groundwater level is high. Linear drainage will not be superfluous anywhere. Seasonal flooding is typical for any climate zone. In addition, the quality of our soil generally leaves much to be desired. Clay soils have poor permeability, which also provokes the formation of puddles.

Linear drainage to prevent puddles

Flooded areas are death not only for plants, but also for wooden buildings and decorative structures. At best, they will have to be seriously repaired. At worst, demolish and install new ones. Both situations are financially costly, and if you consider that without drainage on the site there is a prospect of carrying out global reconstructions regularly, then it makes sense to think about preventing water stagnation.

Site deep drainage system

When site drainage is required

You will have to organize drainage from the land provided that the dacha area is located on a steep slope. To prevent storm flows from carrying away the fertile part of the soil, it will be necessary to create a surface, but not a point, but a linear drainage system with transversely broken channels capable of intercepting water and redirecting it to the storm sewer.

Drainage of a site on a slope

The reason to start installing drainage on the site with your own hands would be to place it in a lowland. In this case, it is initially a reservoir for collecting water flowing to it. In this option, drainage elements are located along the perimeter of the territory.

Drainage of a site located in a lowland

No less of a scourge are flat areas where water is poorly absorbed by the soil. This is where you need to design an entire system of point or linear drainage systems covering the entire area.

Collecting and standing puddles for a long time will tell you that the area needs to be drained. Inspect the lawn. Assess the condition of the bushes. Check if the soil is rotting. These tips are effective in already inhabited areas. On virgin lands, you will have to focus on what is happening in the area. Have the neighbors prepared a pit for the house and dug holes for the fence supports? Fabulous! Check them out. If there is an accumulation of water inside, try to figure out where it is flowing from. Ask the old-timers about the level of water in the wells over the past few years. If it turns out that groundwater lies less than a meter from the surface, then it is most likely impossible to do without installing drainage on the site.

Point drainage system

Surface drainage

“Drainage can be done with linear or point drainage”

The simplest solution. The surface system collects water from drains and the site. By providing rainfall with free flow paths, it relieves the soil from waterlogging.

Surface drainage ensures the collection of water from the site

To arrange such site drainage with your own hands, you do not need to involve specialists. There will be no large-scale work here. Drainage can be done with linear or point drainage. Point drainages are responsible for local moisture collection. This could be runoff from roofs or water from irrigation taps. To drain large areas, it is correct to lay out a linear drainage system.

Point drainage is responsible for local moisture collection

Surface drainage methods

An open drainage system can consist of either randomly generated grooves or parallel grooves. Each scheme has side inlets that carry water that enters the drainage to the central drain. Which type of surface drainage device is preferred should be chosen based on the type of soil and topographical conclusions.

Open drainage channel

Drainage in a random area

The ditches of such storm drains are adapted to collect water from soil of low permeability, where there are extensive low-lying areas of stagnation, the elimination of which by smoothing the surface is impossible or unprofitable.

By and large, random linear drainage is the prerogative of fields. The ditches scattered across the field are not very large. Most often they are quite small and do not intersect with the main drainage lines.

The purpose of the random grooves is to ensure the outflow of moisture accumulated in low-lying islands. To make random drainage of a site with your own hands, simply dig small grooves with the appropriate slope angle. The soil extracted in this case can be used to fill small lowlands.

Linear drainage will ensure the outflow of accumulated moisture

Field stormwater channels should follow through the main mass of depressions towards the natural slope of the site. This is the only way to ensure complete drainage of the area.

Drainage in a parallel area

It is rational to equip this type of drainage on flat, difficult-to-dry soils with numerous small depression flaws. The parallelism of the grooves does not mean they are equidistant. The walking distance depends on the soil conditions.

Closed drainage

Deep drainage helps reduce groundwater levels

Closed drainage structures are universal. They can drain melt and storm water no less efficiently than surface drainage. Since the system is hidden underground, it does not interfere with landscaping, which makes it quite popular among gardeners.

Vertical drainage

The main elements of this type of drainage system are wells, traditionally installed near the house. The outflow of water accumulated in them occurs using pumps.

Drainage of a site of this type is carried out only according to a professionally drawn up project. Without engineering knowledge and specific skills, it is not worth taking on the installation of drainage on the site with your own hands. Carrying out the work will require the use of specific hydraulic equipment, so leave the solution to this task to those who know exactly how to do it.

Vertical site drainage system

Do-it-yourself site drainage: main nuances

The choice of the type of drainage system is mainly influenced by the cause of flooding of the area. Clay soils, which are characterized by retention of melt and atmospheric water, can be brought into order by arranging surface drainage. Open-type drainage grooves will be quite sufficient to quickly remove excess moisture from the serviced area.

If the cause of basement flooding, erosion of the foundation, and swelling of the soil is groundwater, then the problem will have to be solved with a thorough approach, that is, by deep drainage of the soil. Both options for installing drainage on the site are available as standalone options.

Point drainage

To create a local open drainage network, drawing up a design diagram is not necessary. Its arrangement is logical in the case when flooding of the site occurs only at certain points and only when there is excessive rainfall. Sloping areas are most often susceptible to flooding: the area near the porch, gazebos. Water is guaranteed to accumulate in relief irregularities.

Places for installing point drainage

In the case where the problem area is located near the very boundaries of the land, to ensure drainage, it is rational to complete the drainage on the site with a regular dug trench that extends beyond its boundaries.

In steel cases, having noticed places of stagnation of water, they are equipped with dug-in water intakes or closed tanks. The water collected in them can later be used to water the garden.

Linear drainage

“Ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the surface drainage system occurs by calculating the correct slope of the drainage ditches”

Digging ditches across the entire site or certain corners of it is the best way to drain clay soils. Here it would not hurt to sketch out a rough plan of the future system, on which to mark all the drainage branches and the location of the drainage well to which they are planned to be connected.

Example of a linear drainage plan

Ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the surface drainage system occurs by calculating the correct slope of the drainage ditches. The process of arranging linear drainage systems will be greatly facilitated by the presence of a natural slope at the site. On flat surfaces you will have to create an inclination angle artificially. This condition is mandatory. Ignoring it will cause stagnation of collected water in drainage channels.

For linear drainage on a flat surface, create a slope angle

The quantity of channels to be laid is determined according to the absorbency of the soil. The more clayey it is, the denser the drainage network is branched. The depth of the trenches dug for drainage of the site with your own hands is about half a meter. The width of the groove depends on its distance from the storage tank. The widest will be the main branch of the drainage system, where water flows from all parts of the site.

After the drainage system on the site has been dug, they begin to check the quality of its functioning. To do this, a strong flow of water is launched through the watering hoses through the channels. Correctly supply water from several points at the same time.

The assessment takes place “by eye”. If water flows slowly and accumulates somewhere, you will have to adjust the slope and perhaps even widen the groove.

After making sure that the drainage is ideal, you can start decorating the drainage of the area. The appearance of open ditches is not aesthetically pleasing. When working on a drainage system on a site with your own hands, the easiest way is to decorate it with different fractions of crushed stone. You can put larger elements of stones at the bottom of the grooves and sprinkle small ones on top. If desired, the last layer is made from marble chips.

Decorating linear drainage

If this is not available, replace the material with decorative gravel. What does this mean? Having selected some of the fine gravel, it is painted blue, in different shades. By pouring it into the channels of linear drainage systems, you will get the illusion of running water. For a complete association with streams, plant the banks of the ditches with flowering plants. This way you will get not just a functional drainage system, but also a luxurious design element.

Channels dug along the perimeter of the site are often covered with a decorative lattice.

Decorative grating for drainage channel

Filling surface drainage with gravel is not only a matter of aesthetics. In fact, this is also an opportunity to strengthen the walls of the ditches, preventing them from collapsing, and also protect the bottom from washing out. Therefore, by using gravel backfill, you will extend the operational life of your drainage system.

Service Features

When caring for surface drainage, special attention is paid to the cleanliness of the outlet channels. Even small growths on the walls and bottom can cause a decrease in operating efficiency. Drains are inspected after every rainfall. All obstacles that appear in the way of the drain must be removed.

The drainage system needs regular cleaning

The second point will be to control the slope angle of the linear drainage elements. When smoothing it, you will have to adjust the bottom of the channel by digging or adding.

Point drainage is cleaned manually.

Do-it-yourself deep drainage of the site

If the problem of swamping is not in super clayey soil, but in nearby groundwater, then you will have to worry about developing a closed drainage system. Types of work are arranged in the following order:

1. Understand the depth of laying drainage pipes on the site. This indicator is affected by the density of the earth. The higher its numbers, the less deep the drainage. Let's look at an example. Drainage pipes are immersed in sandy soil by at least a meter; for loams this parameter is already 80 cm. In clay soils, pipes are placed no deeper than 75 cm. Why can't drains be installed higher? In addition to soil density, there is another indicator. We are talking about the depth of its freezing. The drains you lay should lie below this mark, then the pipes will not be deformed.

An example of a deep drainage device

2.​ Select the type of pipes. If surface drainage can be installed without any specific conductors, then for deep drainage of the area, drains will have to be purchased. What does the modern assortment offer? The drainage elements of the system are manufactured:

– made of plastic;

– ceramics;

– asbestos.

Ceramic pipes are quite expensive for installing drainage on a site, but they will last for centuries. There are estates where the closed drainage area made of ceramics has been functioning for 150 years. Asbestos-cement products, although durable, are practically not used today due to their environmental unsafety.

Inexpensive and practical perforated plastic is at the peak of popularity. As a component of deep drainage of the site, pipes from it will need additional protection from clogging with small soil particles. If this is not taken care of initially, then after a very short time the drains will become clogged and will stop letting water through.

Perforated plastic pipes for drainage

It is good to use geotextiles to insulate the drainage pipes of the site. It is only possible to avoid wrapping drains with filter material in clay soil. Here it will be enough to lay the pipe on a twenty-centimeter layer of gravel. This option will not work in loams. The pipes will have to be wrapped in geotextile fabric. The worst thing will happen to owners of sandy plots. Here, the components included in the deep drainage system of the site will have to not only be wrapped in geotextiles, but also covered on all sides with a thick layer of gravel.

The problem of flooding and increased soil moisture is familiar to owners of plots located in the central region of Russia. Dampness and stagnation of water after snow melts do not allow 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.

In what cases is a drainage system necessary?

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

Arrangement of a drainage system is not necessary at every site. In order to determine how much your area 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 downpour. If you have observed these signs more than once, then drainage is required.

The drainage system helps remove stagnant water from the site

If visual confirmation is not enough, then you can conduct a simple experiment - using a hand drill or an ordinary 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 hole 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 groundwater table;
• the site is located in an area with clay soil;
• the site is located in a lowland or vice versa - on a slope;
• The location of the site receives a large amount of precipitation.

The presence of drainage helps preserve the finishing and facing materials used for laying garden paths, finishing the basement and façade of the building.

Types of dehumidification systems

There are a great variety of land drainage systems. Moreover, in different sources their classification may differ greatly from each other. In the case of drainage systems for suburban and summer cottages, it is recommended to use the simplest and most proven solutions.

Surface type drainage

Surface drainage is the simplest and most effective system. The main task is to drain the soil by draining water formed as a result of rainfall and uneven melting of snow.

Grids protect the open drainage system from large debris

A surface drainage system is constructed across the area of ​​the site, around the house and adjacent buildings, near garage structures, warehouses and the courtyard. Surface drainage is divided into two subtypes:

1. Point - in some sources referred to as local drainage. Used to collect and drain 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 where containers and watering taps are located. 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, ensuring a constant flow of water. The drainage system is equipped with filter grids 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 system operates most efficiently. If necessary, point and linear 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 constant drainage of the soil or lowering of the groundwater level is necessary. Drains are laid with a slope in the direction of water flow, which enters a 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 cases where it is necessary to drain water from the foundation of a building, pipes must be laid below its depth. And also drainage pipes can be laid over the entire area of ​​the site with a certain pitch. The distance between drains depends on the depth of their placement and the mechanical composition of the soil.

For example, when installing 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 is reduced to 7–9 m, and on clayey up to 4–5.5 m. More detailed data for different laying depths can be seen in the table below. Information taken from the book “Draining land for gardens” by A.M. Dumblyauskas.

Depth of drains, m	Distance between drains, m
	Sandy soil	Loamy soil	Clay 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 area is relatively flat, then to impart a slope, a slope is formed along the bottom of the trench. The minimum slope level is 2 cm per 1 running meter of drainage pipe when constructing drainage in clay and loamy soil. For sandy soil, a slope of 3 cm per 1 meter is maintained.

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

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

Drainage in a summer cottage - the simplest methods with instructions

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

Surface drainage of a summer cottage

Open surface drainage is a universal solution for draining small dacha plots. For example, for typical plots of 6 acres. You can take the diagram below as a basis. It shows a herringbone-shaped drainage route. The distance between the drains, as stated above, is selected based on the type of soil (see table).

An example of the location of the drainage system in a summer cottage

To carry out the work you will need a shovel and bayonet shovel, a tape measure, a bubble level, a hammer and a sharp construction knife. The materials you will need to prepare are gravel of fraction 20–40, geotextiles, edged bars or boards 2–3 m long.

To construct surface drainage on 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, water flow will deteriorate, etc. But this approach is more labor-intensive and requires the ability to work with concrete mixture.

Draining the area using deep drainage

Deep drainage is a standard solution for draining suburban and suburban areas. A deep drainage system can be installed even when there is a protective blind area, concrete or slab paths around the building. If necessary, they can be partially dismantled, but the overall structure will not be damaged.

An example of a drainage system project in a suburban area

Work on the construction of deep drainage includes 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 water discharge point, that is, the place from where the collected water will be drained into the sewer pipes leading to the drainage well. The depth of the pipeline must be below the freezing level of the soil. For the North-Western 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 dug along the perimeter and area of ​​​​the site with a depth of up to 1 m. The width of the trench is at least 30 cm. All horizontal sections of the trenches are combined into a single system, which is brought to the water discharge point. After this, trenches are dug maintaining a slope of 2–4 cm per 1 m of surface. To check the quality of the drainage, the trenches are spilled with a large volume of water. If necessary, the slope towards the drainage well increases.

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

3. At the lowest point of the site, a place is created for the installation of a water intake or filter drainage well. For large areas located on loamy and clayey soil types, it is better to install storage type wells with a volume of up to 1000 liters. For small areas, you can use both storage and filter wells. 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 gravel is poured into the bottom of the trench. The thickness of the layer is 10 cm. A 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 this, 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. Modular inspection wells are installed at the drain turning points. The diameter and height of the well depend on the expected 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 functionality. To do this, a large volume of water is drained through drains. If the water quickly drains and enters the well, then everything is done correctly and you can move on to the final stage. In other cases, you need to find and fix the problem.
7. A 20–30 cm layer of gravel of fraction 20–40 is poured over the drainage pipes and carefully leveled. After this, the drains with laid crushed stone are covered with geotextiles. A 10–15 cm layer of quarry sand is poured on top of the geofabric and thoroughly compacted. The remaining space in the trench can be filled with fertile soil or regular soil from the site.

Methods for drying an area without drainage

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

Sanding clay soil is one of the ways to drain an area without drainage

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

Of the above methods of draining a site, the most effective are adding a sufficient amount of fertile soil and constructing trenches around the perimeter. On average, 1 m 3 of soil will cost 550–600 rubles. For a plot of 6 acres, 10–12 m3 of soil is sufficient.

The easiest way to drain the soil on a site

Construction of shallow trenches filled with crushed stone is the easiest way to drain a summer cottage. Despite its overall simplicity, this method is very effective and can cope with large amounts of water formed during snow melting.

Work on 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 covered with soil from the site. This will hide the drainage under a layer of turf. It is not recommended to plant flowers and greenery on top of the drainage trench. This is fraught with their death due to the high humidity in this place.

How to clear a clogged drain pipe

Failure to comply with the technology for laying drainage pipes is the main reason for stagnation and poor drainage of water from distribution wells. In addition, very often stagnation of water is not associated with a blockage at all. Insufficient slope does not ensure constant and uniform drainage 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 unclog drain pipes is to use a steel cable drain cleaner. At one end of the cable there is a spiral-shaped nozzle, at the other there is a handle with which you can rotate the cable, creating a mechanical load at the site of the blockage.

To clean pipes Ø110 mm or 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 drainage pipe until its end reaches the blockage. Next, by rotating the cable clockwise, you need to try to break through the blockage or move it towards draining the water. Usually, small accumulations of silt and leaves can be pushed through without much difficulty.

If it was not possible to remove the blockage, then you will need to call specialists who, using a pneumatic installation and other equipment, will not only clear 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 stagnation of water on the site are a big problem, which affects not only the growth of fruit-bearing crops, but also reduces the service life of a residential building. But it is worth remembering that excess water can be dealt with using a drainage system. It is much worse if there is enough fresh water and moisture, and the construction of a well is impossible due to certain circumstances.

Always wet ground, a flooded or overly damp basement is not a death sentence. If you want to get rid of excessive humidity and finally start fully arranging your garden or vegetable garden, the first and main step will be to drain the area.

For this purpose, a number of drainage measures are used; you just need to determine the optimal option that exactly corresponds to the problem, which will be discussed in great detail in our article.

Draining and drying the area involves a number of measures and activities aimed at removing liquid from the surface of the earth or groundwater into a prepared drainage well or the nearest body of water.

In addition, less effective methods are used, such as selecting green spaces, trees and shrubs that actively absorb moisture in order to dry the soil with slight waterlogging.

Dehumidification is necessary in the following situations:

• the groundwater level rises close to the surface with a depth of up to 1-2 meters;
• the groundwater level rises to the lower level of the basement floor or higher;
• the soil is clayey or loamy, with dusty sands, poorly absorbs precipitation and melt water;
• a significant area is occupied by buildings or paved paths, platforms, which causes a greater volume of precipitation to fall on the remaining area of ​​open soil;
• the site is located in a lowland, water comes from the upper areas;
• swamping of an area with a nearby reservoir.

drainage diagram

Each option involves an effective way to drain the area. In the best case, you should invite a landscape design specialist or professional land reclamation specialists who can assess the situation and identify the main cause of waterlogging or waterlogging of the soil.

This is the only way to effectively select the right set of measures to properly drain the land around the house.

Methods for land reclamation

Official requirements and calculation methods for drainage are specified in the Codes of Rules SP 50-101-2004, SP 31-105-2002 and SNiP 2.06,15-85.

The main emphasis in regulatory documents is on choosing the required drying method depending on soil type, amount of precipitation, on how to drain an area of ​​groundwater, as well as on calculating the capacity of the drainage system. General provisions regulate the distribution of drainage ditches and pipeline lines in relation to existing buildings.

Three main drainage designs are used:

• open;
• backfill;
• closed.

Open drainage

These are ditches dug across an area with a general slope in one direction. They accumulate the bulk of atmospheric precipitation from the soil surface and are transported to a drainage well or absorbed into the lower layers of the soil, without posing a threat of waterlogging.

This option is ideal for clay soils that are poorly permeable to moisture. First of all, open ditches save from heavy rainfall and large volumes of melt water, and are used to redirect water coming from areas located above.

In terms of arrangement and complexity of implementation, open drainage is best suited to the question of how to drain an area of ​​water with your own hands.

The depth of the ditch is selected depending on the location and purpose. The width of the ditch is taken to be approximately one third less than the depth.

Near structural elements and buildings, the depth of the drainage channel should be 250-350 mm below the base of the recessed support elements.

Since it is impossible to significantly strengthen the walls of the ditch, they cannot be placed along the perimeter of buildings, so as not to provoke deformation of the foundation.

Backfill drainage

Further development of open drainage. The ditches are lined with geotextiles with a large margin on the sides. Coarse gravel is poured to about half or two-thirds of the depth. Next, fine gravel is poured so that 10-15 cm remains to the soil level. The edges of the geotextile are rolled up, protecting the bulk filter layer from silting.

A layer of sand and soil is formed on top. You can use painted decorative blue or light blue gravel instead of lawn grass to mark the position of the drainage ditch and decorate it as a “dry stream”.

The principles for calculating the size and depth of backfill drainage are similar to open ditches, with the difference that the walls of the backfill option can be made vertical, since a layer of filter rock acts as reinforcement.

Closed drainage

A network of perforated drainage pipes is distributed with a depth no less than the soil freezing level so that they do not deform or tear in winter. The pipes are laid in trenches on a prepared sand bed and a mound of filter gravel.

To prevent the drainage system from silting, geotextiles are used, which is wrapped around a pipe, a layer of gravel or along the contour of a trench. The desired combination of filters should be selected based on the soil composition and drainage load.

A practical option to drain an area with a high groundwater level, without spoiling the appearance of the local area with ditches.

It is advisable to use ready-made solutions with perforated pipes produced by KazTrubService and geotextiles without the use of materials such as asbestos or old steel pipes, which quickly become clogged until the drainage system completely fails.

The work order is as follows:

1. On the site plan, mark the optimal route for laying the drainage. Along the perimeter of buildings and beds and between garden trees at a minimum distance from the trunk of at least 2.5 meters. Determine the position of the drainage well at the lowest point. If there is a street storm drain or a reservoir nearby, you can also bring your own drainage to them;
2. Transfer the drainage layout to the site, marking the route with pegs with a stretched rope with a distance from the center of the future trench slightly more than half its width - 50-60 cm;
3. Dig trenches below the frost line around the site and below the base of the house foundation for drainage around its perimeter. Add 15 cm to the set depth;
4. Fill the base of the trench with coarse sand to a height of 10-15 cm, filling it with water, but without special compaction. Along the upper edge of the pillow, level all the trenches so that from the highest point to the drainage well a constant slope of 1-2 cm for every 10 m was maintained;
5. Lay the geotextile so that it protrudes beyond the trench by at least 25 cm on each side and a piece of gravel for the filter layer by 5-10 cm;
6. Lay drainage pipes. It is better to use ready-made polymer corrugated perforated pipes, protected by a layer of geotextile from silting. Check the slope of the pipes and its uniformity along the entire route;
7. Fill the pipes with gravel of coarse and medium fractions so that approximately 20-30 cm remains to the upper edge of the trench. For trenches in an area with a obviously shallow depth, gravel is poured along the upper edge of the trench;
8. The edges of the geotextile cover the gravel filter and fill it with decorative small crushed stone or a layer of soil under the lawn grass.

With the help of trees

If there is no desire or opportunity to organize serious drainage for drying, you can do it the traditional way. Part of the site, especially at the lowest, waterlogged point, should be set aside for planting with water-loving plants.

Suitable for this:

• Poplar. However, it is difficult to guess in advance what it will be like without fluff, and pyramidal poplars do not hold well in the soil and a strong wind can easily knock them down, so this choice is quite questionable. It is recommended to plant poplars only near rivers and small reservoirs to strengthen the bank, if for some reason the weeping willow has not taken root or is out of place;
• Fluffy birch, willow. An excellent option for planting along the edge of the site. Birch and willow abundantly extract moisture from the soil. They take root well and speed up soil drainage, especially if a swampy area is used in development;
• Alder, ash, larch or maple. They are on par in terms of efficiency and at the same time will be an excellent decoration;
• Plum. Almost the only cultivated tree for the garden that can cope with high humidity. You should select the varieties of damson plums or damsons that will best cope with the task of draining the area. However, it should be taken into account that the survivability of a tree on wet ground primarily depends on the type of rootstock, and in this matter much depends on the habits and foundations of the local green farm.

Trees should be planted to drain the area in a special way. A pit of at least 1.5 meters in diameter and 80-100 cm deep is prepared.

Gravel is poured onto the bottom for drainage, then a layer of fertile soil is laid and the seedling is placed. The hole is filled with soil mixed with coarse gravel, except for the patch near the trunk of the seedling.

With high groundwater levels

To drain groundwater passing close to the surface, it is best to use deep closed drainage along the perimeter of the building and throughout the territory.

If there is a significant volume of perched water, when drainage to deeper layers does not help, you will need a large-capacity drainage well with a pump that will constantly discharge liquid away from the site.

swampy area

The best option is to raise the ground level throughout the entire area and form a drainage ditch around it. However, this entails enormous costs and is not always possible.

Before draining a swampy area, a plan for its use should be specified to know to what depth the water should be drained.

If the swamping of the area is seasonal, then a canal dug along the lowest part with reinforced clones protected from erosion by green spaces and geomats will help cope with the problem. In addition to the channel, frequent open drainage ditches will be relevant.

With clay soil

The main problem is that precipitation and melt water stand still for a long time and do not go deep into the soil. This is bad for both a flat area and a sloping one; in the second case, water flows from the lands located above are added.

A simple and affordable solution would be open ditches or backfill ditches to collect water and drain it immediately deep into the soil.

Organizing closed drainage is not so effective, and you will have to form a filter layer right up to the surface, which is not always appropriate.

In the lowlands

It becomes extremely difficult to perform high-quality drainage without the help of a drainage well and pump. The borders of the perched water are practically under your feet, and the soil throughput is reduced to a minimum and can be only 0.5-1 m/day.

An idea from landscape design would be an artificial pond at the lowest point of the site and closed drainage distributed throughout the territory.

Ultimately, the drainage of the area should be carried out to such an extent that the soil easily accepts those plants that will beautify the local area, and the foundation of the house does not wash away over time.

In order to choose the right drainage plan and suitable implementation, it is better to contact specialized construction companies that have professional experience in this matter and will be able to arrange everything with maximum efficiency.

Excessive amount of water on a plot of land prevents normal farming and gradually destroys structures. Excess water contributes to the leaching of nutrients from the soil, causing salinization of the soil, and it washes away the roots of trees and the foundations of buildings. That is why every owner who is faced with a similar problem needs to know how to drain the area. This is a rather labor-intensive, but do-it-yourself task.

Selecting a method

There are several different ways to dry an area. Before choosing any specific one, you need to consider the following points:

1. Water permeability of the soil on the site.
2. Dimensions and shape of the pit.
3. Required level of water reduction.
4. The period for which it is necessary to drain the land from groundwater.
5. The presence of buildings and various types of structures on the site.
6. Groundwater direction.

It is possible to organize surface drainage of groundwater. In this case, they will penetrate through the slopes and bottom of the pit into drainage ditches, and then be transported to pits, from which they will be pumped out using pumps. When organizing such a system on fine-grained soils, a mixture of sand and gravel is used to fill drainage ditches.

It is possible to organize groundwater drainage without the use of pipes. Deep trenches are being dug. They must be filled with filter material. Most often, coarse sand and crushed stone are used for this. The material is covered in several layers of different fractions. In addition, peat must be used. It will protect the backfill from contamination.

Decorative pool for collecting atmospheric water from a personal plot^ 1 – water-loving plants; 2 – covering the site and path with natural stone; 3 – pool bowl; 4 – bench; 5 – weeping willow; 6 – stones-boulders; 7 – water filling pipe (fountain); 8 – step slabs.

The pipe drainage device for groundwater is organized using polymer pipes with a perforated surface. The pipe is laid in the ground below the freezing level. Holes are made along it to collect water.

If it is necessary to lower the groundwater level by 3-5 m, lightweight wellpoint systems are usually used. This system is based on a pipe with a wellpoint at the end.

It connects to the vacuum manifold and pump. If it is necessary to reduce the groundwater level by a large amount, such installations are arranged in several tiers.

Wellpoint installations may include ejector water lifts. The ejectors are driven by the action of a jet of water, which is pumped by the collector. Using such installations, it is possible to lower the groundwater level by 20 m.

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Water drainage

Before you start designing a system for draining groundwater, you need to decide where it will be drained. There are several options available to choose from.

A savings system can be organized. This is the best option for regions with large seasonal fluctuations in humidity. For example, during a wet spring, water will accumulate, and in a dry summer it will be used for irrigation. Groundwater will be collected in containers specially designed for this purpose. They can be left on the surface or buried if desired. Water can also be collected in an artificial reservoir, but this requires more serious material and labor costs.

If your village has a common water drainage system, it makes sense to organize groundwater drainage into such a system. If there is free territory around the site, water can be diverted there, but in most cases this is impractical.

If there are no options for draining water, it will have to be stored. For this purpose, special tanks are brought to the site. As the tanks fill, the cesspool truck is called in and they are emptied.

Quite often, land owners combine several methods. For example, in the spring they accumulate water in reservoirs, use it in the summer for irrigation, and in the fall they divert what is not needed.

As a rule, the need for groundwater drainage appears only on loamy and clayey soils. Sandy soils themselves perform the function of drainage.

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Step-by-step instruction

In order to organize a traditional drainage system, you will have to carry out a large amount of excavation work and invest a lot of money. However, all this allows us to obtain a semi-automatic system. In a couple of weeks, the water will collect on its own in the drainage well; as it accumulates, the owner will pump it into a ditch, storage tank, or nearby free area such as a forest, field, or ideally a natural reservoir. It is important that the water level in the drainage well does not exceed the desired height of groundwater on the site. Otherwise, the water simply will not drain.

However, most owners, in order to save money, use a different method of organizing groundwater drainage. It is more cost effective but less efficient than a traditional drainage system. When choosing this method, you need to be prepared for high labor costs during operation.

To install a groundwater drainage system, you need to prepare the following:

1. Shovels for digging trenches.
2. A wheelbarrow.
3. Construction level and staff.
4. Hacksaw.
5. Drainage pipes, fittings and couplings.
6. Manual tamper.
7. Wells for drainage.
8. Crushed stone, sand, geotextiles.

First, you need to dig parallel trenches around the site at a distance of 4-6 m from each other. The specific step depends on the density of the soil. If the soil is heavy, trenches should be made in smaller increments. Select a location for the drainage well. The entire system must be made with a smooth slope in the direction of the well so that water flows into it by gravity. Use a building level to check the slope.

The ends of the trenches located below the level must be connected to each other with a new trench and taken to the drainage well. The new trench should also be located at a slope in the direction of this well. If it is not possible to connect them according to this scheme, you will have to install several drainage wells.

The bottom of the trenches is filled with a mixture of gravel (crushed stone) and river sand. A layer 30-50 mm thick will be sufficient. Drainage pipes are being laid. As a rule, polymer pipes with holes along their length are used. To prevent these holes from becoming clogged during operation, the pipes must be wrapped in geotextile. You can also use a more durable analogue of geotextile - coconut fiber.

After laying the pipes, the trenches must be filled to the top with a mixture of crushed stone and sand. Everything must be arranged so that the pipes do not come into contact with the soil. They need to be surrounded on all sides with a mixture of crushed stone and sand.

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Drying system

Based on the height of the plants, you can determine the depth of groundwater.

Instead of a large-scale system, point drainage can be organized. For this purpose, holes with a depth of 2 m are prepared throughout the site. The distance between holes is 6 m. In most cases, it is enough to drain only some areas of the site, but this depends on the specific conditions.

The bottom of the holes is filled with the same mixture of crushed stone and sand. Sections of drainage pipe are wrapped in coconut fiber (geotextile) and inserted vertically into the holes. The bottom of the segments also needs to be plugged with geotextiles. Select a pipe of such diameter that your drainage pump can easily pass through it. The diameter of the hole also depends on the diameter of the pipe wrapped in geotextile - it should be about 10 cm larger.

Such a system requires regular participation of the owner. On average, once every 1-2 weeks you will need to take a drainage pump, place it in each hole and pump out the water. The work is simple and takes little time.