What should be the correct drainage system and how to independently design and build it on the site? Making drainage on the site with your own hands Organizing a drainage system on the site with your own hands.

In some regions, groundwater is very close to the surface. So close that they threaten the integrity of buildings (their foundations) and prevent plantings from growing. All these problems are solved by site drainage. In general, this event is costly both in terms of the amount of funds required and the time required. A considerable part of the time is spent on planning. If you do everything wisely, then you need hydrogeological research data and a project drawn up by a specialist. But, as usual, only a few do this; the majority make the drainage system with their own hands.

What water is removed by drainage?

Drainage of a site is a costly and labor-intensive undertaking that requires a large amount of excavation work. Best time for construction - the process of planning and arranging a site. Late deadlines lead to a lot of chaos, which doesn't make everyone happy. However, if there is water on the site, you have to do this too.

There are several types of water on the site that bother us and that need to be drained. They have different character, require different measures.

Surface water

They are formed during snowmelt and heavy rainfall, during work on the site (watering, washing paths), discharge of water from a reservoir, etc. What all phenomena have in common is their one-time nature: surface water appears after certain events. A more reasonable way to divert them is a device. She copes with the task “excellently”, and the costs of arrangement are much lower.

To drain surface water, mostly open canals are installed; water intake is targeted. storm pipes or linear along the entire roof overhang. From these receivers, water is carried through solid plastic (asbestos-cement) pipes into a drainage ditch or discharged into a river or lake into a ravine. Sometimes we allow output to the ground.

Groundwater

Those groundwaters that have a seasonal level (higher in the spring after a flood, lower in the winter), have a recharge zone (where they come from) and an outflow zone (where they go) are called groundwater. Usually groundwater are present on sandy and sandy loam soils, less often in loams with a small amount of clay.

The presence of groundwater can be determined using self-dug pits or several wells drilled with a hand drill. When drilling, a dynamic level is noted (when water appeared during drilling) and a steady one (some time after its appearance, its level stabilizes).

If we talk about draining water from a building, then a drainage system is installed if the groundwater level (GWL) is only 0.5 m below the foundation. If the groundwater level is high - above the freezing depth - then it is recommended with measures taken to drain water. At a lower level, other options are possible, but careful and multi-layer waterproofing is required. The need for foundation drainage should be assessed by specialists.

If high groundwater (groundwater level above 2.5 meters) prevents plants from growing, drainage of the area is required. This is a system of channels or special drainage pipes laid in the ground at a certain level (20-30 cm below the GW level). The depth of laying pipes or ditches is below the ground level so that water flows to lower places. In this way, the adjacent areas of the soil are drained.

Verkhovodka

This groundwater occurs on soils in highly located impermeable layers, but its appearance is often a consequence of construction errors. Usually this is water that, being absorbed into the soil, encounters on its way layers with a low ability to absorb moisture. Most often this is clay.

If after rain there are puddles in the area and do not go away for a long time, this is perched water. If water accumulates in dug ditches, this is also high water. If, a few years after building a house on clay soils or loams, the walls in the basement begin to “cry”, this is also high water. Water has accumulated in crushed stone pockets under the foundation, in the blind area, etc.

The easiest way to drain high water is with the help of ditches, but it is better to prevent its occurrence - backfill the foundation not with crushed stone and sand, but with clay or native soil, carefully compacting it in layers. The main task is to eliminate the presence of pockets in which water will accumulate. After such backfilling, it is necessary to make a blind area that is wider in width than the backfill and an obligatory touch is the drainage of storm water.

If the site has a slope, consider installing terraces and retaining walls, with the obligatory installation of drainage ditches along the retaining wall. It is most difficult to deal with perched water in low areas, which are located at a level lower than neighboring ones. A reasonable solution here is to add soil, since there is usually nowhere to dump water. Another possible option is to drain the drain through neighboring areas or along the road to the point of possible discharge. You have to decide on the spot, based on the existing conditions.

To avoid drainage

Installing a drainage system is an expensive undertaking. If it is possible to make do with other measures, it is worth doing so. Other measures include the following:

If after all these measures the situation does not suit you, it makes sense to make a drainage system.

Types of drainage

Site drainage is a complex system with many nuances and features. In structure, it can be local (local) - to solve a problem in a specific area. Most often this is drainage of the foundation, basement and semi-basement (basement) floors. Also, water drainage systems on a site can be general - to drain the entire site or a significant part of it.

By installation method

According to the installation method, the drainage system can be:

Open. Concrete or stone trays are used and ditches are dug around the site. They remain open, but can be covered with decorative grilles to protect the system from large debris. If you need a simple solution for draining surface water at your dacha, these are ditches along the perimeter of the site or in the lowest zone. Their depth should be sufficient so that the water does not overflow at maximum flow. So that unstrengthened walls drainage ditches did not collapse, they are made at an angle of 30°,

Drainage option for a summer cottage - cheap and cheerful

Closed. Water is captured by laying special water-permeable drainage pipes. The pipes are led into a storage well, into a drainage ditch, a ravine, or a nearby body of water. This type of site drainage is good for permeable soils (sandy).
Backfill. Site drainage of this type usually used on clay soils or loams. In this case, the pipes are also laid in ditches, but they are filled with layer-by-layer sand and gravel backfill, which collects water from the surrounding soils. The worse the soil conducts moisture, the more powerful backfilling is required.

The specific type of site drainage is selected based on site conditions. On clays and loams, an extensive gravel-sand zone is required, into which water will flow from surrounding areas of the soil. On sands and sandy loams there is no need for such a cushion - the soils themselves drain water well, but only a specialist can say specifically based on the results of geological research.

By type of implementation

There are several types (schemes) of drainage devices on the site:

When draining a site, the central drain or collector is made from pipes of larger diameter (130-150 mm versus 90-100 mm for conventional drains) - the volume of water here is usually larger. The specific type of drainage system is selected based on the problems that need to be solved. Sometimes it is necessary to use combinations of different schemes.

Site drainage - device

The drainage system consists of a network of interconnected pipes that are located around the perimeter (or area) of the area protected from water. Drainage wells are installed at intersections or turns. They are necessary to monitor the condition of the system and clean silty pipes. From all drainage areas, water enters the collector well, where it accumulates to a certain level. Then it can be discharged or used for irrigation and other technical needs. Discharge can occur by gravity (if there is somewhere), and submersible ones are used for supplying irrigation and other technical needs.

Drainage pipes and wells

Special pipes for drainage are used - with holes ranging in size from 1.5 to 5 mm. Water flows through them from the surrounding soil. Holes are located along the entire surface of the pipe. They come in different diameters; for private houses and plots, the most used size is 100 mm; to drain large volumes of water, you can take a cross-section of up to 150 mm.

They are now made mainly from polymers - HDPE, LDPE (low and high pressure polyethylene) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride). They are used for laying to a depth of 2 meters. There are also two and three-layer combined ones, which are made from combinations of these materials; they are buried to depths of up to 5 meters.

Pipes for drainage are selected taking into account the depth. It is necessary to select according to the ring stiffness. It is designated by the Latin letters SN and the numbers following them, indicating the ring stiffness (resistance to loads). For laying to a depth of up to 4 meters, the rigidity should be SN4, up to 6 meters - SN6.

The surface of the drainage pipe is wrapped with filter materials. There can be from one to three filter layers. The number of layers is selected based on the composition of the soil - the smaller the particles, the more layers are required. For example, on clays and loams, pipes with three filter layers are used.

Inspection wells are installed at turning points and in places where several pipes are connected. They are needed for easier cleaning in case of blockage, as well as for the ability to monitor the condition of the pipes. As a rule, all pipes converge into one collector well, from where water is either sent by gravity to the discharge point, or is forcibly pumped out.

There are special wells - for drainage systems, but it is quite possible to bury a concrete ring with a bottom and a lid large diameter(70-80 cm) and bring pipes into it. Depending on the depth of the drainage rings, several rings may be required. Another option is to make a large inspection well and drainage pipe, but in this case you will have to come up with something with the bottom. For example, you can fill the bottom with concrete.

Slope

In order for the collected water to drain on its own, it is necessary to maintain a certain slope towards the direction of movement. Minimum slope is 0.002 - 2 mm per meter, the main one is 0.005 (5 mm per 1 meter of pipe). If the drainage is shallow, the slope of the pipe can increase to 1-3 cm per 1 meter, but it should be done as little as possible. When the flow speed is more than 1 m/sec, small soil particles are “sucked in”, which contributes to faster siltation of the system.

The slope is changed (relative to the “standby” of 5 mm per 1 meter) in two cases:

If it is necessary to drain a larger amount of water per unit of time without increasing the diameter of the drain. In this case, the slope is increased.
If you need to get away from the backwater (when a pipe laid with a given slope is below the water level, i.e. water simply will not drain). In this case, the slope is reduced.

In the practical design of the system, questions may arise about how to ensure a given slope. This can be done using a water level (not very convenient) or a flat board paired with a regular construction bubble level. Having leveled the bottom of the trench, lay a board and a level on it. By moving it along the board, they check and correct the slope of the bottom of the trench in a certain area.

Drain installation technology

Trenches of a given width and depth are pre-dug. The bottom of the trench is leveled and compacted. Don't forget about the slope, but at this stage there is no point in maintaining it exactly. Next, pour about 100 mm of coarse-grained washed river sand, it is also compacted (spilled, then tamped), leveled. Sand preferably fraction Dsr 1.5-2.5 mm.

Lay on sand with a density of no more than 200 g/m2. The edges of the canvas are lined along the walls of the trench. A layer of crushed granite stone is poured on top. The size of the crushed stone fraction is selected depending on the size of the holes in the drainage pipe. For the smallest holes, crushed stone with a grain size of 6-8 mm is required, for the rest - larger. The thickness of the crushed stone layer is 150-250 mm, depending on the type of soil. On clays and loams, 250 mm is required, on soils that drain water better - sand and sandy loam - about 150 mm.

The crushed stone is compacted, leveling it to a given slope. A drainage pipe is laid on compacted crushed stone. Next, the pipe is covered with gravel in layers, each layer is compacted. There should be at least 100 mm of gravel on top of the drain. After this, the ends of the geotextile are wrapped, their overlap should be 15-20 cm. A layer of sand with grains of 0.5-1 mm is poured on top. The thickness of the sand layer is 100-300 mm, also depending on the water permeability of the soil: the worse the water drainage, the thicker the sand layer. The “native” soil is laid on the compacted sand, and then plants can be planted.

A little about backfill materials

Crushed stone should be granite or other hard, lime-free rocks. Dolomite (limestone) or marble are not suitable. It’s easy to test the existing one: drop vinegar on it. If there is a reaction, he is not suitable.

Please note once again: the crushed stone is laid washed so that the new pipes do not immediately silt up.

The sand required is coarse-grained. Grain size from 0.5 mm to 1 mm. The sand should also be clean. Some of the sand is filled with clean water, stirred, wait until the sand settles and evaluate the purity of the water. If the water is cloudy, with a large number of suspended particles, the sand requires washing.

Some nuances of construction

When draining a site, the central drain or collector is made from pipes of larger diameter (130-150 mm versus 90-100 mm for conventional drains) - the volume of water here is usually larger.

The installation of drainage on the site begins from the lowest point and moves gradually upward. First, a collector well is installed. If the groundwater level is high or the high water has not yet receded, water may accumulate in the ditches. This muddy slurry will roll into the well, clogging it. In addition, the presence of water in the ditch greatly interferes with the work: drains must be laid in dry ditches. To drain them, side pits (sumps) of greater depth are made along the ditch. Crushed stone is poured onto the bottom. Accumulating water is pumped out of these pits.

Excessive soil moisture in the area can lead to big troubles, from stagnant puddles to rotting plant roots, as well as rapid destruction of the foundations of buildings. This happens if the site is located in a lowland, where rain or melt water falls and stagnates, as well as when the groundwater level is high. If you got just such a plot, do not rush to change it to another, less problematic one. Installing drainage on the site will help solve your problem, which you can do yourself, without resorting to the expensive services of specialists. We will tell you in detail how to make drainage on the site in this article.

Drainage of the site - drainage and its types

Drainage is a system of interconnected trenches or pipes located in the garden or along the perimeter of the structure. The main task of this system is to remove excess moisture beyond the boundaries of the site.

This is how the individual components of the drainage system work

Based on their type and functions, drainage systems are divided into surface and deep. Surface ones are intended to drain excess rain or melt water outside the drained area, and deep ones reduce soil moisture by reducing the groundwater level. One of these types of drainage, or both, located in parallel or combined into one, can be created on the site. unified system.

Surface drainage is most often open and consists of a system of trenches dug at a certain angle and passing in places of greatest accumulation of rain and melt water, as well as along the perimeter of the entire site. Initially, water will be collected through water intake trenches into one main ditch, and then flow into a water intake (storm drain, river, ravine).

The pipe drains water into a special trench

let's consider simplest project surface drainage using the example of a hypothetical site diagram. So, before us is a standard area where, after rain, water stagnates in three places (1,2,3). We do not take into account a few small puddles. The level here drops away from the road towards the far left corner. Thus, the main trench (4) should run along the far border of the site, and auxiliary ditches (5 and 6) will discharge water from puddles into it. Water from drainpipes from the roof of the house is directed into trenches (6 and 8). If the path running along the house and utility block crosses a trench, then it must be equipped with a bridge (7).

The drainage design shows the location of areas with excess moisture and trenches on the site

Determining the slope of the drainage system

As already mentioned, trenches must be dug with a certain slope so that the water flows by gravity towards the water intake. In this case, the minimum slope is 0.002 in clay soils, and 0.003 in sandy soils. In practice, for the best flow, a slope in the range of 0.005-0.01 is provided.

Installation of surface drainage

It is not difficult to arrange open surface drainage on the site. First, according to a previously determined pattern, trenches 0.5 m wide are dug to a depth of approximately 0.7 m. To make it easier for water to flow into the ditch, its walls are formed at an angle of 30°. Passing through open trenches, the water eventually enters the inlet, which is located below the surface drainage level.

Such drainage very effectively intercepts and removes excess water during rain or snowmelt, and also slightly lowers the groundwater level, but open trenches do not look aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the slopes of ditches can collapse, which makes this type drainage is short-lived.

Such ground movement forces site owners to build all kinds of supports for walls or to concrete them. To get around this problem, crushed stone filling is sometimes used. In this case, the lower layer of the dug ditch is filled with a large fraction of crushed stone, and the upper layer with a fine fraction. Next, the backfill is covered with a layer of turf, which makes surface drainage invisible. Naturally, the walls of the trenches do not collapse with this method, however, the system itself becomes less effective.

Crushed stone filling will help prevent soil movement

However, there is a more modern and practical way to solve this problem - to use a system of trays laid in trenches and covered with gratings on top. Trays protect the walls of the trench from soil sliding, and grates protect from debris. Trays can be made of plastic, concrete or polymer concrete. Considered to be the most durable plastic products, which are also lightweight and exceptionally wear-resistant. As for the gratings, they can be metal or plastic - choose what is most suitable for the design of your site. A system using trays and grates will allow the drainage system to work long and efficiently.

Select grates taking into account the design of the rest of the area

How to make deep drainage of a summer cottage?

Deep drainage is intended to reduce soil moisture. It is necessary in cases where the site is low-lying, swampy, located near bodies of water, or the space under the house is intended to be used, for example, as an underground garage or basement. Ordinary trenches are no longer sufficient here. You will need special perforated pipes (drains) and roll materials.

Scheme of deep drainage of the site

Below is a diagram of the drainage system. It can be seen that the water first enters the collecting drains (1), then into the main drain (2), from where it flows into the catchment well (4) and is discharged into the water intake. The drainage system must also include inspection wells (3). When installing drainage, one of the main problems is the removal of collected water. Ditches along roads, ravines, systems can be used as water intakes. storm sewer, rivers or streams.

An example of laying out a deep drainage system with a lake as a water intake

Determining drainage depth

In order for deep drainage to perform its intended function, it is necessary to place pipes below the groundwater level. And it is impossible to identify this level on your own without special knowledge. At this stage of creating a deep drainage system, it is necessary to turn to surveyors and hydrogeologists, who, after necessary measurements, will be issued detailed plan area with groundwater level.

As a last resort, if deep drainage is required not to protect the foundation of the house from washing out, but for the normal life of plants, you can resort to a more simplified option for determining the depth of the pipes. On mineral soils the depth of the trenches varies from 0.6 to 1.5 m. At the same time, for flower beds, lawns and flower beds it is 0.6-0.8 m, for forest tree species - about 0.9 m, for fruit trees - 1.2 -1.5 m. If the soil on the site is peat, the depth of the trenches will be greater - from 1 to 1.6 m. This is due to the fact that peat soils quickly settle.

Pipes for deep drainage

To install deep drainage, special perforated pipes are used, on the surface of which there is a network of holes with a diameter of 1.5-5 mm. Even in the recent past (until the mid-80s), drainage pipes were exclusively ceramic or asbestos-cement. They quickly became clogged and needed frequent washing.

Modern technologies have made it easier drainage works, thanks to the advent of polymer pipes for irrigation and drainage with a diameter of 50-200 mm. Some brands of pipes are equipped with a filter casing, which protects the drainage holes from clogging with sand and soil particles.

Installation of deep drainage

Installation of deep drainage begins with digging trench-channels about 40 cm wide, the depth of which depends on the depth of groundwater. After this, a sand cushion and a layer of crushed stone are poured onto the bottom, on which, in turn, a drainage pipe is laid. After this, the pipe is again covered with crushed stone and sand. These layers, together with the pipe, should occupy about half the height of the trench; the remaining space is filled with compacted loam, on top of which a fertile layer of soil is poured. Often a layer of geotextile is placed between the gravel and sand to prevent the layers from mixing.

To monitor the drainage process, as well as to clean clogged pipes, round or rectangular inspection wells are provided in the drainage system. Wells are made of iron concrete rings or piece waterproof products. If the depth of the drainage system does not exceed three meters, large diameter plastic smooth or corrugated pipes (300-500 mm) can be used. There is no need to cover the wells with waterproofing and make them airtight, since the task of these structures is to monitor the flow of water in the system, as well as to supply water under pressure to flush clogged pipes.

A drainage well is used to flush pipes and monitor the condition of the drainage system

The distance between wells along a straight line of the trench should not be more than 40-50 m. It is advisable that the well is also located at each turn or connection of the trenches.

An example of high-quality installation of a deep drainage system

The closed deep drainage system is arranged in such a way that after completion installation work, becomes almost invisible. It is camouflaged from view, does not create interference on the site, while performing its main function - draining the site, protecting the foundations of buildings from washing out and ensuring the normal development of plants.

The article will discuss in detail surface drainage on summer cottage: the easiest way to organize a drainage system and its features, rules for selecting materials and preparation for work. Parsing will also be performed step by step instructions and recommendations on sewerage installation for those people who do not have experience in this area, but want to independently organize protection for their home and surrounding area from erosion by rainwater.

The use of drainage systems to remove storm water solves many problems. Such designs eliminate the problem of excess moisture near the foundation part of the house, preventing the development of putrefactive processes and the appearance of mold. In addition, such systems save the territory from flooding by storm water, as well as melt water, the level of which increases during the spring melting of snow.

Note! If you do not lay drainage pipes on the site or do not organize a system of surface ditches, water will have to be constantly pumped out from the basement of the house in rainy weather. This is especially true for buildings built on loamy soils.

How to make drainage on a site with your own hands: choosing a system

Drainage systems are conventionally divided into two large categories: surface and deep. If the installation of a deep system may require certain knowledge and the help of specialists, then the installation of surface drainage in a summer cottage can be done independently. This type of sewerage can be called the simplest way to solve the problem of excess moisture on the site.

Note! There are certain restrictions regarding the installation of surface and subsurface systems. Some conditions do not allow the organization of one or another type of sewage system. Be sure to follow preliminary analysis conditions of the proposed construction area.

To develop a preliminary drainage plan for a site, its territory should be inspected and key points identified. All factors that may influence further work on drawing up a site drainage project are considered.

To create a diagram, the following information is required:

A plan of the territory indicating all buildings, the nature and density of plantings, as well as the boundaries of the site.
Topographic data reflecting the features of the relief (not needed if the site has a flat surface).
Dendroplane (diagram is necessary if there is a a large number of plantings or their planting is expected, since the plants are dependent on water).
Road and path grid (layout of future paths and paved areas that require drainage).
Communication system diagram.
Hydrological data (level of water balance of the territory).

On the one hand, hydrological data influences how to do drainage in dacha-type areas, so they are very important. On the other hand, loamy soil types have the same structural structure, so such information may not be needed.

Surface drainage system on the site: device

Surface drainage systems collect spring melt and rainwater, and then remove it outside the territory. The installation of such structures is especially necessary in those summer cottage areas where there is stagnation of moisture or large accumulations of it.

Most often, such conditions are formed if:

clay or loamy soil is located under a layer of fertile soil (such types of soil are considered waterproof or waterproof);
the territory has a lowland location, for example, at the foot of the hills;
the surface slope in the area is partially zero, in other words, the surface is perfectly flat, which is why water cannot move independently under the influence of gravity;
the site has areas where the soil is oversaturated with water from time to time, for example, places where plants are watered.

Note! In addition, it is possible to install surface drainage in an area with high level groundwater. In this case, the upper layers of soil may be subject to flooding during high levels of precipitation.

Surface drainage patterns land plot in general terms they look like this:

water collection points;
trenches leading from drainage points;
a trench connecting the gangway system together;
a drainage well into which a common trench leads (instead of a well, leading to a ditch or natural reservoir, or a ditch specially dug outside the site can be used).

Types of surface drainage for areas with high groundwater levels

In a relationship design features There are two types of surface systems for water drainage:

point, installed in areas where water accumulates;
linear - entire networks of drainage pipes that collect water for its further transportation to storage tanks.

How much will it cost to drain the area (price of materials for a point system):

Drainage system element	Name and parameters	Price, rub./piece
	S'park, round	290
	PolyMax Basic (300x300 mm), square	490
	PolyMax Basic (400x400 mm), square	990
Grate to the rain inlet	S'park, round	100
	PolyMax Basic (300x300 mm), square, slotted	490
	PolyMax Basic (300x300 mm), square, cellular	500
	PolyMax Basic (400x400 mm), square, cellular	900
	PolyMax Basic (300x300 mm), square, snowflake	1100
	PolyMax Basic (400x400 mm), square, slotted	1300
Accessories	Siphon partition PolyMax Basic (300x300 mm)	70
	Basket PolyMax Basic (300x300 mm)	110
	Frame D380, circle, cast iron	1100

Helpful advice! Experts recommend combining both of these systems to achieve the most effective results.

Drainage installation on the site (cost of materials for a linear system):

Drainage system element	Options	Price, rub./piece
Drainage tray	S'park (70 mm)	70
	PolyMax Basic (100 mm)	490
	PolyMax Basic reinforced (200 mm)	1190
Lattice	PolyMax Basic (100 mm)	180
	PolyMax Basic (200 mm)	820
	PolyMax Basic (300 mm)	2505
Sand trap	PolyMax Basic (100 mm)	1300
Sand trap	BetoMax Basic (100 mm), concrete	1705

Features of do-it-yourself point drainage on clay soil

A point-type drainage system does an excellent job of protecting certain areas of the territory from excess moisture. Before draining a site on clay soil, as a rule, problem areas are identified, which may be:

placement of drains leading from the roof of the house;
door pits;
entry zone;
terrace;
points where water is collected for irrigation of vegetation.

To arrange the drainage of a site on clay soil, the following elements are used (prices for them are located in the tables above):

storm water inlets;
settling tanks equipped with containers for collecting large particles and debris;
trenches-ladders transporting water to the storm sewer system;
dampers that prevent the reverse flow of water and the entry of large particles of debris into the system.

Features of the storm drainage system on the site: how to make drainage

A linear type drainage system consists of gutters that are buried in the soil. These channels move water from the site beyond its boundaries. When arranging such drainage on a summer cottage with your own hands, you should remember that the liquid is discharged by gravity.

On sale you can find gutters made from various materials:

polymer concrete;
plastic;
concrete.

Helpful advice! To reduce the cost of purchasing consumables, you can make gutters yourself. You can make concrete elements at home using special pouring molds.

Grates are placed on top of the gutters to perform a protective function. The material for their manufacture can be plastic or metal (cast iron, steel). These elements have a removable design.

How to drain a site based on the key elements of the system:

gutters are laid in pre-arranged trenches;
sand catchers are installed in areas where drainage systems and other similar places are located;
the gratings are fixed on the gutters.

Do-it-yourself installation of a linear drainage system on a site is done if:

the angle of inclination of the surface is more than 3° (in such conditions, water can be discharged by gravity, which without drainage can simply wash away the fertile soil layer);
it is necessary to drain water from the foundation of the house in conditions of prolonged rainfall;
it is necessary to drain water from the relief slopes of the territory;

utility structures are located in the same plane with the surface of the summer cottage or below this level;
there is a need to protect the territory of the summer cottage, as well as entrances and paved paths.

Turnkey site drainage installation: cost of work

Water can destroy the foundation part of a house, destroy some types of plants, wash away fertile soil from the site and even provoke a landslide. Drying the area with drainage in combination with other protective measures allows you to avoid all these problems.

List of protective measures:

Performing seamless waterproofing of the base of the house.
Protection of the waterproofing layer from damage.
Installation of a drainage system at the foundation.
Organization additional insulation waterproofing layer at the base.
Construction of an insulated blind area.
Turnkey site drainage installation.

All items from this list (except the last one) are carried out during the construction of the house. It is better to entrust these works to professionals. You can do the installation of a storm drainage system yourself, but first you should figure out what the cost of drainage of a site carried out on a turn-key basis by professionals is. This will allow you to make the final decision as to whether it is worth laying drainage pipes with geotextiles or limiting yourself to surface mounting of the system, which you can do yourself.

Organization of site drainage (price of professional services):

Name of the work plan	Pipe depth, m	Diameter of drainage pipes, mm	Character of the drainage layer, m	Price, rub./linear m
Superficial	0,4	110 (geotextile)	0.3 (crushed gravel)	1000
Rational	1	110 (geotextile)		1600
Convenient (1 inspection well)	1	110 (geotextile, double-walled)	0.4 (crushed gravel) + 0.1-0.15 (sand)	1800
Eco-friendly	1	110 (coconut fiber)	0.4 (crushed gravel)	1550
Uncompromising (1 inspection well)	1	110 (Wavin, geotextile)	0.4 (crushed granite)	2300

Installing drainage on a summer cottage: price of elements for the system

Regardless of whether the installation work is done independently or with the involvement of specialists, you must purchase everything necessary for this procedure before installing the drainage system Consumables.

Helpful advice! To save money, it is recommended to purchase drainage wells and other consumables in advance. The main thing is not to make mistakes with the calculations. If you are unsure, consult a specialist to draw up a preliminary estimate. average cost development of a project for the drainage system of the site is 15,000 rubles.

Prices for drainage wells:

Well type	Options	price, rub.
Prefabricated (made of concrete rings, diameter 1 m). Equipment: pump, plastic hatch, pump clamp, drainage (no more than 10 m)	3 rings	36000
	4 rings	40000
Inspection (made of plastic pipe, diameter 0.315 m). Equipment: plastic hatch, plastic bottom	1m	6600
	1.5 m	6900
	2 m	7700
	2.5 m	7900
	3m	8950

The average price of cast iron gratings for storm drains as part of storm water inlets is 3,500 rubles. The package may include a waste basket and walls.

How much does it cost to lay drainage pipes in a country house (price of services):

Pipe type	type of instalation	Price, rub./linear m
Flexible	Drainage trench	500
	Shallow depth (0.5 m)	700
		1200
Tough	Drainage trench	700
	Shallow depth (0.5 m)	950
	Depth below freezing level	1600

The table shows that the cost of laying pipes for drainage of a site depends not only on the level of burial, but also on the type of material. Working with rigid pipes is much more difficult. This nuance should be taken into account when choosing products.

Technology for installing drainage around a site: how to make the system correctly

The simplest technology that describes how to properly drain a dacha-type plot involves abandoning the use of gutters.

Note! The surface system in this case is performed in a non-standard way with minimal costs, since there is no need to purchase ready-made parts in stores. In the process of work, scrap materials are used.

Technology for creating surface drainage of a site with your own hands:

Trenches should be dug along the perimeter of the area that needs draining. They must be positioned taking into account the slope of the surface. If the site is horizontal, this slope must be formed independently. Optimal parameters for calculating storm drainage: the width of the trenches should be 40 cm, the depth should be 50 cm. Minimum angle The inclination of the surface (towards the removal of moisture from the area) is 30°.
The trench system must be connected and then brought into a ditch or into a storage well. In this zone, you can organize a small artificial reservoir, for example, a decorative pond, and plant plants that love moisture there.
The system is being tested for functionality. To do this, water is poured into the trenches and the direction in which it flows is checked.
A mound is formed at the bottom of the trenches. First you need to organize a layer of coarse crushed stone, followed by a layer of fine crushed stone.

For drainage systems, pipes with a filter made of

Protecting the foundation of a house: sequence of work for installing a storm drain

The technology for arranging a drainage system to protect the foundation involves the use of a linear structure:

In areas where liquid is drained from drainpipes leading from roofs, rainwater inlets are installed. For these elements, you need to dig holes in advance that are 10 cm greater than the depth and width of the water intake funnel. The grid should be positioned 3 mm below the soil level.
The funnel is installed on a concrete base in such a way that there is enough space to remove the grate and clean the water inlet if necessary. It is also not recommended to place this element too high, otherwise the liquid will splash on the sides and there will be no benefit from the drainage.
Water inlets are connected to gutters for transporting water. To do this, you need to make a 1 m indent from the foundation part of the house and dig a trench. Its depth is selected so that a gutter can be installed, and there is still 10 cm of headroom left on top. The same amount of space should be available in width. Do not forget about the slope of the drainage pipe towards the well.

Helpful advice! When installing gutters, which are also placed on a concrete pad, it is recommended to use a building level. The side parts of these parts can be fixed with concrete for reliability.

Next, the gratings are installed, and there should be an end cap on the last gutter of the system. Place sand traps and wells in the corner parts of the storm drain, after which you can begin to connect all the elements of the system together. At the joints it is allowed to use bitumen mastic, which will prevent leaks.

The system is completely ready, all that remains is to fill it with soil, but in such a way that a gap of 3 mm is maintained between the surface and the grate.

Gutters made of plastic are lightweight and low cost. However, they are subject to deformation changes under the influence of pressure exerted by concrete and soil. To prevent damage to the material, it is recommended to fix the drainage gratings “on the shore”.

The system for draining water from the site using open drainage often freezes in winter. So that the storm drain can do its job without delay in the spring, the pipe must be attached to a sand catcher. Thanks to this, the system will not freeze too much.

Using the technology described earlier, you can drain the perimeter of walkways. Paved areas and paths on the site also need to remove excess moisture, since water has a destructive effect on tiles and other elements (borders, flower beds).

The dream of a landscaped suburban area may well become a reality. Local area with luxurious lawns, a beautiful garden, a productive vegetable garden, gazebos, patios, alpine coaster- all this today can be developed on soil of any quality and land of any geodetic complexity, the main thing is to approach the solution 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. Grooves open type drainage 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 through the entire area or certain corners of it is the best way to drain clay soils. Here it won’t hurt to sketch out a rough plan future system, on which to mark all 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 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 a part of the fine gravel, it is painted in blue colors, available 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 won't just get functional system drainage, and 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 be puzzled by the development closed system drainage. 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.

If you ask any experienced builder, developer, landscape designer about what needs to be done, first of all, on a newly acquired and not yet developed site, then the answer will be clear: the first is drainage, if there is a need for it. And such a need almost always happens. Drainage of a site is always associated with a very large volume of excavation work, so it is better to do it right away, so as not to disturb the beautiful landscape that any good owners arrange on their property.

Of course, the easiest way is to order site drainage services from 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 for these expenses; perhaps they will violate the entire budget planned for the construction and improvement of the site. In this article, we propose to consider the question of how to do the drainage of a site with your own hands, as this will allow you to save a lot of money, and in most cases it is quite possible to do this work yourself.

Why is site drainage needed?

Looking through estimates and price lists related to site drainage, some developers begin to doubt the feasibility of these measures. And the main argument is that before, in principle, no one “bothered” much with this. With this argument for refusing to drain the site, it is worth noting that the quality and comfort of human life has greatly improved. No one wants to live in dampness or in a house with earthen floors. No one wants to see cracks on their home, blind areas and paths that appear after another cold season. All homeowners want to improve their property or, to put it in a modern and fashionable way, to do a landscape design. After the rain, no one wants to “knead mud” in stagnant puddles. If this is the case, then drainage is definitely needed. You can do without it only in very rare cases. We will explain in what cases a little later.

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

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

First of all, in order to remove excess water from the foundations of buildings and structures. The appearance of water in the area of the base of the foundation can provoke either soil movement - the house will “float”, which is typical for clay soils, or in combination with freezing, frost heaving forces may appear, which 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 the waterproofing is, excess water will still seep through the building structures. Basements in homes without drainage can become damp, which can encourage the growth of mold and other fungi. In addition, precipitation in combination with salts present in the soil very often form aggressive chemical compounds that negatively affect building materials.

Drainage will prevent the septic tank from being “squeezed out” when the groundwater level is high. Without drainage, a wastewater treatment system will not last long.
Drainage together with the system and around buildings ensures quick removal water, preventing its seepage to the underground parts of buildings.
Drainage prevents the soil from becoming waterlogged. In areas equipped with properly planned and constructed drainage, water will not stagnate.
Waterlogged soil can cause plant roots to rot. Drainage prevents this and creates conditions for the growth of all garden, vegetable and ornamental plants.
With heavy rainfall in areas that have a slope, the fertile layer of soil can be washed away by streams of water. Drainage directs water flows into the drainage system, thereby preventing soil erosion.

Water erosion of fertile soil in the absence of drainage - serious problem in agriculture

If the site is surrounded by a fence built on a strip foundation, then it can “seal” natural water drainage routes, creating conditions for waterlogging of the soil. Drainage is designed to remove excess water from the perimeter of the site.
Drainage allows you to avoid the formation of puddles on platforms, sidewalks and garden paths.

When drainage is necessary anyway

Let's consider those cases when drainage is needed in any case:

If the site is located on flat terrain, then drainage is required, since if there is a large amount of precipitation 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 saturate 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 drainage is definitely needed, since water will flow from higher places to those located below.
Areas with a strong slope also require drainage, since quickly flowing water will erode the top fertile layers of the soil. It is better to direct these flows into drainage channels or pipes. Then the bulk of the water will flow through them, preventing the soil layer from being washed away.
If the site is dominated by clay and heavy loamy soils, then after precipitation or melting snow, water will often stagnate on them. Such soils prevent its penetration into the deeper layers. Therefore, drainage is required.
If the groundwater level (GWL) in the area is less than 1 meter, then drainage cannot be avoided.

If the buildings on the site have a deeply buried foundation, then there is a high probability that its base will be in the zone of seasonal rise of groundwater. 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 surfaces made of concrete, paving stones or paving slabs, and also if there are lawns equipped with an automatic watering 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 planning and doing it, you need to study the site.

Studying the site for topography, soil type and groundwater level

Each site is individual in terms of topography, soil composition and groundwater level. Even two areas 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, which will contain a lot of data, most of which is understandable only to specialists. If we “translate” them into the language of ordinary citizens who do not have an education in the field of geology, hydrogeology and geodesy, then they can be listed as follows:

Topographic survey of the area where it is proposed. The photographs must indicate the cadastral boundaries of the site.
Characteristics of the relief, which should indicate what type of relief is present on the site (undulating or flat). If there are slopes, then their presence and direction are indicated; it is in their direction that the water will flow. Attached is a topographic plan of the site indicating the relief contours.

Characteristics of the soil, what type of soil it is and at what depth it lies on the site. To do this, specialists drill exploration wells in different places on the site, from where they take samples, which are then examined in the laboratory.
Physico-chemical properties of soil. Its ability to be load-bearing for the planned house, as well as 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 soil heaving, 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 a seemingly impeccable plot of land, specialists will not allow you to build the house that the owners intended. For example, a house with a basement was planned, and the high ground level forces experts to recommend against doing this, so instead of the originally planned strip foundation with a basement, they will recommend a pile foundation without underground premises. There is no reason not to trust 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 for free, they are done at the expense of the developer and are required on a new site. This fact is often the subject of indignation by some owners, but it is worth understanding that this procedure will help save a lot of money during the construction and further operation of the house, as well as when maintaining the site in good condition. Therefore, this seemingly unnecessary and expensive bureaucracy is necessary and very useful.

If a plot of land is purchased with existing buildings that have been in use for at least several years, then you can also order geological and geodetic surveys, but you can do without them and learn about groundwater, its seasonal rise and the unpleasant impact on human life based on other signs. Of course, this will come with a certain amount 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 whether any drainage measures have been taken. They will not hide this for anything.
An inspection of the basement can also tell a lot. Regardless of whether it was done there redecorating. If there is a high level of humidity in the premises, it will be immediately felt.

Getting to know your neighbors and interviewing them can be much more informative than communicating with the former owners of the property and house.
If there are wells or boreholes on your property and on your neighbors’ property, then the water level in them will eloquently indicate the groundwater level. Moreover, it is advisable to observe how the level changes in different seasons. Theoretically, the water should rise to its maximum in the spring after the snow has melted. In summer, if there have been dry periods, the groundwater level should drop.
Plants growing on a site can also “tell” a lot to the owner. The presence of plants such as cattail, reed, sedge, horse sorrel, nettle, hemlock, and 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, 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 talk about an ancient method of determining the groundwater level that our ancestors used before building a house. To do this, a piece of turf was removed from the area of interest and a shallow hole was dug, a piece of wool was placed at the bottom, an egg was placed on it, and an inverted clay pot and the removed turf were covered on top. After dawn and sunrise, they removed the pot and watched as the dew fell. If the egg and wool are covered in dew, then the water is shallow. If dew has fallen only on the 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 there is an absolutely correct explanation for it, from the point of view of science.
The growth of bright grass in the area even during a drought, as well as the appearance of fog in the evening hours, indicates the proximity of groundwater.
The most the best way Independent determination of groundwater level on the site is the drilling of test wells. For this you can use a regular garden auger with extension cords. It is better to drill during the highest water rise, that is, in the spring after the snow melts. First of all, wells should be made at the site where a house or existing structure is being built. The well must 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 required.

A beginner's research geologist's kit - a garden auger with an extension cord

If puddles stagnate in the area after rain, this may indicate the proximity of groundwater, as well as the fact that the soil is clayey or heavy loamy, which prevents water from going deeper normally. In this case, drainage is also necessary. It will also be very useful to update the fertile soil to a lighter one, then there will be no problems with growing most garden and garden plants will not be.

Even a very high groundwater level in the area, although a big problem, is a problem that can be solved with the help of well-calculated and well-executed drainage. Let's give a 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 several centimeters deep. Those who have been to Holland have noticed that after rain there are puddles there that are not absorbed into the ground, since there is simply nowhere for them to be absorbed. However, in this cozy country, the issue of land drainage is being resolved through a set of measures: dams, dikes, polders, locks, and canals. In Holland there is even a special department, Waterschap, which deals with flood protection. The abundance of windmills in this country does not mean that they grind grain. Most mills are involved in pumping water.

We do not at all encourage you to specifically purchase a site with a high groundwater level; on the contrary, this should be avoided by everyone possible ways. And the example of Holland was cited 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 the groundwater level is within acceptable limits, and seasonal rises can be dealt with independently.

Types of drainage systems

There are a great variety of drainage systems and their varieties. Moreover, in different sources, their 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, which 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 operate 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 for draining water coming in the form of precipitation or melting snow, as well as for draining excess water during any technological processes, for example, when washing cars or garden paths. Surface drainage is done in any case around buildings or other structures, areas, exit points from a garage or yard. Surface drainage comes in 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 gutters, in pits in front of doors and garage doors, in the locations of watering taps. In addition to its direct purpose, point drainage can complement another type of surface drainage system.

Storm water inlet is the main element of point surface drainage

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

It is obvious that any good surface drainage system almost always combines elements of point and linear. And they all come together into common system drainage, which may also include another subsystem, which we will consider in the next section of our article.

Prices for rainwater inlets

storm drain

Deep drainage

In most cases, surface drainage alone cannot be done. To solve the problem qualitatively, we need another type of drainage - deep, which is a system of special drainage pipes (drains) , laid in those places where it is necessary to lower the groundwater level 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 at a certain interval, which is calculated by specialists. Typically, the interval between pipes is 10-20 meters, and they are laid in the form of a herringbone, directed towards the main outlet pipe-collector. It all depends on the groundwater level and its quantity.

When laying drains in trenches, it is imperative to take advantage of all the features of the site’s topography. Water will always flow from a higher place to a lower place, so drains are laid the same way. It is much more difficult if the area is absolutely flat, then required slope pipes are given 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 required slope on a flat area, since for 10 meters of pipe the level difference will already be 20 or 30 cm, so a necessary measure is to organize 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 lower, 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 maintaining a very small slope is much more difficult than a large one. Therefore, you should not be “embarrassed” in this matter and feel free to set a slope of 3, 4 and even 5 cm per meter of drainage pipe, if the length and planned difference in depth of the trench allows.

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

Rotary wells – arranged where drains make a turn or where several elements are connected. These elements are needed for inspection and cleaning of the drainage system, which must be done periodically. They can be either small in diameter, which will only allow cleaning and rinsing with a stream 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 there is no possibility of draining water deeper or beyond, it becomes necessary to collect water. This is exactly what these wells are designed for. Previously, they were mainly a structure made of monolithic concrete, concrete rings or bricks plastered with cement mortar. Now most often used plastic containers of various volumes, which are protected from clogging or silting by geotextiles and crushed stone or gravel. The water collected in the water intake well can be pumped outside the site using special submersible drainage pumps, can be pumped out and transported by tanker trucks, or can settle in a well or pool for further irrigation.

Absorption wells designed to drain water if the topography of the site does not allow moisture to be removed beyond its boundaries, but the underlying soil layers have good absorbency. Such soils include sandy and sandy loam. Such wells are made with 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 eroded fertile soil or various blockages from entering from above, the well is also covered with fertile soil. Naturally, the side walls and bottom are protected with sprinkling. Water entering such a well is filtered by its contents and goes deep into sandy or sandy loam soils. The ability of such wells to remove water from the site may be limited, so they are installed 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 area. That is why it is recommended not to neglect geological and geodetic research and order a drainage system design from specialists. If it is possible to correct flaws in surface drainage without severely disturbing the landscape of the site, then with deep drainage everything is much more serious, the cost of an error is too high.

Well prices

Overview of components for drainage systems

To independently carry out the drainage of the site and the buildings located on it, you need to find out what components will be required for this. From the widest selection of them, we tried to show the most used ones at present. If previously the market was dominated by Western manufacturers who, as monopolists, dictated high prices for their products, now sufficient quantity domestic enterprises offer their products, which are in no way inferior in quality.

Surface Drainage Parts

The following parts can be used for point and linear surface drainage:

Name, manufacturer	Purpose and description
Concrete drainage tray 1000140125 mm with stamped galvanized steel grating. Production - Russia.	Designed for surface water drainage. Capacity 4.18 l/sec, can withstand loads of up to 1.5 tons (A15).	880 rub.
Concrete drainage tray with cast iron grate, dimensions 1000140125 mm. Production - Russia.	The purpose and capacity are the same as in the previous example. Capable of supporting loads up to 25 tons (C250).	1480 rub.
Concrete drainage tray with galvanized steel mesh grating, dimensions 1000140125 mm. Production - Russia.	The purpose and capacity are the same. Capable of supporting loads up to 12.5 tons (B125).	1610 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 100014070 mm with a plastic grid. Production - Russia.	The purpose is the same, throughput 1.9 l/sec. Capable of withstanding loads up to 1.5 tons (A15). The material combines the advantages of plastic and concrete.	820 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 100014070 mm with cast iron grate. Production - Russia.	The throughput is the same. Capable of withstanding up to 25 tons of load (C250).	1420 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 100014070 mm with steel mesh grating. Production - Russia.	The throughput is the same. Capable of withstanding up to 12.5 tons of load (B125).	1550 rub.
Plastic drainage tray 100014560 mm with a galvanized stamped grid. Production - Russia.	Made from frost-resistant polypropylene. Flow rate 1.8 l/sec. Capable of withstanding loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	760 rub.
Plastic drainage tray 100014560 mm with cast iron grate. Production - Russia.	Flow rate 1.8 l/sec. Capable of supporting loads up to 25 tons (C250).	1360 rub.
Complete plastic storm water inlet (siphon-partitions 2 pcs., waste basket – 1 pc.). Size 300300300 mm. With plastic grille. Production - Russia.	Designed for point drainage of water flowing from the roof through a drainpipe, and can also be used to collect water under yard and garden watering taps. Can be connected to shaped parts with diameters of 75, 110, 160 mm. Removable basket allows for quick cleaning. Withstands loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	For a set including siphon partitions, a waste collection basket and a plastic grill - 1000 rubles.
Complete plastic storm water inlet (siphon-partitions 2 pcs., waste basket – 1 pc.). Size 300300300 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 including siphon partitions, a waste collection basket and a cast iron grate - 1,550 rubles.
The sand trap is plastic with a galvanized steel grid. Dimensions 500116320 mm.	Designed to collect dirt and debris in surface linear drainage systems. It is installed at the end of a line of gutters (trays) and is subsequently connected to the pipes of the storm sewer system with a diameter of 110 mm. Capable of withstanding loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	For a set including grilles 975 rubles.

In the table, we deliberately showed Russian-made gutters and rainwater inlets, made from 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 ground, the specific implementation scheme of the drainage system. That is why it is best to entrust drainage system calculations to specialists who will calculate the required size, quantity, and select components.

There was absolutely no need to talk about possible components for drainage trays, rain inlets and sand traps in the table, since in each individual case they will be different. When purchasing, if there is a system design, the seller will always suggest the ones you need. They can be end caps for trays, fastenings 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 surface linear drainage around the house is implemented with rainwater inlets in the corners (and this is usually done), then sand traps will not be required. Stormwater inlets with siphon partitions and waste baskets perform their role perfectly. If the linear drainage does not have storm inlets and goes into a sewer drainage pipe, then a sand trap is required. That is, any transition from drainage trays to pipes must be done either using a storm inlet or a sand trap. Only this way and no other way! This is done to ensure 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 difficult to disagree with the fact 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 you wish, it will not be difficult to find catalogs of manufacturers of these systems and select the necessary parts and components for them.

Name and manufacturer	Purpose and description	Approximate price (as of October 2016)
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 63 mm made of HDPE, corrugated, single-walled, in a geotextile filter. Manufacturer: Sibur, Russia.	Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and areas. Wrapped with geotextile to prevent clogging of pores with soil and sand, which prevents clogging and silting. They have full (circular) perforation. Made from low-density polyethylene (HDPE). Hardness class SN-4. Laying depth up to 4 m.	For 1 m.p. 48 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 110 mm made of HDPE, corrugated, single-walled, in a geotextile filter. Manufacturer: Sibur, Russia.	similar to above	For 1 m.p. 60 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 160 mm made of HDPE, corrugated, single-walled, in a geotextile filter. Manufacturer: Sibur, Russia.	similar to above	For 1 m.p. 115 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 200 mm made of HDPE, corrugated, single-walled, in a geotextile filter. Manufacturer: Sibur, Russia.	similar to above	For 1 m.p. 190 rub.
Single-wall corrugated HDPE drainage pipes with a coconut coir filter with diameters of 90, 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of origin: Russia.	Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and areas on clay and peaty soils. Coconut coir has increased reclamation properties and strength compared to geotextiles. They have circular perforation. Hardness class SN-4. Laying depth up to 4 m.	219, 310, 744, 1074 rub. for 1 m.p. (depending on diameter).
Double-layer drainage pipes with a Typar SF-27 geotextile filter. The outer layer of HDPE is corrugated, the inner layer of LDPE is smooth. Diameters 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of origin: Russia.	Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and areas on all types of soils. They have full (circular) perforation. The outer layer protects from mechanical influences, and the inner layer allows, due to its smooth surface drain more water. The two-layer design has a stiffness class of SN-6 and allows pipes to be laid at a depth of up to 6 meters.	160, 240, 385 rub. for 1 m.p. (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 drainage or drainage systems. They have a hardness class of SN-4, which allows them to be laid at a depth of up to 4 meters.	180, 305, 270, 490 rub. for pipes: 1101061 mm, 1251072 mm, 1601086 mm, 2001106 mm, respectively.
Well shafts with a diameter of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm made of HDPE. Country of origin: Russia.	Designed to create drainage wells (rotary, water intake, absorption). They have a two-layer construction. Ring stiffness SN-4. Maximum length– 6 meters.	950, 1650, 3700, 7400 rub. for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm, respectively.
Bottom-plug for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm made of HDPE. Country of origin: Russia.	Designed for creating drainage wells: rotary or water intake.	940, 1560, 4140, 7100 for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm, respectively.
Insertion into the well on site 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 rub. for inserts with diameters of 110, 160, 200 mm, respectively.
Polymer concrete hatch for drainage wells with a diameter of 340 mm. Country of origin: Russia.		500 rub.
Polymer concrete hatch for drainage wells with a diameter of 460 mm. Country of origin: Russia.	Designed for installation on drainage wells. Withstands loads of 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. Not susceptible to rotting, mold, rodents and insects. Roll length from 1 to 6 m.	20 rub. for 1 m².

From the presented table it can be seen that the cost of even Russian-made parts for drainage systems can hardly be called cheap. But the effect of their use will please the owners of the site for at least 50 years. This is the service life that the manufacturer claims. Considering that the material used to make drainage parts is absolutely inert with respect to all substances found in nature, we can assume that the service life will be much longer than stated.

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

To create drainage systems, there are many more 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 drainage pipe connections at different angles.

Despite 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, the taps into the well indicated in the table are used. Another advantage of cut-ins is that they can be made 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 according to calculations 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 done, first of all, during design, and then adjustments should be made 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 this is possible if you do everything consistently and correctly.

Design of the site drainage system

Drainage system - complex engineering facility, which requires an appropriate attitude towards itself. Therefore, we recommend that our readers order site drainage design from professionals who will take into account absolutely everything: the topography of the site, existing (or planned) buildings, soil composition, groundwater depth, and other factors. After design, the customer will have a set of documents on hand, which includes:

Plan of the site with its relief.
A diagram for laying pipes for wall or ring drainage, indicating the cross-section and type of pipes, depth, required slopes, and location of wells.
A drainage diagram of the site also indicating the depth of the trenches, types of pipes, slopes, distance between adjacent drains, location of rotary or water intake wells.

It will be difficult to make a detailed design of a drainage system on your own without knowledge and experience. This is why you should turn to professionals

A diagram of surface point and linear drainage indicating the size of trays, sand traps, storm water inlets, sewer pipes used, and the location of water intake wells.
Transverse dimensions of trenches for wall and deep drainage, indicating the depth, material and thickness of the filling, and the type of geotextile used.
Calculation of necessary components and materials.
Explanatory note for the project, describing the entire drainage system and technology for performing the work.

The design of a site drainage system costs significantly less than an architectural design, so we once again strongly advise you to contact specialists. This minimizes the likelihood of errors when installing drainage yourself.

Home wall drainage equipment

To protect the foundations of houses from the effects of groundwater, so-called wall drainage is made, which is located around the entire house from the outside at some distance from the base of the foundation. usually it is 0.3-0.5 m, but in any case no more than 1 meter. Wall drainage is done at the stage of building a house along with measures for insulation and waterproofing of the foundation. When is this type of drainage necessary anyway?

Prices for drainage systems

When the house has a ground floor.

When the buried parts of the foundation are located 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 include wall drainage. The only exceptions can be those cases when the foundation is laid on sandy soils that do not freeze 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 of 10 cm is made, on which a geotextile membrane with a density of at least 150 g/m² is laid, on which is poured a layer of crushed stone of a fraction of 20-40 mm with a thickness of at least 10 cm. Instead of crushed stone, washed gravel can be used. It is better to use granite crushed stone, but not limestone, since the latter tends to be gradually eroded by water. A drainage pipe wrapped in geotextile is laid on a crushed stone bed. The pipes are given the required slope - at least 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe.

Inspection and inspection wells must be made at the places where the pipe turns. The rules allow them to be done every other turn, but practice suggests that it is better not to skimp on this and to place them at every turn. The slope of the pipes is made 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 highest point, and K4 at the lowest.

Drains are inserted into wells not from the very base, but with an indentation of at least 20 cm from the bottom. Then the small debris or silt that gets in will not linger in the pipes, but will settle in the well. Later, when inspecting the system, you can wash away the silty bottom with a strong stream of water, which will carry away everything unnecessary. If the soil in the area where the wells are located has good absorption capacity, then the bottom is not made. In all other cases, it is better to equip 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 with a previously laid geotextile membrane. On top of such a “wrapped” structure from a drainage pipe and crushed stone, a backfill of sand is made, and on top, after compacting it, a blind area of the building is already organized, which is also intended to be used, but in a system of surface linear drainage. Even if atmospheric water comes from outside foundation, then, having passed through the sand, it will fall into the drains and along them will eventually merge into the main collector well, which can be equipped with a pump. If the terrain of the site allows, then an overflow without a pump is made from the collector well, removing water beyond the boundaries into a drainage ditch, an artificial or natural reservoir or a storm sewer system. Connect drainage to normal sewer system under no circumstances.

If groundwater begins to “back up” from below, then it first of all saturates the sand preparation and crushed stone in which the drains are located. The speed of water movement through 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 loop of drainage pipes, water simply cannot rise above the level of the drains, which means both the base of the foundation and the floor in the basement will be dry.

This wall drainage scheme is very often used and works very effectively. But it has a significant drawback. This is backfilling the entire cavity between the foundation and the edge of the pit with sand. Considering 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. To avoid backfilling with sand, you can use a special profiled geomembrane, which is a canvas made of HDPE or LDPE with various additives, having a relief surface in the form of small truncated cones. When the underground part of the foundation is covered with such a membrane, it performs two main functions.

The geomembrane itself is an excellent waterproofer. It prevents moisture from penetrating the walls of the underground foundation structure.
The textured surface of the membrane ensures that the water that appears on it flows freely downwards, where it will be “caught” by the installed drains.

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

On external wall of the foundation, after installation and insulation measures (if necessary), the geomembrane is glued or mechanically fastened 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 clogging of the relief part of the geomembrane with soil particles. Further organization Drainage is usually done: a drain lined with crushed stone and wrapped in geotextile is placed on a layer of sand. Only the sinuses are filled not with sand or crushed stone, but with ordinary soil taken out when digging a pit or with clay, which is significantly cheaper.

The drainage of water “propping up” the foundation from below proceeds as in the previous case. But water that enters the wall from the outside through moistened soil or penetrates into the gap between the foundation and the soil will follow the path of least resistance: seep through geotextiles, flow freely along the relief surface of the geomembrane, pass through crushed stone and end up in the drain. Foundations protected in this way will not be threatened for at least 30-50 years. IN ground floors such houses will always be dry.

Let's consider the main stages of creating a wall drainage system for a house.

Image	Description of actions
	After the construction of the foundation, its initial coating, and then roll waterproofing and insulation, a geomembrane is glued onto the outer wall of the foundation, including its base, with the help of a special mastic that does not corrode polystyrene foam, with the relief part facing outward. 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 base.
	The joints of most geomembranes have a special lock that is “locked” by overlapping one sheet over the other and then tapping it with a rubber mallet.
	A geotextile fabric with a density of 150-200 g/m² is attached on top of the geomembrane. It is better to use thermally bonded geotextiles rather than needle-punched ones, since they are less susceptible to clogging. Disc-shaped dowels are used for fixation. The dowel fastening spacing 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. Disc-shaped dowels should be located at the joint.
	At the top 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 by a theodolite with a measuring bar, laser level and assistant wooden plank with marked marks, tensioned and aligned using a hydraulic level with a tensioned cord. You can also “beat off” a horizontal line on the wall and measure the depth using a tape measure.
	Washed sand is poured onto the bottom in a layer of at least 10 cm, which is moistened with water and compacted mechanically or manually until there are practically no traces left when walking.
	Inspection wells are installed in the designated locations. To do this, it is enough to use shafts with a diameter of 340 or 460 mm. Having measured the required length, they can be cut with a regular hacksaw, or a jigsaw, or a reciprocating saw. Initially, the wells must be cut 20-30 cm longer than the estimated length, and later, when designing the landscape, they must be adjusted to fit it.
	Bottoms are installed on wells. To do this, in single-layer wells (for example, Wavin), a rubber cuff is placed in the edge of the body, then it is lubricated with a soap solution and the bottom is installed. It should go in with force.
	In Russian-made two-layer wells, before installing the cuff, it is necessary to cut out a strip of the inner layer with a knife, and then do the same as in the previous case.
	The wells are installed in their intended places. The areas for their installation are compacted and leveled. On their side surfaces, marks are made for the entrance and exit of the drain centers (taking into account slopes of 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe). We remind you that the inlets and outlets of the drains must be at least 20 cm from the bottom.
	To make it easier to insert couplings, it is better to place the wells horizontally and make holes using a crown and a centering drill corresponding to the coupling. If you don't have a crown, you can make holes with a jigsaw, but this requires certain skills.
	After this, the edges are cleared of burrs with a knife or brush.
	The outer rubber sleeve of the coupling is placed inside the hole. It should go inside the well and stay outside equally (about 2 cm each).
	Inner surface rubber cuff The coupling is lubricated with a soap solution, and then the plastic part is inserted until it stops. The junction of the rubber part of the coupling to the well can be coated with waterproof sealant.
	The wells are installed in their places and aligned vertically. Geotextiles are spread on a sand bed. Granite crushed stone of a fraction of 5-20 mm or washed gravel is poured onto it in a layer of at least 10 cm. The required slopes of the drainage pipes are taken into account. The crushed stone is leveled and compacted.
	Perforated drainage pipes are measured and cut the right size. The pipes are inserted into couplings cut into the wells after lubricating the cuff with soapy water. Their bias 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 sprinkled with a 20 cm layer of sand on top.
	In the designated location, a pit is dug for the collector well of the drainage system. Its level, naturally, must be below the lowest drain in order to receive water from the wall drainage. A trench is dug to this pit from the lower level 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 installed. 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 level of the 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 filled with soil.
	The system is checked for functionality. To do this, water is poured into the highest level well. 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 functionality, the sinuses between the edge of the pit are filled with soil. It is preferable to use quarry clay for this, which will create a waterproof castle around the foundation.
	The wells are covered with lids to prevent clogging. Final trimming and installation of covers should be done in conjunction with landscaping work.

A collector drainage well can be equipped check valve, which, even if it overflows, does not allow water to flow back into the drains. And also in the well there can be an automatic one. When the groundwater level increases to critical values, water will collect in the well. The pump is configured so that when a certain level in the well is exceeded, it will turn on and pump water outside the site or into other containers or reservoirs. Thus, the groundwater level in the foundation area will always be lower than the laid drains.

It happens that one collector well is used for wall and surface drainage systems. Experts do not recommend doing this, since during intense snow melting or heavy rains, a very large amount of water will accumulate in a short time, which will only interfere with inspecting the water drainage system in the area of the foundation. It is better to collect water from precipitation and melted snow in separate containers and use it for irrigation. If storm wells overflow, water from them can be pumped to another location in the same way using a drainage pump.

Video: Wall drainage at home

House ring drainage equipment

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

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 a house or group of buildings is built on sandy or sandy loam soils that have good permeability to water.
If other types of drainage fail to cope with the seasonal rise of groundwater.

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

Very important characteristic is the depth of drainage. In any case, the depth of the foundation 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 sandier the soil, the greater the distance should be. And vice versa - the more clay the soil, the closer the drains can be located to the foundation.
When calculating the ring foundation, the groundwater level, its seasonal fluctuations and the direction of its inflow are also taken into account.

Based on all of the above, we can safely say that it is better to entrust the calculation of ring 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 structure being protected. It turns out not! Any drainage changes the hydrogeological situation in the area of the foundation, which is not always good. The task of drainage is not to completely dry the area, but to lower the groundwater level to such values that will not interfere with human and plant life. Drainage is a kind of agreement with the forces of Mother Nature, and not an attempt to “rewrite” existing laws.

One of the options for constructing a ring drainage system is shown in the figure.

It can be seen that around the house, already outside the blind area, a trench has been dug to such a depth that the upper part of the drainage pipe lies 30-50 cm below the bottom point of the foundation. The trench is lined with geotextile and the pipe itself is also encased in it. The minimum underlying layer of crushed stone must 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 picture shows that the entire trench is filled with rubble. This is completely acceptable and does not contradict anything other than common sense, in terms of unnecessary 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 it’s still better to do them at every turn. This will make servicing the drainage system much easier over time.

A ring drainage system can “get along” perfectly with a surface point and linear drainage system. In one trench drains can be laid at the lower level, and next to them or on top in a layer of sand sewer pipes can be laid leading from trays and storm water inlets to a well for collecting rain and melt water. If the path of both leads to the same collector drainage well, then this is generally wonderful; the amount of excavation work is reduced significantly. Although, let us remind you that we recommended collecting these waters separately. They can be collected together only in one case - if all the water from precipitation and extracted from the ground is removed (naturally or forcibly) from the site into a collective storm sewer system, drainage ditch or reservoir.

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

Washed sand is poured onto the bottom in a layer of at least 10 cm, which is carefully compacted. Obviously, it is impossible to do this in a narrow trench using a mechanized method, so a manual tamper is used.

Installing wells, inserting couplings, adding crushed granite or gravel, laying and connecting drains is done in exactly the same way as when organizing wall drainage, so there is no point in repeating it. 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 top fertile soil layer of approximately 10-15 cm is poured. Then, when landscaping the site, the places where drains are laid are taken into account and trees or shrubs with a strong root system are not planted in these places.

Video: Drainage around the house

Surface point and linear 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 the container where rain and melt water will be drained. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the slopes of pipelines and trays, the direction of movement along the trays.

A surface drainage system can be installed on an existing blind area, paths made of paving slabs or paving stones. It is possible that some of their parts will have to be interfered with, but this still will not require complete dismantling. Let's consider an example of installing 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:

Scoop and bayonet shovels;
Construction bubble level from 60 cm long;
Bench hammer;
Rubber hammer for laying tiles or paving stones;
Construction marking cord and a set of wooden stakes 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 preparing solutions.

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

Image	Process description
	Considering the surface drainage plan or project, it is necessary to determine the water discharge points, that is, those places where water collected from the surface will go into the sewer pipeline leading to the drainage well. The depth of this pipeline must be laid below the depth of soil freezing, which for most populated climatic zones of Russia is 60-80 cm. 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 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 provide for the connection of rainwater inlets located under drainpipes in advance, even at the stage of arranging wall drainage, so that when the snow melts during thaws and the off-season, the water flowing from the roofs immediately enters the underground pipeline and does not freeze in the trays, blind areas and paths.
	If it is not possible to install sand traps, then you can connect the sewer pipeline directly to the trays. For this purpose, polymer concrete trays have special technological holes that allow connecting a vertical pipeline.
	Some manufacturers have special baskets attached to the vertical water discharge, which protect the drainage system from clogging.
	Most plastic trays, in addition to vertical connections, can also have lateral connections. But this should be done only when there is confidence in the purity of the discharged water, since it is much more difficult to clean drainage wells and catchment containers than baskets.
	To install surface drainage elements, you first need to select soil to the required depth and width. To do this, with an existing lawn, the turf is cut to the required width, which is defined as the width of the element being installed plus 20 cm - 10 cm on each side. It may be necessary to dismantle curbs and outer rows of paving slabs or paving stones.
	In depth for installing drainage elements, it is necessary to select soil equal to 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 compacted, and then a backfill is made of crushed stone of a fraction of 5-20 mm. Then the pegs are driven in and the cord is pulled, which will determine the level of the trays to be installed.
	Elements of surface drainage are tried on at the installation site. In this case, the direction of water flow, which is usually indicated on the side surface of the trays, should be taken into account.
	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 hammer.
	When fitting parts, it may be necessary to cut off part of the tray. Plastic ones are easily cut with a hacksaw, and polymer concrete ones with a grinder. Galvanized metal grates are cut with metal shears, and cast iron grates are cut with a grinder.
	End caps are installed on the last trays using a special adhesive-sealant.
	To install surface drainage elements, it is best to use ready-made dry mixtures of sand concrete M-300, which are available from many manufacturers. A solution is prepared in a suitable container, which should be dense in consistency. It is better to install from the discharge points – sand traps. Concrete is laid on the prepared base.
	Then it is leveled with a trowel and a sand trap is installed on this pad.
	Then it is aligned along the previously stretched cord. If necessary, press the tray into place using a rubber hammer.
	Check the correct installation using the cord and level.
	Trays and sand traps are positioned 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, and the grilles will not be damaged by car wheels.
	The leveled sand trap is immediately fixed on the sides concrete mixture. A so-called concrete heel is formed.
	Similarly, drainage trays are installed on the concrete base.
	They are also aligned both by cord and level.
	After installation, the joints are sealed with a special sealant, which is always offered when purchasing trays.
	Experienced installers can apply sealant before installing the trays, applying it to the ends before installation.
	When installing plastic trays into concrete, they may become deformed. Therefore, it is better to install them with installed grilles, which, to avoid contamination, are best wrapped in plastic film.
	If the surface is flat and has no slopes, then ensuring the required slope of the trays will be problematic. The way out of this situation is to install a cascade of trays of the same width but different depths.
	After installing all the surface drainage elements, a concrete heel is formed, and then paving stones or paving slabs are installed in place, if they were dismantled. The surface of the paving stones should be 3-5 mm higher than the drainage tray grid.
	Between the paving stones and the trays it is necessary to make expansion joint. Instead of the recommended rubber cords, you can use a strip of roofing felt folded in half and sealant.
	After the concrete has set, after 2-3 days you can backfill the excavated soil.
	After compacting the soil, the previously removed layer of turf is laid on top. It needs to 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, rainwater inlets and sand traps are closed with grates. It is possible to subject elements to vertical load only after 7-10 days.

When operating a surface drainage system, it is necessary to periodically clean storm water inlets and sand traps. If necessary, you can remove the protective grilles and wash the trays themselves with a strong stream of water. Water collected after rains or melting snow is most suitable for later use for watering the garden, vegetable garden or lawns. Groundwater collected by a deep drainage system may have a different chemical composition and cannot always be used for the same purposes. Therefore, we once again remind and advise our readers to collect soil and atmospheric waters separately.

Video: Installation of a drainage system

Equipment for deep site drainage

We have already described in what cases deep drainage of a site is needed and found out that it is almost always needed in order to forever forget about the problems of stagnant puddles, constant dirt or the death of various plants that cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. The difficulty of equipping deep drainage is that if the site has already been landscaped, trees and shrubs have been planted, and there is a well-groomed lawn, then this order will have to be disrupted at least partially. Therefore, we recommend immediately organizing a deep drainage system on newly acquired plots for construction. As in all other cases, the design 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 areas on the site will be adjacent to dry ones.

In areas with pronounced topography, a drainage system can become a beautiful part of the landscape. For this purpose it is organized open channel or a network of canals through which water can flow freely outside the site. Storm drains from the roof can also be directed into the same 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 installed 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 is necessary, and plants growing on the soils take from it exactly as much water as is necessary for their root system.

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

Let's consider the main stages of creating deep drainage of the site.

Image	Process 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. The routes of the drainage pipes are marked with a tensioned cord, which can immediately be pulled either horizontally or with a slope, which should be in each of the sections.
	A pit is dug for a storage drainage well of the required depth. The bottom of the pit is compacted and 10 cm of sand is poured and compacted onto it. The body of the well is tried on in place.
	A trench is dug in the direction from the well towards the beginning of the main collector pipe, the bottom of which is immediately given the required slope specified in the project, but not less than 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe. The width of the trench near the bottom is 40 m. The depth depends on the specific project.
	From the collector trench, trenches are dug for drains that will be connected to the collector pipe. The bottom of the trenches is immediately given the required 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 required slopes, 10 cm of sand is poured onto the bottom of all trenches, which is subsequently wetted and compacted manually.
	Geotextiles are lined at the bottom of the trenches so that they extend onto the side walls. Depending on the depth of the trench and the width of the geotest 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 cut into required couplings to connect drains, bottoms are mounted.
	The wells are installed in their places and leveled. A layer of granite crushed stone or washed gravel with a fraction of 20-40 mm and a thickness of 10 cm is poured into the trench. The crushed stone layer is compacted and the necessary slopes are created.
	The required sections of drainage pipes are cut off and equipped with plugs (if necessary). In most cases, beam drains are made from pipes with a diameter of 110 mm, and collector drains – 160 mm. The 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 compaction, the crushed stone layer is covered with geotextiles previously fixed to the walls of the trenches or on top.
	The drainage system is checked for functionality. 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 rotary, collector wells and into the main drainage 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 filled with fertile soil - 15-20 cm.
	Covers are put on the wells.

Even if deep drainage of the site was done without a project, it is still necessary to draw up a plan to indicate the location of the drains and their depth. This will help in the future, when carrying out any excavation work, to leave the system undamaged. If the terrain allows, then drainage wells may not be installed, 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 neighbors and village administrations. But a well is still desirable, at least to control the groundwater level and its seasonal fluctuations.

A 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 flows into another storage well. This 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 famous thinkers, called great, whose sayings 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:

A collective image of a thinker who is known to most people, like Kozma Prutkov, said: “Look at the root!” Great phrase about deep drainage! If the owner wants to grow garden trees on his property, he simply must know where the groundwater lies, since its excess in the area of the root system 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 biggest vice in a person is superficiality. Everything that happens in our lives has its own deep meaning.”
Stanislaw Jerzy Lec said the following about depth: “A swamp sometimes gives the impression of depth.” This phrase fits drainage perfectly, since without it the area may well turn into a swamp.

We can give 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 the growth of the necessary plants and the arrangement of a cozy landscape, drainage is definitely needed.

Conclusion

It should be noted that residents of most regions of Russia are incredibly lucky if the issue of drainage is raised. An abundance of water, especially fresh water, is much better than a lack of it. Residents of arid and desert regions, having read such an article, would sigh and say: “We would like 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. The modern market abundance offers a simply gigantic assortment of various components, allowing you to create a system of any complexity. But in this matter one must be very selective and careful, since 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 site drainage is within the capabilities of any good owner, and we hope that our article will help in some way.

What should be the correct drainage system and how to independently design and build it on the site? Making drainage on the site with your own hands Organizing a drainage system on the site with your own hands.

What water is removed by drainage?

Surface water

Groundwater

Verkhovodka

To avoid drainage

Types of drainage

By installation method

By type of implementation

Site drainage - device

Drainage pipes and wells

Slope

Drain installation technology

A little about backfill materials

Some nuances of construction

Drainage of the site - drainage and its types

Determining the slope of the drainage system

Installation of surface drainage

How to make deep drainage of a summer cottage?

Scheme of deep drainage of the site

Determining drainage depth

Pipes for deep drainage

Installation of deep drainage

How to make drainage on a site with your own hands: choosing a system

Surface drainage system on the site: device

Types of surface drainage for areas with high groundwater levels

Features of do-it-yourself point drainage on clay soil

Features of the storm drainage system on the site: how to make drainage

Turnkey site drainage installation: cost of work

Installing drainage on a summer cottage: price of elements for the system

Technology for installing drainage around a site: how to make the system correctly

Protecting the foundation of a house: sequence of work for installing a storm drain

Why is drainage needed on the site?

When site drainage is required

Surface drainage

Surface drainage methods

Drainage in a random area

Drainage in a parallel area

Closed drainage

Vertical drainage

Do-it-yourself site drainage: main nuances

Point drainage

Linear drainage

Service Features

Do-it-yourself deep drainage of the site

Why is site drainage needed?

When drainage is necessary anyway

Studying the site for topography, soil type and groundwater level

Types of drainage systems

Surface drainage

Prices for rainwater inlets

Deep drainage

Well prices

Overview of components for drainage systems

Surface Drainage Parts

Details for deep drainage

Video: How to choose a drainage pipe

Video: Drainage wells

Design of the site drainage system

Home wall drainage equipment

Prices for drainage systems

Video: Wall drainage at home

House ring drainage equipment

Video: Drainage around the house

Surface point and linear drainage equipment

Video: Installation of a drainage system

Equipment for deep site drainage

Conclusion

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