We do the drainage of the site with our own hands. How to make a reliable drainage system on your site with your own hands How to make a drainage ditch in your dacha

Don’t want to put up with excess moisture in your summer cottage? And you are doing the right thing. Excess water in the soil will bring nothing but harm: crop failure, death of plantings, swampy areas, destruction of the foundations of buildings. A simple way to get rid of a complex problem is to install a drainage system yourself.

Reasons for installing a drainage system

If the area of ​​the land is flat, and the soil is fertile and absorbs water, then you are incredibly lucky. In this case, there is no need for drainage.

Drainage of a summer cottage is required in the following cases:

1. The site is located on clay soil.
2. Low location of the territory.
3. The country house stands on a slope or at the foot of a hill.
4. The region where the dacha was built is characterized by frequent and heavy rains and snowfalls.
5. Groundwater flows at a distance of less than 3 meters from the surface of the earth.

Excessive soil moisture is judged by standing puddles and vegetation. Thus, sedge and reeds grow in wetlands.

Confirm the need for drainage once again by conducting an experiment. Dig a hole 700mm deep and check after 24 hours to see if water has collected there. If yes, then drainage at your summer cottage is required.

Types of drainage systems in the country

Increased humidity in the territory of a summer cottage is due to various reasons. Depending on this, one or another type of drainage is chosen:

• Surface is the easiest way to drain the soil. This type of drainage system is designed to protect the site from water, the source of which is precipitation in the form of rain and snow. It is installed in areas without sudden changes.

Surface drainage is a set of trenches dug along the perimeter of the territory. Flowing into the ditches, the water enters a collector installed at the lowest point of the system.

Surface drainage

The external drainage system is divided into two subtypes: point and linear.

• Deep drainage is a closed method of draining a plot of land. It is resorted to in the following cases:

1. when a country house is built on an uneven surface;
2. when groundwater is close to the surface of the earth;
3. with clay soil.

A do-it-yourself deep drainage device runs along the perimeter of a residential building and around agricultural buildings.

Preparation for construction work

Drainage is a system of ditches and pipelines. In order to correctly connect the elements to each other, it is necessary to make complex engineering calculations and draw up a drainage diagram. You can’t handle this alone, so call the specialists of the Marisrub company for help.

Taking into account the characteristics of the soil and landscape, experts in their field will draw up a design diagram and advise you on the correct design of the drainage system.

The drainage system diagram contains the following information:

• The place on the site where the installation of the drainage system begins. This is the highest point in the territory.
• The lowest point of the system relative to the collector;
• Location of main and additional ditches;
• Dimensions of trenches and pipes;
• Name and quantity of consumables;
• Installation diagram of pipelines and wells;
• Trench inclination angle.

When starting to install drainage yourself, take into account certain nuances:

1. The entire land plot is subject to drainage. Therefore, drains for buildings and plants are included in a single system.
2. Material and time costs are inevitable. On average, it takes up to 3 months to install a drainage system.
3. Drainage of the area is carried out in the summer.
4. The pipes are installed at a depth below the freezing point of the soil, and the drainage system around the residential building is laid below the base of the foundation.

Installation of surface drainage

Making an external drainage system with your own hands is easy even for novice builders.

Installation is easy:

1. Using the design as a guide, dig ditches according to the marked lines. Observe the dimensions: depth – 500 mm, width – 400 mm. To prevent the walls of the trench from crumbling, they are made sloping at an angle of 30 degrees. Externally, the trench resembles an inverted trapezoid. The main ditches drip at a slope towards the water collection point - a well or reservoir. Additional branches of the system are made at an angle to the main trenches. The slope size is from 50 to 70 mm per 1 meter of length.
2. Check the operation of the drainage system. To do this, pour 2-3 buckets of water into the ditches and watch the flow. If liquid accumulates in the area, adjust the slope angle.
3. Fill the ditch with crushed stone. Coarse material is laid underneath, and the top layer is formed by smaller crushed stone. This is recommended for water filtration.

To extend the life of the structure, buy plastic trays and place decorative grilles on them. To prevent clogging of the trays, additional sand traps are installed.

Thus, with the help of simple manipulations, you have installed an external linear drainage system with your own hands.

Point drainage is necessary for local water drainage. It is installed in places where precipitation drains from the roof and in areas where plants are watered.

Installation of deep drainage

The construction of a closed drainage system is considered difficult to do with your own hands and is economically expensive. To install deep drainage you will need:

• Plastic pipes with drainage holes and a diameter of 10 cm for the main trenches or 7.5 cm for additional ones.
• Connecting elements for pipelines;
• Water collector for waste water. Reinforced concrete rings, plastic cans, and car tires are suitable as collectors.

DIY installation of deep drainage consists of the following steps:

1. Dig ditches sloping towards the sewer, 600mm deep for clay soil or 900mm deep for sandy soil.
2. Place a 10 cm layer of sand at the bottom of the trench and compact it thoroughly.
3. Cover the trench with geofabric so that the edges reach the sides.
4. Pour crushed stone 20 cm high and lay drains on top with the holes facing down. Inspection wells are installed at pipeline bends. They help monitor the operation of the drainage system and clear it of blockages.
5. Pour more crushed stone and wrap the geomaterial into a roll.
6. Fill the trenches with soil and cover with turf.

Deep drainage is a reliable thing, but the installation is expensive. Therefore, thrifty owners of summer cottages have found a way out of the situation: they replace pipes with a bunch of branches and brushwood, and geotextiles with moss or turf.

– this is not a luxury, but a necessity. Therefore, approach the issue of installing it responsibly in order to avoid troubles in the future.

Quite often, areas allocated for gardens, cottages and private buildings are located in areas with excess moisture. To remove excess water from the surface of the earth or from the depths of the soil, a system of trenches of various types is constructed that help solve this problem. Drainage is also needed in an area with a slope if there is an excess amount of moisture in the soil or there is a large amount of precipitation.

To understand how to properly make drainage in your garden plot, you need to get acquainted with their types. Based on the method of installation, drainages are divided into several types. The first is the open type of drainage. It is a system of trenches with a depth of 20 to 30 cm, the walls of which should be located at a slope of 30 degrees relative to the bottom.

It is used to remove excess water from the soil surface in areas during heavy rainfall and spring melting of snow. All trenches are dug at a certain slope, so that water flows towards the general sewer or some kind of drainage basin. To prevent the walls of open drainage from crumbling or collapsing, they are strengthened with stones, concrete or plants with a strong and branched root system.

Open drainage type

The second can be called closed or deep drainage, which can be horizontal or vertical. This species helps to drain water inside the soil in areas with high groundwater levels. Deep horizontal drainage is a network of special pipes with holes connected to a reservoir, sewer, ravine or well. They are located at a depth of 0.8 to 1.5 meters and covered with crushed stone and sand.

Vertical drainage refers to drainage wells where water accumulates from a trench system and which are connected to a sewer system or a reservoir or ravine. If there is no way to connect such wells to the sewer system, then the water is simply pumped out using a submersible pump and transported in tanks.

It is also worth mentioning the backfill type of drainage, which is most often used on heavy and clayey soils. It is a fairly deep trench, half filled with large crushed stone, on which a fine fraction of crushed stone is poured, and on top of a layer of ordinary garden soil (from 15 to 35 cm).

Closed or deep drainage
Backfill type of drainage

Drainage pipes

When creating a drainage system for draining water in a garden or adjacent area, as a rule, special perforated pipes made from various materials are used. The term perforated means that there are holes of various diameters (from 1.5 to 5 mm) across the entire surface of the pipes. Nowadays, pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (HDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are mainly used for drainage construction. They have high strength, pass water well, do not corrode and are quite resistant to aggressive environments.

Asbestos-cement and ceramic pipes are also produced, but they are rarely used because they are heavy and the complexity of installation work is quite high. And their service life is shorter than plastic drainage pipes. For asbestos-cement and ceramic ones it is 30 years, and for plastic ones it is from 50 to 60 years.

Plastic drainage pipes are produced single-walled with perforations (holes) and a geotextile filter on top of the pipe, and double-walled with perforations and also with a geotextile filter. There are also pipes with a filter made of coconut material, which are used on soils with a large amount of clay. Drainage pipes with a geotextile filter are used on sandy soils. Filters on pipes are needed to ensure that the holes in the pipes, sand and gravel do not become clogged with silt and small particles of earth.

Single-wall perforated pipes are used at a depth of 2 to 4 meters, and double-walled pipes are used at a depth of up to 6 meters. The diameter of the pipes can vary from 63 mm to 200 mm. All plastic drainage pipes have a corrugated surface. The smooth inner surface of plastic pipes helps to pass large amounts of water quickly. In addition, these pipes are easy to install and have a reasonable price.

It’s rare that someone is lucky enough to own a completely flat piece of land. On a flat surface it’s quite easy...

Making surface drainage

To know how to make drainage on a site, you need to know its construction technology. The drainage system for removing water from the ground surface is usually made of main or main trenches, which are often located along the perimeter of the site. They have a slope towards the sewer. There are also auxiliary trenches that run throughout the entire site from the places where the largest amount of water is formed to the main ones. Accordingly, the auxiliary trenches have a slope towards the main ones. Typically it ranges from 1 to 3 cm per meter.

Before you begin constructing the drainage, be sure to draw a plan of the site and drainage system. Mark trenches and monitor slope while excavating using tools. This will help avoid unpleasant surprises after all work is completed. Remember that the walls of surface drainage are located at an angle of about 30 degrees to the bottom. It is advisable to strengthen them. This can be filling with crushed stone or gravel, as well as finishing with large stones, concreting and planting various plants.

After digging trenches, be sure to check how the water will flow through the drainage system. To do this, run a sufficient amount of water over it and watch how it passes through it. If it stagnates in some area, it is better to eliminate this problem before the work is completed.

It is also worth noting that an open drainage system can become the center of the landscape composition of the site if it is decorated with beautiful combinations of stones of different shapes, sizes and colors.

Making deep drainage with your own hands

A network of drainage trenches to remove water deep in the ground is dug according to a plan drawn up in advance and marked on the surface with the required slopes. The width of the trench at the bottom is usually at least 40 cm, and the depth is determined by the project. But usually it ranges from 0.8 to 1.5-2 meters. The slope varies from 2 to 5 cm per 1 linear meter of trench.

A small layer of clean river sand (coarse-grained) about 10 cm high is poured onto the flat and compacted bottom of the trench, which is also carefully leveled and compacted.

Then the bottom and walls of the trench are covered with non-woven geotextile fabric, the density of which is about 200 grams per square meter. Moreover, the fabric is positioned so that it should completely cover the walls and still extend to its edges by 15-25 cm. A layer of washed crushed stone with a height of 15 to 25 cm is poured onto the fabric, which directly depends on the composition and water permeability of the soil. On lands with a large amount of sand, the layer height is about 15 cm, and where there is a lot of clay in the composition, the crushed stone layer is increased to 25 cm.

Crushed stone must also be compacted and leveled taking into account the required slope. You need to check the slope after each poured layer, its leveling and compaction. A perforated drainage pipe is laid out on it, which is then covered in layers with crushed stone or gravel. Moreover, each layer must be carefully compacted. The layer of crushed stone on top of the pipe is from 10 to 25 cm.

On top of the drainage pipe and the fill around it, the edges of the non-woven geotextile fabric are wrapped over each other with an overlap. Then a layer of sand 10 to 30 cm high is poured, after which the trench is filled with ordinary soil, which was removed during digging. Remember that river sand, crushed stone and gravel used in the construction of a deep drainage system must be free of soil, clay or other small particles. Drainage made in this way will drain water well and will last for many years.

When we buy a building plot, the question arises: to choose a flat or sloping site. Frequently offered...

Drainage on a slope

From areas located on slopes, it is also necessary to drain excess water from the surface and from inside the soil. After all, large amounts of precipitation and water formed as a result of melting snow cause land erosion, contribute to landslides, and also erode the foundations of various buildings, paths, retaining walls and steps. For such areas it is necessary to combine open and deep types of drainage.

Actually, the installation of a deep drainage system in areas on a slope is not much different from that carried out in horizontal areas. But still, there are some points that should definitely be taken into account when performing these rather complex works. With this location of the site, it immediately becomes clear that the well for collecting water or sewerage should be located at the lowest point. The main or main trenches are dug, if possible, next to the fence.

Auxiliary trenches are directed to the main one at a certain angle. It turns out something like a Christmas tree. If the slope of the terrain is not enough for good drainage of water, then trenches are dug, gradually deepening so that the overall slope is from 2 to 4 cm per 1 linear meter of drainage.

If the area on the slope occupies a fairly large area, then it is worth dividing it with a transverse drainage trench, which will collect water from the area located above. The water from it will flow through buried drainage pipes into the lower water intake or sewer system.

It is worth remembering that the construction of a drainage system on a site located on a slope requires preparation, attention, careful execution and, of course, financial costs.

Don't be upset if you get an uneven piece of land. Thoughtful and competent drainage will help turn the disadvantages of your garden into advantages.

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

In what cases is a drainage system necessary?

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

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

The drainage system helps remove stagnant water from the site

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

Soil drainage is carried out under the following conditions:

• high groundwater table;
• the site is located in an area with clay soil;
• the site is located in a lowland or vice versa - on a slope;
• The location of the site receives a large amount of precipitation.

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

Types of dehumidification systems

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

Surface type drainage

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

Grids protect the open drainage system from large debris

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

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

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

Deep drainage

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

The process of constructing deep drainage in a suburban area

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

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

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

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

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

Drainage in a summer cottage - the simplest methods with instructions

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

Surface drainage of a summer cottage

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

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

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

To construct surface drainage on a summer cottage, you will need to do the following:

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

Draining the area using deep drainage

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

An example of a drainage system project in a suburban area

Work on the construction of deep drainage includes the following:

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

   Preparation of trenches for the construction of deep drainage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Methods for drying an area without drainage

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

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

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

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

The easiest way to drain the soil on a site

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

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

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

How to clear a clogged drain pipe

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

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

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

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

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

Video: do-it-yourself site drainage

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

In the central region of Russia, there are frequent problems with flooding and soils that are weak due to water content. Humidity and flood waters on the site take weeks away from the summer season. Over-wetting the soil is also harmful to many plants. To solve this problem, you should make drainage in your summer cottage.

Drainage systems are designed to collect and drain excess and lower groundwater levels. This will reduce the weakening of the soil due to watering, soil heaving at subzero temperatures, as well as water leakage into the premises of the basement of the house.

It should be noted: not every site requires drainage. Now we are not talking about mandatory storm drainage systems to collect and remove precipitation from the foundation. But a system for reducing soil water content on a site is not needed everywhere.

Externally, the need for drainage on the site can be seen by the long-lasting puddles after rain.

Or make a hole (with a drill or shovel) to a depth of 0.7-1 m: if water collects there within 24-36 hours, then there is excess water in the soil and drainage is needed.

So, drainage is needed if:

• The groundwater level is high;
• An area with clay soil (clay or loam);
• The site is located in a lowland (areas on a slope may also need drainage);
• Precipitation rates are high and significant volumes of flood water must be drained seasonally.

Properly done drainage on a summer cottage protects the building from destruction.

Drainage systems

An example of a drainage system project for a summer cottage

Surface drainage is the least labor-intensive and uncomplicated system. Its task is to remove water that falls in precipitation and formed when snow melts.

Surface drainage is necessarily organized around buildings, and is divided into 2 types:

• Point - consists of separate water receivers (points) and a system of shallowly buried water pipes;
• Linear - a system of drainage trays.

Both point and linear drainage are usually protected by debris gratings. To effectively drain water, drainage trays and tubes must be sloped (1-2 cm per 1 m).

Deep drainage is needed to drain the soil and lower the groundwater level.

Drainage is collected either from perforated pipes or in the form of crushed stone channels. If the slope is maintained, water is discharged through drains outside the site.

To lower the groundwater level throughout the entire area, drainage is laid at a level of 0.8-1.5 m. But near the house, the drainage depth should be 50 cm below the plane of the foundation support.

The drainage is laid starting from the highest point of the site, and from the lowest point it is discharged outside. It is important to maintain a slope for water pipes: 1-2 cm per 1 m (for sandy soils - 3 cm per 1 m).

The slope may be greater, but not less. A larger slope improves drainage.

Simple drainage of a summer cottage

You can dry the area yourself. You will need to follow the work technology, calculate and purchase the necessary materials.

Surface drainage

The simplest and most universal solution would be open surface drainage. This method is great for drying small areas.

You can take the herringbone drainage pattern as a basis. Above we considered the issue of the step between drainage ditches.

Tools you will need:

• Shovels (scoop and bayonet);
• Tape measure (be critical about the choice of tape measure, and if there should be 10 m between the drains, then a tape measure with a smaller tape is not suitable);
• Bubble level;
• Hammer;
• Construction knife.

Materials you will need:

• Gravel;
• Geotextiles;
• Bar or board 2-3 m.

Sequencing:

• If there is a visible slope on the site, then start placing drainage ditches from the highest place on the site plan. If the slope of the area cannot be determined by eye, draw ditches on the plan, following the diagram, in the most convenient position. Select the pitch of the ditches based on the type of soil.
• By measuring the length of the ditches on the plan and recalculating the scale, you can calculate the required materials. Typically, the width of the ditch is taken equal to the width of the available shovel.

Let's say that the total length is 100 m (for round counting, for illustrative purposes only).

The height of the crushed stone channel is 30 cm.

Geotextiles act as a silt filter and should cover the crushed stone with a stocking. This means that with a channel width of 30 centimeters, the width of the geotextile should be 30+2*30+2*30= 1.5 m. This means that with a 10% margin, 165 m2 of geotextile will be required.

Crushed stone will require 0.3 * 0.3 * 100 * 1.1 = 10 m 3.

• Trenches are being dug on the site according to plan. The minimum depth is 30-40 cm. Keep in mind that towards the end of the drainage the trench will be deeper due to the slope. The minimum slope of the trench is 2 cm per 1 m for ordinary soils and 3 cm per 1 m for sandy soils.
• The simplest way to drain water is into a drainage well. For a plot of 6 acres, a well with a volume of 700 liters is sufficient. If conditions allow drainage to be drained into a gutter, this will be the best solution.
• After excavation work, the slope of the trench bottom is checked again. You can supply water to the trenches and see if it stagnates somewhere.
• Geotextiles are laid at the bottom of the trench. It is laid symmetrically, the edges of the panels will then be folded over the crushed stone.
• A 30 cm layer of crushed stone is laid and covered with the edges of geotextile.
• The top of the drainage channel is filled with sand to ground level.

To prevent drainage ditches from occupying useful space, you can deepen them by 30-40 cm and fill the last 30-40 cm with fertile soil.

How to drain a summer cottage using deep drainage

Deep drainage is a standard solution for draining areas.

The depth of drainage depends on the conditions:

• To protect the foundation and basements - 0.5 m below the plane of the foundation support;
• For rocky soils – 1.5 m;
• For peaty soils – 1-1.6 m;
• Under flower beds - 0.5-0.8 m;
• Under fruit trees – 1.5 m;
• Under bushes - 0.9 m.

The procedure for installing deep drainage:

How to drain a summer cottage without drainage

The reasons for water stagnation in a site are not necessarily related to high groundwater levels.

For example, during heavy spring rains, when the ground is still frozen, water will stagnate at the surface.

There are ways to reduce soil moisture without installing a drainage system, here are some of them:

• Adding sand to the soil. For clay or peat, at least 30 kg per 1 m 3. This will improve the soil's hydropermeability, which also increases productivity.
• Open, shallow trenches to quickly drain floodwater into a drainage ditch.
• Replacing the fertile layer with a special composition tailored to your conditions.
• Planting trees, usually around the perimeter of the site. Some tree species develop well in moist soils and, thanks to their powerful root system, dry out the area. Such properties are possessed, for example, by willow or birch.

Cleaning drainage in a summer cottage

Water, passing through drainage channels, brings with it small, almost dusty, fractions of soil. These particles successfully pass through the geotextile and settle somewhere in the drainage channels.

If the system was installed in violation of the technology, then significant volumes of silt and debris end up in the drainage. And sometimes traffic jams form. Because of this, the drainage ceases to perform its functions.

If you are unable to remove the blockage yourself, contact a specialist. Using special equipment, specialists will clear the blockage and clean the drainage channels.

Rising groundwater levels are fraught with negative consequences for land owners. This kind of flooding occurs due to melt water or due to high precipitation intensity. Soils consisting predominantly of clay or loam are a real disaster for owners of summer cottages, since this rock is a substance that does not allow water to pass through it well. Consequently, soils of this type have to be drained by using drainage, rather than waiting for the natural removal of excess moisture.

In this article we will look at examples of how to make drainage of a dacha area with your own hands.

Before you start draining the soil, you need to understand what is required for the job and how to implement it. In most cases, land owners prefer to hire professionals to carry out drainage work, although carrying out such activities is not a cheap pleasure.

At the same time, the construction of a drainage system does not seem to be something extremely complicated. Almost anyone can master this skill by acquiring the necessary knowledge and purchasing the required material.

Results of refusal to carry out drainage work

Overwatering soil can cause a variety of problems, including the following:

• destruction of the foundation masonry, the appearance of cracks in the walls and curvature of window openings, which manifests itself with regular flooding of buildings;
• failures on paths lined with stone or tiles, deformation of ordinary paths and squeezing out of pools due to so-called heaving, which is caused by the physical properties of soil saturated with moisture;
• the formation of mold and dampness as a result of flooding of spaces under the floor and basements;
• death of trees and flowers, since plants require normal watering, and excess moisture harms them.

Under what conditions is drainage in a summer cottage especially important?

1. Clay soil structure.
2. High groundwater level.
3. Most of the territory has surfaces made of artificial materials, for example, in the form of concrete paths.
4. The buildings erected on the territory are installed on deep foundations.
5. The location of the site is determined by a lowland, when there is a nearby slope from which water can flow, or, conversely, a flat area of ​​the territory does not contribute to the drainage of precipitation.

If your site corresponds to the above conditions or some of them are relevant, you should think about creating a soil drainage system.

The main mistake in organizing drainage

The main drawback of arranging drainage on a summer cottage is poor design or its absence. At the same time, it is necessary to clearly understand how and to what extent the same drainage pipes will be installed. In this case, a site analysis is required, including a study of the occurrence and behavior of groundwater.

Water usually has the most detrimental effect on the foundation of buildings, so it is worth paying attention to drainage design at the stage of building a house. For example, it may be necessary to build another basement as a barrier to groundwater.

Refusal to design, as well as incorrect development of the drainage system, is fraught with the emergence of problems, the solution of which will require a lot of time, effort and money.

Types of drainage

There are two types of soil drainage systems:

The actual installation of drainage on the site must be done either in a place empty of buildings and communications, or when all engineering structures for the house have already been laid. By contacting a specialized company, you can order the creation of a drainage system project and its installation.

A carefully developed drainage plan is an important part of the work due to the fact that in this case an individual approach is required, taking into account the entire range of site features, including the location of plantings, communications, buildings and drainage systems of neighboring areas.

Surface drainage (from RUB 1,350 per meter)

1. Involves the removal of excess water.
2. The depth of occurrence is from 50 to 70 cm.
3. It can be used when it is warm outside.

To determine the cost of drainage characterized as surface drainage, you need to refer to the following calculation formula, provided that the soils of the site contain a lot of clay:

S: 8 = L,

where S is the area of ​​the territory, measured in m²; 8 – water collection area using 1 linear meter of drainage; L – length of the drainage system in linear terms. m.

If the conditions include a plot area of ​​1500 m², then we calculate that the length of the drainage system should be 187.5 m, since 1500: 8 = 187.5. At the same time, in reality, a larger drainage area will be needed, which is determined by the need to lay it bypassing buildings and plantings, and these are extra meters.

As for calculating the installation of surface drainage on sandy soils, the formula needs to be slightly adjusted, in particular, instead of 8 you will have to use the number 12.

Turnkey deep drainage (from RUB 3,300 per meter)

1. It is in demand for lowering the groundwater level and draining the territory.
2. The depth of occurrence is from 1.5 m.
3. Designed for year-round use.

Scheme of this type of drainage:

Installation

So, let’s figure out how to make a system for draining the soil of a site, point by point:

1. When arranging surface drainage, trenches with a depth of 50 to 70 cm are provided, and deep ones - from 1.5 m.
2. Sand is poured into the bottom of the ditch in one layer, the thickness of which is 5 cm.
3. The next stage is optional, but desirable if financial capabilities are available. We are talking about laying geotextiles at the bottom of the recesses.
4. Next, a layer of crushed stone 15 cm thick is placed.
5. Drainage pipes with a diameter of 110 mm are distributed into trenches.
6. A general soil drainage system is formed by connecting cylindrical structures.
7. A layer of crushed stone 20 cm thick is laid.
8. Geotextiles are placed again.
9. Next, the trenches are backfilled using sand and soil.
10. The area is put in order using plant soil.

To make it easier for precipitation to drain, the drainage system should be installed at a slope towards the part of the site that is its lowest point. Drainage ditches on the site, ponds and any ditches can be used as water intakes. Otherwise, you will have to equip a special well. Its main task is to cleanse the drainage system of sand (soil) and collect water pumped out by the drainage pump. To ensure the possibility of repairing the structure and monitoring its condition, inspection wells are installed above the places where pipes turn and their connections.

Surface drainage project

As an example of how surface drainage works, let’s consider an extremely simple plan for such a system in relation to a specific area. As initial information, we set the condition that it rained, and the water mainly collected at three points (1, 2, 3).

The geography of the site is such that its surface has a slight slope towards the opposite left corner when viewed from the road. In this regard, the main trench (4) is located at the far end of the site. Excess water is discharged into this recess through auxiliary channels (5 and 6). The removal of precipitation coming from the roof of the house is possible using appropriate trenches (6 and 8). In case of intersection of the path that runs along the house and outbuildings, it is proposed to install a bridge (7).

Deep drainage project

Below is a plan of a soil drainage system characterized as deep. The proposed diagram allows us to see that water is first collected using drains (1), then enters the main pipe (2) with further flow into a special well and, finally, into the water intake. This drainage system is supplemented by wells used to monitor the operation of the structure in question (3).

When ensuring the functioning of any drainage, the main problem becomes the final removal of sediment from the site. For this purpose, natural formations in the form of ravines, rivers, streams and ditches near roads are usually used. In their absence, so-called storm drains are created.

Pipes for deep drainage

There are perforated products specifically designed for creating deep drainage systems for summer cottages, which are equipped with holes with a diameter of 1.5 to 5 mm. Previously, asbestos-cement and ceramic pipes were used for these purposes, which had the disadvantage of rapid clogging, which required regular washing.

Today, the situation has changed, as the market is filled with polymer pipes with a diameter of 50 to 200 mm, which are suitable for irrigation and drainage work. There are brands of similar products supplemented with a filter shell, which eliminates the possibility of clogging the holes with soil and sand particles.

What is geotextile

A material known as geotextile is used to provide gentle drainage. The main properties are that it can actively absorb moisture and retain small grains of debris. Typically, the use of this material is more justified in areas where there is a significant amount of moisture. In this regard, it is somewhat thoughtless to use geotextiles when creating drainage systems in crushed stone and clay soils.

Drainage well

To collect precipitation in the absence of natural formations in the form of the same ponds, a drainage well is created, which is a container that is buried in the soil below the level of the pipes. With the help of this object, water is first accumulated and then distributed. Special cylindrical structures are connected to it, and a pipe or pump is mounted on top to drain excess water.

The drainage well allows you to monitor the system and carry out preventive maintenance. You can use a plastic container as a hydraulic container for such an element, purchasing it in a specialized store or the corresponding department of a shopping center. In addition, you can build a drainage well yourself using reinforced concrete rings.

conclusions

Installing a soil drainage system is a rather labor-intensive process. However, this should not discourage you from installing such a structure yourself, since such work can be done by every home craftsman without the involvement of specialists.