How to Install a Drain Tile to the Foundation of Your Basement

Dig a trench around the foundation of your home approximately 5 inches deep and 5 inches wide with a hoe or shovel.

Lay drainage tile into the trench you dug along the footer of the foundation. The drain should be 4 inches in diameter and connected at the four corners of your home with connecting pieces. Apply a sealant to the connectors to ensure they do not leak.

Place 1½-inch round gravel on top of the drain tile by using a wheelbarrow and a shovel to unload the rock onto the tile.

Measure and cut with a tape measure and fabric scissors some form of filtration paper -- typically tar paper -- to cover the round gravel. This keeps mud from clogging up the drain and allows water to run smoothly through the gravel into the drain tile.

Unload dirt fill from a wheelbarrow, using a shovel, onto the top of the filtration paper to approximately 1 inch thick. Place the dirt around the perimeter of your home.

Install a drain pipe from the drainage tile to the basement of your home by connecting the pipe to a sump pump in your basement. The sump pump sends the drainage water several feet below your basement floor.