What Is Drainage Tile?

PVC Drainage Pipe or Tile

• Drainage tile is a home construction necessity if you intend to keep excess water diverted away from the foundation of your home. Installing drain tile around your home involves digging a trench around the footer of your foundation and laying either PVC pipe or drain tile into the trench. You must also place rock on top of the tile with a filtration paper on top of the rock to keep water from washing the rock into the drainage system and clogging it.

Field Drain Tile

• You can install field drain tile either around your house to drain water away from your basement or in a low lying field or yard to keep water from standing. This type of drainage tile comes in approximately 100-foot sections and has 1/8-inch holes approximately every 6 to 8 inches along the section -- depending on the type of field drain tile you purchase. Field drainage tile is easy for farmers to install and isn't harmful to the land that they work. Proper drainage of farmer's fields allows for larger profits.

Drain Tile for Plants

• To keep your landscaping looking healthy, you may need to install drain tile around your plants. The tile runs from the plants or landscaping underground to another location where the water drains. To determine where the drain should exit, you should understand your property and find an ideal location to dump the excess water in order to maximize drainage.

French Tile Yard Drain

• French drains are a cheap and effective solution to excess water around your home's foundation. Simply dig a trench around the foundation of your home and fill it with fine gravel. You must dig the trench in the direction that will carry the water away from your home. As a French drain becomes filled with leaves and other material, you will need to maintain the drain by cleaning it out periodically.