How to Install a Home Perimeter Drain

Calculate how much drainage tube you will need. Take the full linear footage from around your home, add footage needed to reach the drainage area, and add ten percent. Purchase your drainage tube. You need the variety with slits in the tube. Ensure you also obtain the 'sock' that goes around the tube. This sock helps stop dirt from entering and clogging the tube over time. It may be worth the extra cost to have it delivered. You may need one or two fittings to join tubes together as well.

Begin by digging a trench around the perimeter of your home. It only needs to be wide enough so you can comfortably move around inside the hole. Throw the dirt far enough away from the hole to prevent it from collapsing onto you. You will dig until you are six to ten inches below the footing of your foundation.

Add two to three inches of crushed rock into the hole. This is your base for the drainage tube.

Insert the drainage tube. Connect the tube so it forms a continuous loop around the perimeter of the home. It is very important the tube is level so water is able to freely move through the tube.

Run the drainage tube out to the drainage area. Ensure the drainage tube is on a decline to ensure water runs away from the home and does not become an entrance.

Cover the drainage tube with crushed rock and back fill the hole with dirt.

Ensure the end of the drainage tube is free and clear from debris. It is a good idea to cover the end of the tube with wire mesh or screening to stop small animals from climbing inside and blocking the drain.