Proper Drainage Around Your House

Identify Problem Areas

• The most efficient way to identify drainage problems is with your eyes. Look for puddles that remain more than an hour, eroded soil and areas where grass fails to grow. Walk through the yard with thin-soled shoes feeling for soft patches that indicate waterlogged areas. The biggest red flag that you have a drainage problem is leaks coming through the basement. If water is leaking into your basement, it's essential to address the problem right away.

Create a Plan

• Drawing a diagram of the drainage system before you install it gives you the chance to refine the planned course so it is as direct as possible. It's also useful to have a plan to refer to if you need to dig down to the pipes in the future. Create a diagram by sketching your backyard, marking trees, fences and other elements. Circle the drainage problem areas and draw a course that will run through each area and empty into a dry creek bed, ditch or other outlet.

Drainage Canals

• Digging drainage canals is the most labor-intensive step of installing a drainage system. When laying pipes around the perimeter of the house, the depth of the canal should be 18 inches deeper than the foundation, and about 12 inches wide. Dig with a shovel or excavator machine, and curve the walls toward the bottom so the canal has a shallow dip with curved walls. Use stakes to mark every 8 feet of length along the course and dig down 1 inch deeper at every stake so the pipes will slope toward the outlet.

Drain Pipes

• A typical drainage system has 4-inch perforated PVC drain pipes laid over about 6 inches of gravel. The holes allow water to seep into the system, and then flow toward the outlet. If the canal runs through areas of the yard without drainage problems, use pipes that don't have perforations through these sections to speed the flow of water. Check the pipes with a laser level to ensure they are sloped. The pipes should be covered with at least 10 inches of gravel. Mix soil and sand to fill in the rest of the hole and plant grass over top to prevent erosion.