How to Lay Drainage

Laying drainage pipes in a yard will carry excess water away from waterlogged areas, significantly improving the health and appearance of a landscape. Before laying the pipes, you need to identify the problems areas and determine whether the water will drain into a street gutter, ditch or a dry area in your yard. Plan at least two days for this project, depending on length of pipe you're installing.

Rope
Shovel
Geotextile fabric
Gravel
4-inch perforated PVC drainpipe
Elbow connectors
T connectors
Drainpipe sleeve
Sand or compost
Grass seed

Instructions

- 1
  Lay rope on the ground to establish the course of the pipes. It should run through every problem area to your designated outlet. Straighten the ropes so the path is as direct as possible.
- 2
  Excavate an 18-inch deep channel 8 to 12 inches wide with a shovel. Dig the walls so they curve at the bottom and lay geotextile fabric over the floor to reinforce the base.
- 3
  Dump a 4-inch layer of clean gravel into the bottom.
- 4
  Lay 4-inch perforated PVC drainpipe in the channel with the perforations turned downward. Attach the pipes with elbows at curves and T connectors in straight sections. Slip a drainpipe sleeve over the piping to guard it from small debris.
- 5
  Add a 6-inch layer of gravel over top of the pipe and line it with another strip of geotextile fabric to block dirt.
- 6
  Mix the dirt you removed to dig the trench with an equal amount of sand or compost and fill the remaining hole. Seed the top with flood-tolerant grass seed like Bermuda grass.

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