Do It Yourself: Drain Tile

Identify the areas in your yard with drainage problems or where standing water remains for more than an hour after it rains. Use stakes to mark a course for the drainage tiles from the wettest areas to the nearest drainage outlet or street gutter. Tie a string between the stakes to outline a direct path.

Unearth a 12 inch wide by 24 inch deep drainage trench using a shovel or excavator machine. Curve the walls in a U shape, and dig down an additional inch for every 8 feet of distance to slope the path towards the outlet.

Pour 6 inches of gravel over the length of the trench. Place a strip of landscape fabric over the gravel, overlapping the ends by at least 3 inches. The fabric prevents dirt from clogging the drainage holes.

Lay the drain tiles, which are usually made of perforated polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, pipe, in the trench. If the pipe only has holes on one side instead of all the way around, turn the holes to face upward. Attach elbows between lengths of pipe where the trench curves and T connectors where the trench runs straight.

Slip the drain sock, or protective mesh, over the pipe as you work down toward the outlet. The sock filters mud and other debris from entering the pipe.

Dump 12 inches of gravel over the top of the tiles.

Conceal the drain tiles with a mix of sand and soil. Compact the mix down and seed it with grass seed. Once the grass grows, it helps slow running water to make it drain easier.