How to Install Drainage Tiles Outside

Plant wooden stakes in the spots in your yard where standing water remains for more than one hour after it rains. Standing water destroys plants, attracts mosquitoes and indicates the ground is over- saturated. Lay a rope from the end stake through the problem areas to the drainage outlet.

Dig a channel with a shovel 24 inches deep and 18 inches wide along the path laid out by the ropes. Dig down so the bottom is flat and the sides of the channel are sloped to form the shape of a U. From the far end of the channel, dig down 1 inch deep every 8 feet of length to create a slope.

Fill the bottom 6 inches of the channel with crushed rock. Use the back of the shovel to spread the rock and a line level to ensure the path slopes down toward the drainage outlet.

Lay the drain tiles or perforated tubing on top of the crushed rock. Connect lengths of tile with T connectors, turning the long stem upward. Place a drainage grid over the open stem of the T connectors and the far end of the tiles.

Dump an additional 12 inches of crushed rock over the tiles to block debris. Lay geotextile fabric over the rocks as an additional barrier.

Mix equal parts of soil and sand and use it to fill in the remaining channel. Spread the dirt so it is level with the rest of the yard and seed it with water-tolerant grass seed. Ryegrass and Bermuda grass are two examples of flood-resistant grasses that will slow the flow of excess water so it drains more quickly.