Not everyone is destined to become the owner of a personal plot on a flat, open and at the same time dry area. Plots with high level groundwater deposits, with the threat of flooding, are not very convenient for development, but not a reason for grief. The device of a drainage ditch or an entire groundwater drainage system will help get rid of this problem.
Drainage ditch around the house
Drainage is the process of draining the soil in swampy areas, removing excess water from the soil. Another so-called system of pipes, trenches, wells, mounted for these purposes. Why is it needed?
Drainage systems are smart engineering solution, which allows you to get rid of the problem of groundwater on personal plot. Usually, the territories of horticultural cooperatives and settlements with individual buildings are protected from flooding by a drainage ditch in which a pipe is laid, with the possibility of diverting the collected water to a lower place.
It is quite possible to build protective structures in the country with your own hands, but this must be done before the start of improvement. Drainage ditch, pipe, well, drainage - these elements create a drainage system on the site.
Installation of a well for drainage on the site To strengthen them, you will need a large amount of earthwork, both with your own hands, and, possibly, with the use of special equipment.
The water drainage system in the country is a network of interconnected pipes and channels, which are designed in such a way as to collect and remove excess water from buildings, the yard, the garden in the most convenient way and thereby strengthen these objects. If the drainage is done correctly, then surface water will in no way harm the foundation, the possibility of mold and fungi will disappear.
Before starting landscaping work on the site, it is necessary to determine the degree of flooding threat, your capabilities and choose the drainage system that is necessary and most suitable for this case.
The simplest system for do-it-yourself work.
Construction of an open drainage ditch made of granite cobblestones Large-scale earthworks are not required here, there are enough ditches dug across the territory into which a storm pipe drains its water, rain streams and excess irrigation flow down.
A more complex option, which is needed in a site with a high level of groundwater, located in the lowlands, and will also not be superfluous in clay and loamy areas. The basis of such drainage is a drain - a pipe that is laid in a trench at a certain depth. The trench leads to a sump or a larger diameter sewer pipe.
This structure is in the form of several wells located around the building. The water collected in them is pumped out by a pump. In order to make such a drainage system, engineering calculations and project preparation are needed.
Scheme for the installation of vertical drainage wells A complex type of hydro-reclamation structures. Consists of pipes and wells. It is built mainly in large areas or on an industrial site.
The easiest option for drainage in the country is open drainage systems. They are divided into two types: point and linear. Point ones are storm water inlets that are fixed in places where it ends.
Such storm water inlets are usually equipped with grates for collecting debris. The linear variant of open drainage is represented by a drainage ditch.
The simplest drainage systems are easy to make with your own hands. The art of creating engineering communications was owned by the ancient Romans. A variant of Roman drainage is used in some farms to this day. Ancient engineers came up with the idea of reinforcing drains with bundles of thick rods that prevented shedding.
Option for an open drainage ditch It is easy to make such a simple strengthening with your own hands, a pipe is not needed here, and it can last for 15 years.
Stages of creating a drainage trench on the site:
It is better to entrust the drainage of a summer cottage to specialists. However, if this is not possible, then you can try to figure it out on your own. First of all, it is necessary to analyze the types of drainage and the various schemes for its device, as well as its purpose.
Drainage is simply necessary because this system protects the house and yard from excess moisture. If installed incorrectly, the effect may be reversed. This will lead to flooding and washing out of the soil.
In order to properly drain the site, it is necessary to disassemble its types and understand the features of each.
Drainage happens:
Surface can be easily done with your own hands without the involvement of craftsmen. This is a relatively easy job.
Note! Deep drainage is best done at the stage of building a house.
The building also needs protection. It often happens that the flow of groundwater penetrates into underground premises. Water can flood the cellar, garage, underground parking or recreation room. It all depends on what is below the surface of the earth.
Do-it-yourself surface drainage of the site is carried out using various storm water inlets and trays. This type of drainage got its name because the entire system is located on the surface. Trays can successfully cope with rainwater flows, as well as moisture that forms as a result of melting snow.
Surface drainage is of two types: point and linear.
It cannot be said that one type of drainage is better than the other. Often both varieties are used together for greater effectiveness. All devices in the system require regular cleaning or they stop functioning properly. A well-organized drain serves perfectly and copes with its task.
With a point layout, the trays are installed, first of all, under the sewers of the house. Otherwise, water will constantly fall on the foundation and on the site.
Improper layout will lead to the penetration of moisture into underground rooms.
Trays must be installed so that they are underground. From them it is necessary to lay pipes to the sewer. From above the tray is covered with a lattice. It is both protective and decorative at the same time. To clean the tray, you only need to lift the grate and remove debris from the container.
The linear system has been known for a very long time. It has also been used in Ancient Egypt and Babylon. Today, only the materials used have changed, but the principle of operation has remained the same.
The most common design mistake drainage system is that it is installed without proper design. When installing drainage pipes and systems, it is necessary, first of all, to understand the situation. In this case, it is necessary to analyze the site itself and the nature of groundwater.
For example, water very often affects the foundation. To protect it, you need to design a drainage system when building a house. In this case, an additional basement will be required, which will serve as a barrier to groundwater. If the design was done incorrectly, then the situation can only become more complicated. Groundwater will flow into the basement and affect the foundation. In difficult cases, you will have to contact specialists.
It is better to entrust the drainage of a summer cottage to specialists, however, if this is not possible, then you can try to figure it out on your own. First of all, it is necessary to analyze the types of drainage and the various schemes for its device, as well as its purpose. Drainage is simply necessary because this system protects the house and yard from excess moisture. If installed incorrectly, the effect may be reversed. This will lead to flooding and washing out of the soil.
To begin with, it is necessary to analyze its types and find out the features of the work of each.
Drainage happens:
Surface drainage can be done without the involvement of craftsmen. This is a relatively easy job.
Deep drainage is best done at the stage of building a house.
The building also needs protection. It often happens that the flow of groundwater penetrates into underground premises. Water can flood the cellar, garage, underground parking or recreation room. It all depends on what is below the surface of the earth.
Surface drainage of the site is carried out using various storm water inlets and trays. This type of drainage got its name because the entire system is located on the surface. Trays can successfully cope with rainwater flows, as well as moisture that forms as a result of melting snow.
Surface drainage is of two types: point and linear.
It cannot be said that one type of drainage is better than the other. Often both varieties are used together for greater effectiveness. All devices in the system require regular cleaning or they stop functioning properly. A well-organized drain serves perfectly and copes with its task.
With a point layout, the trays are installed, first of all, under the sewers of the house. Otherwise, water will constantly fall on the foundation and on the site.
Improper layout will lead to the penetration of moisture into underground rooms.
Trays must be installed so that they are underground. From them it is necessary to lay pipes to the sewer. From above the tray is covered with a lattice. It is both protective and decorative at the same time. To clean the tray, you only need to lift the grate and remove debris from the container.
The linear system has been known for a very long time. It was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon. Today, only the materials used have changed, but the principle of operation has remained the same.
For drainage, plastic or reinforced concrete trays are used. They are equipped with a grate on top that covers the gutter. The system has garbage collectors that make it easier to take care of the trays.
Installation of such systems is necessary in cases where:
Installing a water drain will not be a difficult procedure even for a beginner. Its structure is very clear.
Usually, both types of drainage are installed on the plots: both deep and surface. Such a drainage network will provide absolute protection from moisture.
Before arranging a buried system, it is necessary to determine in which direction the water flows during showers. This indicator is one of the most important.
If you make a mistake with the level of bias, then you can harm yourself with your own work.
You can find out the direction of the flow of water without exploring the area. To do this, it is enough to wait for the first downpour and see where the flows are directed.
The general drainage scheme: a receiving well, drains and a collector that removes excess moisture.
Calculation and design always depend on the characteristics of each particular site. You can not take and install the same system for everyone. Somewhere additional means of drainage are required, and somewhere the simplest device will do. IN last resort, you can refer to the maps to determine the nature of your site. 
Even with the data from the maps, you should not neglect the additional practical verification of the slope. If it is not possible to achieve the desired flow direction in some places, you can try to fix it with the help of embankments. However, such a procedure is also not carried out without preliminary calculations. A number of problems can be solved with a drainage pump. This is a forced drainage system, which is used in cases where it is impossible to create a natural one, or it is required additional device water outlet.
Not all types of soils are well water-permeable. These include clay. Clay soil is characterized by an excess of moisture. Because of this, the right amount of oxygen does not enter the roots. As a result, the plants die. Dense turf also leads to oxygen starvation of plants.
When arranging a drainage system for a small area, it is not necessary to make a calculation during the design process. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the parameters regarding drains:
The natural relief of a site with a slope is best used when constructing a drainage system.
It is easier to work with a sloping site than with a flat one. This is due to at least a decrease in labor costs. All you need is to correctly combine open and closed drainage.
Clay soil is dense and heavy, so to improve the drainage properties, the soil should be carefully loosened. In the process of laying drains, it is necessary to bypass the places intended for the passage of a car.
In peatlands, the level of groundwater is usually high. Because of this, these types of soils are practically not used for growing plants. In peatlands, the root system of plants simply rots.
Draining peatlands allows you to lower the groundwater level to 2–2.5 m. You do not need to do this if your site has already been drained. This can be easily determined. Drainage was carried out on the site if there are no stagnations of melt water on it, and the level of groundwater during the flood does not exceed 1.5 m.
This is found only in low-lying peatlands or land cultivated by someone. Most often, on peat bogs, one can observe a picture when water is close, and in spring it does not even soak into the ground in places. The only exception is the hot summer, when the groundwater level is greatly reduced, as a result of which the peat dries up and needs to be watered. The roots of perennials suffer greatly during the thaw period in winter or spring. In such a situation, over time, the death of plants is inevitable.
Not everything is so sad. Peatlands can be dried. What can be done for this? If the water is at a level of 0.8–1.2 m, then its excess can be completely removed from the site, for example, by planting birch or viburnum bushes in the northwestern side of the site or beyond. The fact is that birches actively collect moisture at a distance of 30 m from themselves. So, you will drain the site, while not shading it with these trees.
If the water is closer, then you will have to make a quality drainage system. To do this, break the site into sectors. At the same time, drainage ditches are laid in the slope of the place to collect water. Dig a sewer well or make an artificial reservoir in the lower corner of the site. All excess water from the peat area will drain into it. If you decide to make a water collector in the form of a well, then the accumulated water during the summer drought can be used for irrigation.
Plant moisture-loving fruit/ornamental crops around the pond.
Two ditches should run along the edges of the land, transverse ones should be provided for high-quality drainage of the peat bog. For example, for 6 acres, it is enough to make 1-2 transverse ditches. At the same time, the depth of the ditch should reach about 40–50 cm. When digging a trench, dump the top layer of soil on the edges of the beds that will be equipped later.
For safety reasons, it is better to make a closed drainage system. The principle of its installation will be described below.
It is impossible for water to accumulate on even a small piece of land - melt or rain. If you find such accumulations, then make mounds of soil and sand, as well as fertile soil, in such places. The sleeves of the drainage system must converge to the well / pond.
In peatlands, plants should be grown in raised beds. If in the summer the peat dries out due to the heat, then it will need to be watered regularly and abundantly.
In cases where the groundwater level cannot be lowered to the level of 2 m, fruit trees it will need to be planted on artificial hills having a height of 30–50 cm. At the same time, as the tree grows, the diameter of the mound will have to be increased.
The most common mistake when arranging a drainage system is that it is installed without proper design. When installing drainage pipes and systems, it is necessary, first of all, to understand the situation. In this case, it is necessary to analyze the site itself and the nature of groundwater.
For example, water very often affects the foundation. To protect it, you need to design a drainage system when building a house. In this case, an additional basement will be required, which will serve as a barrier to groundwater. If the design was done incorrectly, then the situation can only become more complicated. Groundwater will flow into the basement and affect the foundation. In difficult cases, you will have to contact specialists.
These diagrams will help you plan the drainage of the site according to the requirements:
The removal of ground and storm water from the foundation will significantly increase the service life and capital building, and country house construction. A simple drainage system in the device will save underground concrete structures from gradual erosion, and cellars from flooding. But it is extremely important to prevent the destruction of the very foundation of the structure, right?
A well-designed drainage scheme around the house will help to build an efficient collection and drainage system. natural water. We invite you to familiarize yourself with carefully selected and verified information based on regulations and the real experience of builders of low-rise buildings.
We will talk in detail about the types of drainage systems, the features of their device, the specifics of operation. We will give arguments in favor of choosing a particular type of drainage. The useful information offered to your attention is supplemented with photos, diagrams and video instructions.
When designing a drainage system, first of all, determine the goals that are planned to be achieved. They may consist in draining the entire site, in protecting the foundation and basement of the house from excess moisture.
Of the existing drainage systems, two main types can be distinguished - open and deep (closed). The first one can be used for needs Agriculture, for drainage from cultivated areas. Closed drainage is used to drain water in summer cottages and cottage areas, to protect buildings from negative impact high GWL.
The organization of the drainage system is necessary with a high groundwater table, which is especially evident during the flood period. Drainage to protect the concrete foundation from the aggression of underground water and reduce the hydraulic load
Combined drainage systems are also used. They are often supplemented with storm sewer branches designed for the disposal of atmospheric water. Provided that they are properly designed, they can significantly save on the construction of each system separately.
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The first and main sign, according to which the owners of the site need to arrange drainage, is the stagnation of water during the snowmelt period. This means that the soils underlying the soil have a low filtration capacity, i.e. do not pass water well or do not pass it at all
Drainage is necessary in areas with pronounced signs of soil erosion: cracks that appear during the dry period. This is a manifestation of soil erosion by groundwater, which ultimately leads to destruction.
Collection and drainage of water is required if, during the period of snowmelt and heavy rainfall, groundwater rises to the level of laying communications
Drainage systems are built in areas with a characteristic slope. But in this case, they are needed for a balanced distribution of water and keeping it on elevated sites.
Flooding of the site during the snowmelt period
Erosion and erosion of the soil under the foundation
Water at the level of laying communications
Country plot with slope
Open drainage is the simplest and most economical way to drain water, which can be used under the following conditions:
Open drainage is arranged in areas with a high GWL, the mark of which is most often due to the location of the land allotment in a lowland or the clay composition of soils that do not pass or very weakly pass water into the underlying layers.
A drainage system designed to drain excess groundwater works great in tandem with a storm drain, the work of which is to collect and remove precipitation (+)
Planning a drainage scheme is best done at the design stage of a house. This will allow you to tie the work and place the storm water inlet under the gutters to the blind area.
Open drainage is considered the simplest and does not require a diagram. It is a trench 0.5 m wide and 0.6-0.7 m deep. The sides of the trench are at an angle of 30 °. They encircle the territory along the perimeter and direct wastewater into a ditch or pit, into a storm sewer.
Areas with a slope towards the street are easier to drain. For this, a gutter ditch is dug in front of the house, across the slope, which will retain water from the garden. Then they dig a ditch, it will direct the runoff towards the street, into a ditch.
If the site has a slope in the opposite direction from the road, then a transverse gutter is dug in front of the fence facade and another longitudinal one is made to the end of the site.
The disadvantage of such drainage is its low aesthetics and the need for regular cleaning of the gutters from silt and dirt, which periodically accumulates in them. This type of drainage is not recommended for pavement, as it leads to subsidence of the soil and deformation of the canvas
The length of the lines for water flow, the number of wells and sand collectors depends on the area of the site, its topography, and the intensity of precipitation in a particular area.
Drainage ditches can be reinforced against erosion with reinforced concrete slabs, stone paving, turf with crushed bottom
If the site is considered more or less even, and its level of waterlogging is not too high, then the simplest drainage system can be dispensed with.
Along the foundation of the fence, at the lowest point of the site, they dig a ditch with a width of 0.5 m, a length of 2-3 m and a depth of 1 m. Such a drainage system, although it will protect against a high groundwater level, and perfectly cope with precipitation.
To prevent the edges of the ditch from collapsing, it is filled with rubble, broken glass and bricks. Having filled it, they dig the next one, it is also filled and compacted tightly. Excavated soil is used for filling low-lying places in the territory
Over time, this simple drainage system may become inoperable due to gradual siltation. To prevent this from happening, it can be protected with a geotextile. It is laid on the ground, after backfilling the ditch, the drainage layer is overlapped with it. From above, to hide the ditch, it is sprinkled with a layer of fertile soil.
Storm sewerage is necessary for the accumulation and removal from the site of water that falls in the form of precipitation. It is equipped with point and linear catchment devices.
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Stormwater sewer systems arranged to collect atmospheric water and prevent its penetration into the soil, and then into the underlying soil
According to the type of water intake devices, storm sewer systems are divided into point and linear. The first are built in areas with organized drainage, the second - with unorganized
Linear water intakes have a much larger collection area than point ones. They are installed next to houses with unorganized drainage and on sites paved with a waterproof coating.
In linear stormwater, water is both collected and transported through a network of channels closed with a metal or plastic grate. In point systems, water is drained through a system of pipes laid in the ground.
Storm sewer with a point water inlet
Spot drainage channels
Water receivers of a linear variety
The structure of trays with gratings
The first type of water collectors is installed under the risers of an organized drainage system. The second type of water collectors is located under the slopes of roofs with unorganized drainage.
Water entering the sump moves through an open or closed pipeline. It is diverted either to a common well-water collector, or to a collector well, from which it moves to a centralized sewer network or gutter.
The storm water inlet is a container for collecting water, equipped with outlets for connecting pipes of a linear drainage system. Devices are made of durable plastic or cast iron (+)
Elements storm system with point water collectors are also drains, drains, dampers. Some manufacturers provide for the possibility of connecting storm water inlets with roof drains, as well as with underground drainage systems.
In addition, ready-made production models provide for the presence of sand traps and waste bins, which simplify the maintenance of the system.
A device with a decorative grille installed should be located 3-5 mm lower than the level of the track, the ground
This is a system of gutters made of plastic or concrete, which are installed on the site in those places where the accumulation of water is most likely, but highly undesirable.
For a drainage well, choose the most distant place from the house, well, cellar. If there is a natural or artificial reservoir nearby, then water can be drained into it
When designing with linear water intakes, the first thing they plan is the placement of a catchment or collector well. Next, determine the location of the rotary and revision wells. Their arrangement will depend on the placement of storm water inlets and closed sewer branches.
To prevent water from the street from entering the yard, gutters are installed along the gate line leading to the yard, garage doors, as well as in the gate area. When choosing system elements to be installed on the roadway, the future load on them is taken into account.
To prevent moisture from getting inside the building, the slope of the coating in the garage is done towards the water intake grate. So water, when washing a car or thawing snow on vehicle, will drain into the chute.
Drainage trays must be installed on the porch, around the pool. They are also installed along the blind area, garden paths, laid out from the facing material of the sites
To give the storm drain a neat look, special trays made of polymer concrete and plastic are used, which are closed with metal or plastic gratings. At the entrance to the house use a special pallet for cleaning shoes.
The grate for the gutter installed near the pool is chosen plastic, white, in order to avoid burns on a hot summer day.
For intensive use, drainage trays are mounted on concrete base. The higher the load class on the roadway, the greater the thickness of the concrete base should be (+)
Gutters and water intake points are connected to a drainage tank. At the junction of gutters and pipes, inspection wells are provided. They are designed to facilitate access to the system and clean it from possible clogging.
Revision wells are made mainly of plastic. To receive you need to required depth, their design provides for the possibility of building with the help of special extension elements.
Placement, slope and length of storm sewer pipes - all these characteristics are very individual and depend on many conditions on the site
A wide range of system elements allows the most rational design, which will be optimal from a technical and financial point of view.
The main elements of linear drainage are gutters made of concrete, polymer concrete, plastic, point receivers, sand traps, grids (+)
Underground, closed drainage is used if the device open system takes up too much space land plot or it absolutely does not fit into the landscape picture of the territory. The conditions for its installation of a closed drainage system are similar to the prerequisites for organizing a network of open drainage ditches and ditches.
Closed drainage schemes are used to protect the foundation, basements from the impact of groundwater and increase their service life. By analogy with open ones, they are used to drain a suburban area from excess groundwater.
It is mandatory to organize underground drainage on the site if:
Underground drainage can be divided into two types:
Both types of underground drainage are carried out at the stage of building construction. If it was decided to start the problem of drainage after the construction of the house, then a trench ring system is used. There are also limitations for the use of trench drainage. It can be used if the house does not have a basement.
The fact is that, after, backfilling the pit with sand or soil creates a looser environment between the bedrock and the foundation. As a result, perched water penetrates into this environment, and then even the presence of a clay castle does not protect the building from moisture.
Therefore, if the house has a basement, for effective drainage, it is best to do wall drainage. It is used for draining groundwater directly from the foundation of the building, to protect basements, cellars, basements from flooding.
You can not plant trees and shrubs near the drain. The distance to the planted tree can be at least two meters and to the bush at least one meter.
Wall-mounted limits the rise in water level, preventing it from rising above the line of drainage pipes - drains. It is believed that a drainage pipe 1 m long is capable of draining an area of about 10-20 m 2.
When arranging wall drainage, the pipe is laid along the perimeter of the building. The depth of the laying of drains cannot be lower than the base foundation slab or foundation soles. If the foundation is very deep, then it is allowed to lay the pipe slightly above its base (+)
The distance from the drainage pipe to the foundation depends on the location. They are laid in each corner (or through one corner) of the building, as well as in places of turns and pipe connections.
Revision wells are also located in places with a large difference in the level of the site and with a large length of pipes - the distance between the wells should be no more than 40 meters.
In the revision well, the pipe cannot be solid, it breaks. This is done so that if the pipeline is clogged, it remains possible to flush it using a high-pressure hose.
The whole system closes on the last well. It should be located in the lowest place. Further, the water flows into a conventional sewer or open reservoir. If it is not possible to divert water from the house by gravity, then pumping equipment is installed and it is pumped out forcibly.
To ensure gravity drainage of water, the pipes are laid to the side to the collection manifold. The slope should be two centimeters per meter of the drainage pipeline. The depth of the pipe should be greater than the depth of soil freezing.
The pipe is covered with drainage material - gravel, fine gravel or sand. The minimum layer that will ensure the flow of water into the drain is 0.2 m
To save on geocomposite materials and prevent them from mixing with the soil, geotextiles are used. It freely passes water to the drains and at the same time retains particles that lead to siltation. Before backfilling, the pipe itself must also be wrapped in protective material. Some drain models are produced with ready-made geotextile filters.
It is possible to increase the efficiency of wall drainage using a profiled polymer membrane, which can be two- or three-layer. One of its layers is a polyethylene film with formed protrusions, the second layer of the membrane is a geotextile fabric.
The three-layer membrane is equipped with an additional layer of smooth polyethylene film. The membrane helps filter water from the soil and at the same time serves as a waterproofing layer for the foundation of the building.
Closed trench-type drainage protects the building from flooding and moisture. It is a filter layer, which is poured into a trench at a distance of 1.5-3 m from the wall of the house.
It is better that the depth of the drain is 0.5 m deeper than the base of the foundation - so the water will not exert pressure on it from below. Between the trench with drainage and the foundation of the house, a layer of clay soil remains, which serves as the so-called clay castle.
As with the installation of a wall drainage system, drains are laid on a layer of gravel or fine gravel. Both pipes and gravel layer are protected by geotextiles from clogging.
In order to get a visual representation of the drainage process around country house Let's look at an example. The site given in it required the installation of a groundwater drainage system, tk. under the soil-vegetative layer lie loams and sandy loams, which are extremely poorly permeable to water due to their low filtration capacity.
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For drainage, we develop a trench around the house. Since the work was carried out with a mini-excavator, they retreated 1.2 m from the walls so as not to damage the building. If you save manually, you can make closer. The bottom of the working is 20-30 cm below the foundation
The branches of the trench formed around the house should have a slope towards the common trench, intended for the pipe for draining the collected water to the collector well
We fill the bottom of the trench with sand. We ram it and form a slope of 2-3 cm per linear meter. We direct the slope towards the common trench, the bottom of which is also filled and rammed. In the case of crossing the trench with communications, we take into account that the drainage pipes must pass below them
We prepare drains, perforated polymer pipes, for laying in a trench. We wrap them with geotextile, which will prevent clogging of the system and filter groundwater
We cover the rammed bottom of the trench with a second layer of geotextile, pour gravel on it and put drains
The channels for draining water from storm sewers and the drainage system are laid in one trench. It is permissible to divert the water collected from them into one collector and use common manholes
Having wrapped the gravel backfill along with the drainage pipe with a second layer of geotextile, we fill the trench with quarry sand. We do not use the soil dumped during the development of the trench, the sand will better pass the water to collect the drain
Plot and main principles drainage. In this post, I would like to take a closer look at ways elimination of excess water in the area and decorative possibilities design of devices for the removal of moisture.
After all, water on the site is not only a natural disaster, it is also a huge opportunity and a great tool for a landscape designer.
Drainage structures are therefore called system that underground drainage and blind area, and surface grooves, even - all this is a single complex, an artificial recreation on small area natural water cycle in nature.
The moisture that falls out with precipitation is partially absorbed by the soil, and partially flows down into the natural slopes. The water that has infiltrated into becomes groundwater and also, along the slopes of the impervious layers, flows towards the reservoirs located in the lowlands.
If you are going to make a drainage system, you need to try to recreate the natural conditions for the existence of water in nature with the help of artificial devices. It is highly desirable to design the system so that it works as independently as possible, without the use of coercion in the form of drainage.
It is necessary to try to think over the design of the drainage system so that there is no need to force the water to move where it does not flow itself. The principle of operation of the drainage system should be based on gravity: we collect surface water in ditches and allow it to flow away from the site; With the help of drains and drainage pillows, we make clay soil that is slightly permeable to moisture easily absorbing water.
So, drainage ditches and trays imitate rivers, underground drains imitate flowing groundwater, collection points for diverted water - lakes and seas: everything is like in nature. Then the functioning of the drainage system will be the most reliable, independent of power outages. And it will also be easier to fit such a system into the landscape. When planning drainage, it is necessary to take into account the natural slopes of the relief, the depth of occurrence, the location of buildings and tall trees on the site.
The ditches are directed towards the water intake located in the lowest part of the site. This can be a street ditch running along the road, a storm sewer if the village is equipped with it, as well as a reservoir - natural or artificial.
In addition to ditches along the borders, if necessary, the device of surface drainage systems is also used along the territory of the site itself.
The bottom and walls of the ditches are made simply ground or lined with some material, for example, or slabs of. When arranging channels, it is necessary to distinguish sewage And drainage ditches.
Waste the ditch receives water flows already collected earlier, or water coming from above - for example, during rain. Therefore, its walls can be waterproof. Such a channel is made in the form of concrete or plastic trays. drainage the ditch absorbs excess moisture from the soil, so its walls must be permeable to water.
Surface drainage ditches can be built above deep drainage pipes in the soil as an additional measure.
Do not be embarrassed that trenches will appear on your site. There are several ways to decorate them that can turn a utilitarian drainage structure into an element. The choice of style depends on the design of the entire site.
The channel for water drainage using ready-made trays is decorated with decorative gratings - plastic or metal.
You can use it as a material for finishing the walls of the ditch, just do not forget that if a solution is used to fix the stone, then this method is suitable for sewage ditches. drainage the ditch needs to be trimmed with stones big size using the "dry masonry" method - then the walls will remain permeable.
In the photo below you see a drainage ditch laid out natural stone according to the technology of "dry masonry" - functional constituent part drainage system and a decorative element of the landscape. 
Another way to finish and at the same time strengthen the walls from shedding is to use the so-called reno mattresses. These are analogues - metal meshes filled with rubble or cobblestones - only oriented not vertically, but horizontally or obliquely.
Drainage ditch and slope of the pond bank reinforced with Reno mattresses. Photo from sitkazahid.com
The use of Reno mats is not only a way to drain the soil, but also the ability to strengthen it on the slopes of drainage ditches, as well as reservoirs, if any, on your site. Strengthening the soil on the slopes with such a technique in the design of the site can be combined with gabions as or fences.
In addition to the ditch itself (a shallow and narrow ditch), surface drainage can be designed as:
French ditches are straightforward, they first appeared in regular ditches, popular in France during the Baroque era. imitate the path of a dried up natural river or stream or kurum - a stone river.
When arranging such paths, do not forget that their surface must be permeable. As a material, use fine, granite chips, laid without mortar, in the sand. Additionally, paths in the garden on the outer sides can be supplied with drainage trays directed towards common system drainage.
Prue, if it is not arranged with the help of a ready-made plastic container, but has a natural bottom, is a drainage in itself. If it is located at the lowest point of the site, the extra ground and surface water will drain into it, draining the area. In simple cases of flooding of the territory, a pond dug in the right place may be the only and sufficient element of the drainage system.
If there is no place for a garden drainage reservoir on the site, but there is a natural pond, lake or river nearby, then the collected water can be diverted there. Of course, if the expediency of such an event is adequate to the labor costs for the production of earthworks. Water can be diverted by a surface method, all the same ditch (tray), or by laying an underground pipe.
You just need to make sure in advance that the level of the reservoir is always below the pipe, even in the spring flood. Otherwise, in the spring you will get the opposite effect: instead of draining excess water from the site, part of the reservoir will also flow to you through the pipe. Or the pipe should be equipped check valve.
Do not forget that in a natural reservoir do not drain heavily polluted water, for example from a filtration system.
To drain water, the blind area around the perimeter of the house, the platform and paths in front of the building are made with a slope towards the general drainage. In the direction of sewage and drainage ditches or underground drainage structures, drainage trays that receive water from
Backfill drainage - replacement or addition of a blind area with a hard coating. It may be better suited to the design of your site. There are several options for the final coating of a soft blind area:
It is good to use backfill drainage not only along the perimeter of buildings, but also around the open one and this will make the site more accurate.
Creating a surface drainage system is not too difficult. Of course, ditches will have to be dug and improved if necessary. But in general, work can be done independently, armed only with and.
The main thing is to correctly plan the directions of the ditches: so that the excess water is gone, and the plantings, especially trees and shrubs, are not left without moisture. It is also important to observe slopes to ensure gravity flow.
If the conditions on the site in terms of excess water are more severe, groundwater is located high, then surface drainage is indispensable. Requires "heavy artillery" - deep drainage. There is no way to cope with a shovel here, large-scale earthworks and engineering calculations will be required.
