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Drainage on a garden plot is a rather important element that is vital for many land plots. Considering the high cost of any construction work, the independent construction of a drainage system becomes very important, because it can be done with the help of improvised means and some materials. Thus, it becomes possible to provide a high-quality drainage system for a summer cottage without the involvement of specialists. To carry out work on the drainage device, you will need the following tools:
- trowel;
- shovel;
- wheelbarrow;
- building level;
- roulette;
- hacksaw.
Stone and fascinated drainage in the garden
There are many varieties of drainage systems, and the most common homemade designs are those created using fascines. Fascines are made from some types of wood (oak, hazel or birch are suitable). How do you make them? Goats are installed along the trench. The selected branches are laid with a butt on the cross, after which they must be tightly tied with a rope or wire. If the bundles are not tied, then the drainage with their use will clog very quickly.Each fascina bunch should be at least 30 cm thick, and a center is formed from thick branches, and small branches are tied on the sides. Fascin laying begins at the top of the ditch. In addition, you need to lay bunches of moss from the sides. To connect the trench to the pit, you need to create a source with a socket made of boards.
Such a system can last for about 25 years, especially if it is located on peat soil. Stone drainage can be a good alternative to the fascinating system. For the arrangement of the stone system, crushed stone about 8-10 cm in size is selected. The bottom of the trench is laid with such stones, and the free space is laid with smaller particles. The thickness of the stone layer in the trench should be at least 30 cm. On top of the crushed stone is laid with moss, and the topmost layer will be the sod, located with the grass down. In this case, trenches with a depth of about 1 meter are sufficient.
DIY wooden and ceramic drainage
A rather popular type of drainage system is wooden or ceramic. How are they created? Before starting work, it is necessary to understand the relief of the site and draw up a diagram of all the slopes. Then a trench is dug, and initially you need to figure out how the drainage system will work. For ceramic drainage systems, pipes with an internal diameter of at least 5 cm are used. The pipes should be laid in the trench as tightly as possible, and all joints should be laid with moss or other similar material.At the junction of the drainage pipeline with the reservoir, a wooden pipe is created, which will be the source, and another pipe, also made of wood, enters into it. As a result, the trench is filled up, covered with turf and covered with earth. The depth of the trench in this case will also be about 1 meter.
For a wooden device, three boards are required. The perimeter of the pipes is laid with moss, and the rest of the space is covered with crushed stone and fine gravel. It is very important to do this work carefully so as not to damage the pipe. After laying the pipeline and filling it up, you can lay a layer of turf and earth.
Pipes are mounted from the source. Poles can be used for drainage (coniferous branches with a thickness of about 7-10 cm are especially popular). Before laying the poles, it is imperative to clean them of the bark. The laying of the railings is carried out on the pre-laid transverse partitions. You can make one or two layers of poles, it all depends on personal preference. If necessary, brushwood can be used for the drainage system, and the procedure will completely repeat the procedure described above. This is an excellent do-it-yourself drainage in the garden area, but in this case we are not talking about durability. See also: "How to properly drain a site - options for a drainage system."
Soft drainage of the garden area
Today, geotextiles and tecton are very popular on the market. These are excellent materials that are great for soft drainage systems. The tecton has excellent water-absorbing properties, and the water does not come back. Geotextile works on a different principle: it allows water to pass through itself, but any solid particles stop (read: "What geotextile for drainage is better to choose - types, differences, features of use"). The soft drainage system is quite easy to install and is great for vegetable gardens.
How to make soft drainage in the garden or in the summer cottage? First, a trench or drainage pit is dug. The main thing is to maintain a slope that will allow the water to go out towards the ditch or reservoir. The bottom of the trench is laid by tecton in such a way that its shape resembles a trough. Then the ditch must be covered with geotextile, and it must be laid with a margin of about 40 cm upwards so that an overlap can be created.
A layer of drainage material (crushed stone or gravel) is laid on top of the geotextile, which should occupy about 2/3 of the trench height. This material is wrapped with free geotextile edges, after which the entire structure is covered with sand and leveled. Such a do-it-yourself drainage in a garden plot is quite simple, and in terms of characteristics it is quite comparable to the highest quality and complex systems. See also: "How to do the drainage of a site with your own hands - types of drainage systems, device rules."
Open drainage
Lowland household plots are often prone to moisture problems. The reason for this is simple: the soil does not absorb water, since its level in such places is often very high. You can solve the problem with an open drain.
It is not difficult to create such a drainage of a garden plot with your own hands: the design is quite simple and reliable. To arrange open drainage, a trench 50 cm wide is dug around the perimeter of the site, and one of its sides should be tilted 40 degrees to ensure water drainage. Water through such a drain will go away rather quickly, and there are practically no difficulties in creating it. Of course, this type of drainage is not suitable for everyone, because few people want to observe the ditches around their site. But for those who have no problems with such little things, such a system will be an extremely successful find.
Closed drainage
Such drainage is much more difficult, and it will cost more, but its advantages are obvious - high reliability and good aesthetic qualities. To implement a system of this type, it is necessary to lay pipes along the entire length of the trench and create additional lateral branches from them, which will allow water to be diverted from the entire site, and not only from its borders. In this case, auxiliary routes are dug out about a meter from the foundation of the building.The depth of the trenches will depend on the abundance of vegetation: in the presence of large trees, the depth will be about one and a half meters, and if there are only small bushes on the site, then half a meter will be enough.
This design allows you to hide the entire system underground, so its elements will not be visible. At the end of the pipeline, it is advisable to install a collection well that will collect waste water. When properly installed and configured, a closed drain will provide sufficient drainage of the site and there will be no flooding problems.
Conclusion
Drainage systems of garden plots with your own hands can be erected without any problems. Each of them has its own characteristics and characteristics, and the final choice will depend on the owner of the site. If the system is selected correctly, then after its installation, the work processes will be invisible, as well as any problems associated with excess water on the site.
In some regions, groundwater is very close to the surface. So close that they threaten the integrity of buildings (their foundations) and prevent plantings from growing. All these problems are solved by the drainage of the site. In general, this event is costly both in terms of the amount of funds required and the necessary time costs. Much of the time is spent on planning. If you do everything according to your mind, then you need data from a hydrogeological study and a project drawn up by a specialist. But, as usual, only a few do this, most make a drainage system with their own hands.
What kind of water is drained away
Drainage of a plot is a costly and laborious undertaking that requires a large amount of land work. The best time for construction is the process of planning and arranging the site. Later deadlines lead to a lot of confusion, which is not everyone's joy. Nevertheless, if there is water on the site, you have to go for it.
There are several types of water on the site that bothers us and that needs to be diverted. They are of a different nature and require different measures.
Surface water
They are formed during snowmelt and heavy precipitation, during work on the site (watering, washing paths), water discharge from a reservoir, etc. What all phenomena have in common is their singularity: surface waters appear after certain events. A more sensible way to divert them is by means of a device. She copes with the task perfectly, and the cost of the arrangement is much lower.
Mainly open canals are installed to drain surface water, water intake - point under storm pipes or linear along the entire roof overhang. From these receivers, water is taken with solid plastic (asbestos-cement) pipes into a sewer or a river or lake is dumped into a ravine. Sometimes it is possible to withdraw to the ground.
Ground water
Those underground waters that have a seasonal level (higher in spring after a flood, lower in winter) have a feeding zone (where they come from) and an outflow zone (where they leave) are called groundwater. Usually, groundwater is present on sandy, sandy loam soils, less often in loams with a small amount of clay.
The presence of groundwater can be determined using self-dug pits or several wells drilled with a hand drill. During drilling, a dynamic level is noted (when water appeared during drilling) and a steady level (some time after its appearance, its level stabilizes).
If we talk about the drainage of water from the building, then the drainage system is arranged if the groundwater level (GWL) is only 0.5 m below the foundation.If the groundwater level is high - above the freezing depth - then it is recommended with the measures taken to drain water. At a lower level, other options are possible, but a thorough and multi-layer waterproofing is required. The need for foundation drainage should be assessed by a specialist.
If high-standing groundwater (groundwater level above 2.5 meters) interferes with the growth of plants, drainage of the site is required. This is a system of canals or special drainage pipes laid in the ground at a certain level (below the hot water level by 20-30 cm). The depth of the pipes or ditches is below the ground level so that the water flows to lower places. Thus, the adjacent soil areas are drained.
Verkhovodka
This groundwater is found on soils in high-lying water-resistant strata, but often its appearance is the result of construction errors. Usually this is water, which, being absorbed into the soil, meets strata with a low ability to absorb moisture on its way. Most often it is clay.
If, after the rain, puddles stand on the site and do not leave for a long time, this is a breeder. If water accumulates in the dug ditches, this is also a top water. If a few years after the construction of a house on clay soils or loams in the basement the walls begin to "cry" - this is also a top water. Water accumulated in crushed stone pockets under the foundation, in the blind area, etc.
The easiest way to remove the top water is with the help of ditches, but it is better to prevent its appearance - to backfill the foundation not with crushed stone and sand, but with clay or native soil, carefully tamping it in layers. The main task is to exclude the presence of pockets in which water will accumulate. After such a backfill, it is required to make a blind area, which is wider than the backfill in width and an obligatory stroke is the drainage of storm water.
If the site has a slope, consider arranging terraces and retaining walls, with the obligatory arrangement of drainage ditches along the retaining wall. The most difficult thing is to deal with verkhvodka in low areas, which are lower in level than the neighboring ones. Here, a reasonable solution is to add earth, since there is usually nowhere to dump water. Another possible option is the output of the drain through neighboring areas or along the road to the point of possible discharge. It is necessary to decide on the spot, based on the existing conditions.
In order not to drain
A drainage system is an expensive undertaking. If it is possible to get by with other measures, it is worth doing it. Other measures include the following:
If, after all these activities, the situation does not suit you, it makes sense to make a drainage system.
Drainage types
Site drainage is a complex system with many nuances and features. By structure, it can be local (local) - to solve a problem at a specific site. Most often it is drainage of the foundation, basement and semi-basement (basement) floors. Also, water drainage systems at the site are common - to drain the entire site or a significant part of it.
By installation method
By the way of installation, the drainage system can be:
- Open. Concrete or stone trays are used, ditches are dug around the site. They remain open, but can be covered with decorative grilles to protect the system from large debris. If you need a simple solution for draining surface water in the country, these are ditches around the perimeter of the site or in the lowest zone. Their depth should be sufficient so that the water does not overflow at maximum flow. So that the unreinforced walls of the drainage ditches do not collapse, they are made at an angle of 30 °,
- Closed. The water is captured by the installed special water-permeable - drainage - pipes. The pipes are discharged into a storage well, into a drain, a ravine, a nearby reservoir. This type of site drainage is good for permeable soils (sandy).
- Backfill. Drainage of this type of site is usually used on clayey soils or loams. In this case, the pipes are also laid in ditches, but a layer-by-layer sand and gravel backfill is arranged in them, which collects water from the surrounding soils. The worse the soil conducts moisture, the more powerful backfill is required.
Drainage option for a summer cottage - cheap and cheerful
The specific type of site drainage is selected based on the site conditions. On clays and loams, an extensive gravel-sand zone is required, into which water from the surrounding soil areas will flow. On sands and sandy loams, there is no need for such a pillow - the soils themselves drain water quite well, but only a specialist can say specifically based on the results of geological research.
By type of implementation
There are several types (schemes) of drainage devices on the site:
When draining a site, a central drain or a collector is made of pipes of a larger diameter (130-150 mm versus 90-100 mm for ordinary drains) - the volume of water here is usually larger. The specific type of drainage system is selected based on the tasks that need to be solved. Sometimes you have to use combinations of different schemes.
Site drainage - device
The drainage system consists of a network of interconnected pipes that are located around the perimeter (or area) of the area protected from water. Drainage wells are placed at intersections or turns. They are necessary to monitor the state of the system and clean up silted pipes. From all drained areas, water enters the collector well, where it accumulates to a certain level. It can then be discarded or used for irrigation and other technical needs. Discharge can go by gravity (if there is any), and submersible are used for supplying irrigation and other technical needs.
Drainage pipes and wells
Special drainage pipes are used - with holes ranging in size from 1.5 to 5 mm. Water from the surrounding soil flows through them. Holes are located along the entire surface of the pipe. They are of different diameters, for private houses and plots the most used size is 100 mm, for the removal of large volumes of water, you can take a cross section of up to 150 mm.
They are now made mainly from polymers - HDPE, LDPE (low and high pressure polyethylene) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride). They are used for laying to a depth of 2 meters. There are also two and three-layer combined ones, which are made from combinations of these materials, they are buried to a depth of 5 meters.
Pipes for drainage are selected taking into account the depth of occurrence. It is required to select according to the ring stiffness. It is denoted by the Latin letters SN followed by numbers that represent the ring stiffness (resistance to loads). For laying to a depth of 4 meters, the rigidity should be SN4, up to 6 meters - SN6.
The surface of the drain pipe is wrapped in filter materials. There can be from one to three filter layers. The number of layers is selected based on the composition of the soil - the finer the particles, the more layers are required. For example, on clays and loams, pipes with three filter layers are used.
At the turning points and in the places where several pipes are connected, revision wells are placed. They are needed for easier cleaning in the event of a blockage, as well as for the ability to monitor the condition of the pipes. As a rule, all pipes converge into one collector well, from where water is either sent by gravity to the discharge point, or is pumped out forcibly.
There are special wells for drainage systems, but it is quite possible to bury a concrete ring with a bottom and a cover of small diameter (70-80 cm) and bring pipes into it. Depending on the depth of insertion of the drainage of the rings, several may be required. Another option is to make a viewing well and a large drainage pipe, but in this case you will have to come up with something with the bottom. For example, you can fill the bottom with concrete.
Slope
In order for the collected water to drain off on its own, it is necessary to observe a certain slope in the direction of the direction of travel. The minimum slope is 0.002 - 2 mm per meter, the main one is 0.005 (5 mm per 1 meter of pipe). If the drainage is shallow, the slope of the pipe can increase up to 1-3 cm per 1 meter, but it should be made as low as possible. At a flow rate of more than 1 m / s, small soil particles are "sucked in", which contributes to a faster siltation of the system.
The slope is changed (in relation to the "duty" in 5 mm per 1 meter) in two cases:
- If it is necessary to drain more water per unit of time without increasing the diameter of the drain. In this case, the slope is increased.
- If it is required to get away from the backwater (when the pipe laid with a given slope is lower than the GWL, i.e. the water simply will not drain). In this case, the slope is reduced.
In the practical design of the system, questions may arise about how to ensure the given slope. This can be done by using a water level (not very convenient) or a flat board paired with a regular construction bubble level. Having leveled the bottom of the trench, lay a board, on it - a level. Moving it along the board, they check and correct the slope of the bottom of the trench in a certain area.
Drain installation technology
Trenches of a given width and depth are pre-dug. The bottom of the trench is leveled and compacted. Do not forget about the bias, but at this stage there is no point in keeping it exactly. Next, about 100 mm of coarse washed river sand is poured, it is also tamped (spilled, then tamped), leveled. Sand, preferably fraction Dsr 1.5-2.5 mm.
The sand is laid with a density of no more than 200 g / m2. The edges of the canvas are lined along the walls of the trench. A layer of crushed granite is poured on top. The size of the crushed stone fraction is selected depending on the size of the holes in the drainage pipe. For the smallest holes, crushed stone with a grain of 6-8 mm is required, for the rest - larger. Crushed stone layer thickness - 150-250 mm - depending on the type of soil. On clays and loams, 250 mm are required, on soils that drain water better - sands and sandy loams - about 150 mm.
Crushed stone is tamped, leveling in a given slope. A drainage pipe is laid on the compacted rubble. Next, the pipe is sprinkled with gravel in layers, each layer is rammed. There should be at least 100 mm of gravel on top of the drain. After that, the ends of the geotextile are wrapped, their overlap should be 15-20 cm. A layer of sand with grains of 0.5-1 mm is poured on top. The thickness of the sand layer is 100-300 mm, also depending on the permeability of the soil: the worse the water is discharged, the thicker the sand layer. The "native" soil is laid on the compacted sand, and then plants can be planted.
A little about backfill materials
Crushed stone should be granite or other hard lime-free rocks. Dolomite (limestone) or marble are not suitable. Testing the existing one is simple: drip vinegar on it. If there is a reaction, it doesn't fit.
Once again, we draw your attention: the crushed stone is laid washed - so that the new pipes do not immediately silt up.
Coarse sand is required. Grain size from 0.5 mm to 1 mm. The sand should also be clean. Some part of the sand is poured with clean water, shaken, waiting for the sand to settle and assessing the purity of the water. If the water is cloudy, with a lot of suspended particles, the sand needs to be washed.
Some of the nuances of construction
When draining a site, a central drain or a collector is made of pipes of a larger diameter (130-150 mm versus 90-100 mm for ordinary drains) - the volume of water here is usually larger.
The drainage device at the site starts from the lowest point and moves gradually upward. First, a collector well is installed. If the water table is high or if the water has not yet come down, water can accumulate in the ditches. This muddy slurry will run down the well, clogging it up. In addition, the presence of water in the ditch greatly interferes with the work: drains must be laid in dry ditches. To drain them along the ditch, side pits (sump) of greater depth are made. Crushed stone is poured at the bottom. The accumulated water is pumped out of these pits.
Poor growth of garden crops and trees, constant dirt on garden paths and seasonal flooding of cellars and basements indicate a high level of groundwater at the summer cottage. It is not worth putting up with these inconveniences, otherwise high humidity can turn into more significant problems - swelling of the blind area and paths, shrinkage of walls, or even destruction of the foundation. Nevertheless, there is no reason to rush to get rid of suburban property. It is not difficult to drain the area - it is enough to build an efficient drainage system. Drainage construction does not require any special skills, so you can easily do it yourself. As for knowledge, we will try to tell you about the secrets of construction and give important recommendations on the course of work.
Indicates the need for drainage
A drainage system is necessary where the site is flooded even after a light rain
The question of whether a drainage system is needed in a suburban area, as a rule, does not require a long study of the situation and analysis of natural factors. Most often, the inconvenience arising from waterlogging of the soil appears after snowmelt or heavy rain. The beds are overgrown with sedge, paths and lawns are occupied by puddles for a long time, and basements and cellars suffer from dampness - these are the factors that indicate the need for drainage. Nevertheless, before investing time and money in the arrangement of a drainage system, you should make sure of its feasibility. Several conditions will help to do this, indicating the need to drain the soil.
If at least one of these factors is confirmed at your dacha, then the need for drainage can not be discussed. A high-quality drainage system will give a second life to cultivated plants, make the territory cleaner, protect the paths from deformations, and the foundation from destruction.
Varieties and arrangement of drainage systems
The problem of excessive soil moisture on the site can be solved by drainage systems of two types - surface and deep. The decision which one to use to drain your site directly depends on the reasons that lead to the flooding of the area.
Surface (open) rain drain
Surface drainage is a system of storm water inlets designed to collect and remove rain and melt water outside the site, not allowing it to be absorbed into the ground. Such a drainage system works excellently on clay soils and can complement traditional storm sewers. Water drainage is carried out into filtration wells or outside the site. In addition, the lion's share of precipitation simply evaporates.
Point drainage is very often combined with a linear drainage system
Depending on the design of drainage systems, surface drainage is divided into two types:
When arranging point drainage, wastewater collection is carried out using storm dampers, drainage outlets, storm inlets and ladders. The places of their installation are door pits, drainage points of roof storm inlets, areas under watering taps and other areas that need local collection of water. Point drainage basins are connected to underground pipes, through which the wastewater flows into the storm sewer collector.
Linear drainage system trays are covered with grates that prevent clogging
Linear drainage can be wall-mounted or remote from structures. It is a system of barred trays for collecting rainfall that did not fall into the point rainwater inlets. It is rational to use this method of dehumidification in such cases:
Road drainage is also referred to as linear drainage, which is performed in the form of a ditch parallel to the roadway for the movement of cars.
Arrangement of a deep drainage system is necessary where groundwater approaches the surface of the site closer than 2.5 meters. When building it, a large amount of earthwork is required, therefore, it is best to construct such a drainage simultaneously with digging pits for the foundation of a house and outbuildings.
Prefabricated drain pipes and soil types on which they are recommended to be used
For the construction of deep drainage, perforated pipes (drains) are used, which are laid in the soil layer at an angle. The presence of holes allows the drains to collect excess moisture and transport it to a collection header, filtration well or drainage tunnel.
The slope of the drainage pipes must be at least 1%. For example, for a highway 20 m long, the height difference between the upper and lower points will be 20 cm.
Design features of deep drainage systems
Another common type of deep drainage is a reservoir or backfill system. It is made in the form of an underground channel, up to half filled with a filtering cushion made of rubble or chipped bricks. To prevent the absorption of the collected moisture, the bottom of the formation drains is sealed with a layer of clay, on top of which roll waterproofing is laid.
The simplest and most effective methods for draining a summer cottage
Since drainage at the summer cottage and directly around the buildings can be done in various ways, we will focus on the simplest and least labor-intensive options.
How to reduce moisture levels without draining
Many factors affect bogging, therefore, in some cases, a summer cottage plot can be drained without drainage. If a special relief contributes to increased soil moisture, then it is quite simple to make the water flow off the site. For this, in some places the soil is removed, and in others it is poured, creating a small slope. If the selected soil is not enough, then it is brought in from outside the garden area. It is better to sprinkle the soil in the country with black soil or peat, and in order to make the soil lighter, add from 1/3 to 1/5 parts of sand to it.
A reservoir arranged at the lowest point of the site is an excellent way to utilize drainage water
If water accumulates on the site due to closely spaced layers of clay, and the area itself has a slight slope, then a small reservoir can be dug at the lowest point. It can be used as a natural reservoir for irrigating cultivated plants, turned into a fish pond, or used as a decorative element of landscape design. As a rule, due to the high level of groundwater, there is no need for additional waterproofing, but in some cases, a special PVC film for pools will help to make the reservoir airtight. To prevent the surface of the artificial lake from blooming, aquatic plants are planted along its banks.
Planting moisture-loving plants is a great way to normalize soil moisture. For example, a common birch tree is a real pump that literally pumps water out of the ground. They do a good job with draining the territory of spirea, irga, hawthorn, dog rose, and, of course, willow and pussy willow. Planted in problem areas, as well as along paths, they will not only remove excess moisture, but make the landscape original and attractive.
How to make drainage around a country house or outbuildings
To protect the basement or basement from melt and rainwater, wall drainage is built around the dacha buildings. This drainage system is most effective during the off-season when the water table reaches its maximum value. The construction of the "reclamation" system is best carried out at the stage of foundation construction, however, if the decision to build it was made due to the appearance of water in the basement, it's okay - better late than never.
Constant flooding threatens to destroy the foundation
Drainage construction is carried out in stages.
Digging trenches and sealing the foundation
Drainage pipes are laid in a "cake" of rubble and geotextile
If it is not possible to purchase special perforated pipes, then they can be made from ordinary polymer PVC sewer pipes. To do this, drills are performed in their walls, the diameter of which should be slightly smaller than the size of individual grains of gravel or granulation.
Vertical inspection chambers allow you to monitor the condition of the drain and, if necessary, clean it
Drainage around the house can be done in two ways - close to the foundation and at a distance from it
There is no need to rush to arrange the blind area around the house - it is necessary to withstand the time for the soil to settle in the trench. They start pouring concrete and laying paving slabs only after the soil is finally compacted.
Video: construction of a low-budget deep drainage system with one well
Drainage of a summer cottage: the simplest method
A surface drainage system allows you to avoid unnecessary financial costs and build drainage structures on a large summer cottage. Its main purpose is to remove excess moisture during showers or during snowmelt.
When arranging open drainage, earthworks are carried out in accordance with the instructions below.
Experienced builders determine the installation points for storm drains and collecting collectors by observing the flow of rain or melt water, planning the location of the channels in such a way as to optimally combine the individual streams into a common flow.
Preparation of drainage ditches
Further, they are engaged in, in fact, drainage. Depending on the degree of aesthetics, the requirements of landscape design or personal preferences, it can be tray or backfill. In the first case, the arrangement of the channels looks like this:
Laying trays will make the drainage system durable and aesthetic
In the second case, construction is carried out according to the following scheme:
For the arrangement of drainage, you can use the old, "old-fashioned" method - the construction of fascines. For this, branches of alder, willow or birch are harvested, which are tied in armfuls 15 cm thick so that thin twigs are on one side, and thick ones on the other. Bunches of branches are laid not on the ground, but on pegs pre-installed along the entire length of the trenches, tied like anti-tank "hedgehogs". The brushwood is placed with thick branches upwards and compacted along the edges with moss. If everything is done correctly, then you can count on the 20-year work of the reclamation system.
To protect the walls of the channels from collapse, rubble stone or sod is used. Trenches are decorated by constructing ridges with perennial moisture-loving plants, for example, irises, along their edges.
One of the ways to make the drainage channel more attractive is to plant ornamental plants.
Drainage of a summer cottage: the traditional way
No matter how simple and cheap an open drainage system is, it has one significant drawback - low aesthetics. Agree that landscaping on a site with a whole network of canals is not an easy task. In this case, it is better not to save money and build a durable and efficient deep drainage system.
The best scheme for laying drainage pipes is the herringbone. In it, the lateral highways converge to one central pipe, which is taken out into the sewer or outside the site.
Deep drainage system diagram
If a drainage system is needed not to protect the foundation, but in order to reduce soil moisture, then the depth of the trenches is chosen based on the recommended values:
For drainage, use special polymer pipes with holes with a diameter of 1.5 to 5 mm. Ideally, their type and quantity is determined by a calculation that takes into account the moisture content of the soil, its type, amount of precipitation, etc. step 40-60 mm independently.
Indoor drainage trenches can be dug by hand or with earthmoving equipment
After the ditches have been dug, they begin the main part of the work.
You can fix the geotextile on the walls of the trench using fragments of bricks or pegs driven into the walls.
Observing the slopes, drain pipes are laid and connected into a single network.
Backfilling of perforated drainage pipes with rubble
It is not recommended to use crushed limestone for arranging drainage. Firstly, at a depth, it will be compressed and will not allow moisture to pass through, and secondly, its interaction with the soil can provoke the appearance of a salt marsh.
Video: construction of a closed drainage system at a summer cottage
Maintenance and cleaning of drainage in the country
Although a properly constructed deep or surface drainage system does not need frequent preventive measures, some work still cannot be avoided. The contents of the manholes should be checked periodically by removing soil particles with a dirty water pump and a high pressure pump. When pumping out mud from a drainage well, a long pole is used, with which the bottom sediments are shaken. Full flushing is required when pipes are heavily silted up, as well as every 10–15 years of operation of the drainage system.
High pressure water systems are best for cleaning drain pipes
To free the pipeline from sand deposits, the pipeline must be accessible from both sides. Flushing is carried out with a strong stream of water, which is alternately directed from one side to the other of the pipe.
If you have to deal with stubborn deposits of dirt and clay, then you can use the traditional plumbing technique - cleaning the pipes with a long cable and a hard bristle brush. By combining mechanical action with flushing, perennial deposits on drainage pipes can be completely removed.
In the case of silting of the channels of surface systems, you can resort to cleaning them with saltpeter. To do this, the turf and the upper backfill are removed from the trenches, after which saltpeter is evenly scattered onto the layer of crushed stone. Then the "pie" is spilled abundantly with water and the upper layers are put back in place. This method allows you to extend the performance of the system for more than one year, but you can only use it as a last resort - saltpeter is a source of nitrates, and its excess negatively affects the quality of the soil.
Video: how to flush a deep type drainage system
A high-quality drainage system will protect the foundation and basement of the country house from flooding, add health and strength to green spaces. The cost of carrying out reclamation activities is not so high as to refuse them, especially since you can build drainage on the site with your own hands. Everything you need for this can be easily found in the retail network, and earthmoving equipment will help speed up the work.
Share with your friends!When you constantly encounter the problem of the appearance of excess water on the site, it is imperative to take measures to drain it. Otherwise, you will not only get in trouble in the cultivation of the site, but also endanger the foundation of the house or nearby household buildings. The manufacture of drainage, or rather a drainage structure in this situation is the only acceptable way out.
In this article, we will look at an easy and economical way to create drainage in your home garden. 
Preparatory actions
Before you begin the process of assembling and installing the drainage structure, you need to decide what result you would like to achieve. Based on your decision, you need, at least at a primitive level, to create for yourself a project of a future system: determine its location, possible consequences of contact between the system and surrounding objects, dimensions, dimensions. Based on the generalization of all these data, it is already possible to calculate the material costs for the purchase of the entire volume of consumables. It is useful, by the way, to understand that the depth of drainage directly depends on the height of the well intended for drainage. It is customary to place the well a little higher than the elements of the entire structure. 
Now about the structure itself: traditional (or "French") drainage is a trench filled with gravel, separated from the ground by geotextiles (geotextile is used to prevent mixing of soil and gravel, it also allows water to pass through itself and prevents weeds from growing). Gravel, together with geotextile, help water to quickly be absorbed into the soil, evenly distributing moisture along its location, thus preventing the collection and stagnation of water in one particular place.
When creating drainage of this type, corrugated pipes are usually used, equipped with longitudinal holes on one side, as a rule, made of PVC. At the end of the entire system, a drainage tank should be located, the task of which is to evenly distribute the accumulated water into the ground around itself. To create this well, a two-hundred-liter plastic barrel in the form of a drum is well suited (a rounded shape of the container is more preferable in this case) with multiple holes in the bottom and walls. This well should be placed on a special gravel "cushion" (about 10 cm), the space between the pit walls and the tank is also filled with gravel (layer thickness 15 cm). Holes are made in the upper part of the barrel to receive incoming water, and one of the holes is for the installation of a special drainage grid. It is not necessary to make many holes, two or three are enough, 5 cm each. One large hole is made in the upper part of the wall of the well, intended for the entry of the drainage system pipe.
The second major element of such a system is a drainage tank, the width of which should be approximately 30x30 cm. The tank must be equipped with a drain grate. This is mandatory if drainage is provided with a downpipe, which, when connected to the reservoir, provides an inflow of clean water into the system. a personal plot is not a very expensive operation. Affordable materials are used in the manufacture of the system and only a few are needed. The most expensive part you will need may be the catchment tank. A PVC pipe will be much cheaper. Gravel will need about two cubic meters. It will also be necessary to purchase a special fabric - geotextile.
Digging a drainage trench
Next, you need to dig a trench from the catchment point to the drainage point and a hole to install a well on the one side and a reservoir on the other. In the place for the drainage well, the pit will need to be deepened by 15 cm compared to the depth of the rest of the trench, the depth of which, in turn, you will need to calculate yourself based on the size of the drainage tank. 
Manufacturing of a drainage well
Using a drill with a diameter of 2-3 cm, you can easily turn the walls of the tank into a sieve. Through these holes, if possible made at equal intervals, the waste water entering the barrel should flow evenly into the surrounding soil. On the wall of the barrel, at the top, make a hole in the diameter of the drain pipe and prepare a fastener for the pipe. 
Filling the trench
Then the dug trench must be covered with geotextile. This will prevent silt and dirt particles from mixing with the gravel. Also, geotextiles will provide better moisture absorption by the earth. Next, place an already prepared 200-liter barrel on the 8-10 cm gravel bed. Place a small amount of gravel around the barrel and make sure that the tank does not "move" from side to side. The same should be done with the sump, which must be made so that its upper edge is at the edge of the earth's surface. The height of the sump can also be adjusted with a gravel bed. 
Make sure the water tank is also immobilized, then connect both tanks to the drain pipe. It is important to know that the holes in the drainage pipe should be located on its lower side, while the pipe itself is laid down a slope. Fill the trench with gravel. Make it so that the surface of the ground and gravel remains 15 cm. Next, mount the drain grate on the tank. Then it is necessary to tuck the geotextile, making sure that the edges of the textiles on both sides of the trench overlap, while covering each other. 
Backfilling with earth
At the final stage of the drainage installation, it is necessary to fill the trench well with earth, avoiding soil subsidence and unevenness. If you dig a trench with high quality, then literally in a year you can guess that under this place there is a drainage system, it will be possible only by the "peeking" gratings. The area where the system is placed can be sown with lawn grass. 
Now you know how you can build a drain on your own in just a couple of days without significant costs. The main thing in this matter, as, indeed, in all others, is thorough preparation.
Video How to make drainage on a site with your own hands
The simplest drainage in the garden
For the first time, a system for collecting and removing water from land plots was created in Ancient Babylon, and, despite the fact that after millennia, technology has advanced significantly, today the drainage of the site is carried out according to the same principle.
The need for drainage of the site arises in the area where groundwater is close and there is a significant amount of precipitation. In order to avoid leaching and waterlogging of the soil, as well as undermining of foundations and flooding of basements, you should competently approach the organization of the drainage system.
The vast majority of garden plots require a summer drainage system that will drain water from the roof of the house and quickly drain the area after rain or when the snow melts in spring. As a rule, a gardener does such a simple drainage of a summer cottage garden with his own hands.
According to their design, drainages are divided into open and closed. Open drainage is called because the area is drained using open drainage ditches. A closed drainage device is also possible, in which the drainage system is buried underground.
In rainy summers and autumn, the problem of arranging drainage for fruit trees becomes especially urgent. It is necessary for both apple and pear, and even more so for stone fruit crops.
But a particularly strong negative effect on the development of fruit, berry and garden crops is exerted by the occurrence of groundwater close to the surface, since with excessive soil moisture, the root system dies off, and the growth of young roots is inhibited. In such areas, the vegetation of fruit trees is also very prolonged, and as a result, their winter hardiness is significantly reduced.
The optimal groundwater level for fruit trees and most berry bushes should not exceed 1.5 meters, and for garden strawberries, optimal conditions are created at a groundwater depth of about 100 cm.And most vegetable crops grow well at a higher level - from 0, 5 to 0.7 meters.
The groundwater level in your area can be easily determined by the depth of water in wells or in pits specially dug for this. If the groundwater level is close to the surface or rain (snow) water stagnates in your area for quite a long time, then you will have to do drainage work. To do this, with the help of ditches, water is diverted to any body of water or to places located at lower elevations.
This must be done even when the water has nowhere to go. In this case, in the lowest place of your site, it is advisable to make a reservoir for irrigation. In hot summers it will be useful as a reserve of warm water for irrigating heat-loving crops, growing aquatic plants and as a habitat for frogs in winter.
On hot days, the reservoir will partially become shallow, and in bad weather it will fill up again, taking away the excess water. By the way, such a body of water, decorated with aquatic plants, can also be a decoration of your site. Well, if it is possible to make a drain for excess water outside the site, then drainage work is greatly simplified.
In order to determine if a drainage system is needed in your area, a simple test should be performed. Dig a hole 0.6 meters deep on the site and fill it with water. If during the day the water is gone, there is no need for drainage, but if water remains in the pit, this means that the soil on the site is quite dense and you cannot do without a drainage system.
The easiest way to do it with your own hands in the country is to make an open drainage. It is suitable for those areas where water drainage is needed after precipitation or melting snow. The advantages of this system are the simplicity of the device and the low price. For its implementation, it is required to dig drainage ditches around the residential building, the depth of which should be about 0.5 meters.
Then it is necessary to check whether the slope is sufficient, since if it turns out to be too small, then water stagnation will occur in this place. In such a situation, you just need to change the slope of the sewer ditches so that the moisture can quickly go away even with heavy precipitation. Trenches should have a slope towards a lower place of at least 3-4 cm per linear meter.
When constructing open drainage ditches, it is advisable to make their cross-section in the form of an equilateral triangle with a side length of about 40 cm so that its edges do not sprinkle.
If your site is located on a slope, then the first ditch should be dug at the very top of it. This will prevent waterlogging of the soil in the area below. The second ditch should be parallel to the first and located at the very bottom of the homestead.
You can connect the two ditches with a trench, into which an underground pipe can be laid in the future. All water from the site will be collected in the lower ditch and drain into a reservoir or drainage well.
Over time, shallow drainage ditches may become irrelevant as a well-drained area usually becomes drier after 3-4 years. This is not only due to the discharge of excess water, but due to soil cultivation. But even in this case, drainage ditches should in no case be completely filled up.
At the bottom of the cleared drainage ditches, it is necessary to lay stumps, branches of trees and shrubs, and fragments of bricks more densely. Apply a layer of turf and garden soil on top, i.e. transform a surface drainage ditch into a kind of underground drainage ditch. Year after year is not necessary. In years with a lot of rainfall, this ditch can be of invaluable help.
Closed drainage ditches are convenient in the sense that when they are installed on the site, the usable area is not lost, which is important in small areas. And it’s easier to dig them, too. the walls of such ditches can be almost vertical, i.e. you will have to take out less soil from them.
But, unfortunately, capital closed drainage systems are practically not built on individual garden plots. This is due to the high cost of execution and the unreliability of the materials used.
Therefore, closed ditches in garden plots are most often made, like our great-grandfathers, with the help of fascines. To do this, they dig narrow grooves 15-20 cm wide along the bottom and 50-70 cm deep and put brushwood, thin logs, etc. along the groove slightly obliquely.
From above, brushwood is covered with sod plates with grass down or other material, and then covered with earth. An even better effect is provided by wooden crosses installed in a ditch 0.5-0.6 meters apart, on which they put brushwood tied in bunches, and from above they are covered with turf and then covered with earth.
In the manufacture of rocky drainage, instead of brushwood, fascines and crosses, large stones are used, which are placed on the sides of the ditch, and then the opening is also closed with stones and covered with earth.
When making drainage ditches from small pebbles, instead of brushwood and logs, small cobblestones, crushed stone, broken brick, etc. are poured onto the bottom of the ditch, covered with fascines or turf and covered with soil. This latter option is most often used in amateur gardens.
But such drainage will gradually become worse and worse to perform its functions, because all air pockets fill with dirt and silt over time.
And in especially humid and swampy areas, both surface and underground drainage ditches must be constantly kept in working order.
Remember! Fruit trees should not be planted over underground drainage ditches, because after 10-15 years of their operation, they can become clogged, and their major repairs will be required, which will interfere with fruit trees.
Much more often “mini-drainage” problems arise in gardens, requiring not improvement of drainage on your site as a whole, but in planting holes near separately growing trees.
Our illiterate, but wise ancestors most often used broken clay shards for the drainage of such fruit trees, which, when properly laid on the bottom of the planting pit, form many air cavities, i.e. were perfect drainage.
An excellent "modern" material for improving drainage in planting pits can be ordinary plastic bottles. To do this, they are cut in half and placed on the bottom of the pit so that air cavities are formed. At the same time, the cork of the bottle cut in half is not unscrewed, but placed in the planting pit with the cork down.
Such drainage will never silt at all. When transplanting a fruit tree, many tiny roots can be seen in these air cavities. After a while, earthworms settle there, which break through passages to the soil surface, thereby supplying the drainage device with air.
Well, if on your site there is no way to lower the groundwater level to optimal values, then fruit trees and berry bushes will have to be planted on artificially created hills or ridges that are poured onto the dug soil. Their height depends on the groundwater level: the higher the groundwater level, the higher these mounds should be. But this is already a topic for a completely different conversation.
V.G.Shafransky