Keep Water OUT of Your House: Installing a Landscape Drain - The Great Outdoors 6701

Often times, a water problem on the inside can be fixed from the Great Outdoors. The following is a list of instructions for installing drain tile adjacent to the house’s foundation. The drain tile will allow excess water from gutters and “run-off” to be channeled into drainage pipes. NOTE: The amount of materials may vary depending on the length of the drain tile required.

List of Materials Needed
- slotted drain tile
- weed barrier fabric
- weed fabric “anchor pins”
- load of gravel
- drain tile connectors (“Y” or “T” depending on position of downspout)

List of Tools Needed
- spade or shovel
- all-purpose cutting tool
- sharp pair of scissors

STEPS FOR INSTALLING A DRAIN TILE

STEP 1
Dig a trench along the foundation of the house, corresponding to the problem interior wall. Only make the trench about 6-8 inches deep and 6-8 inches wide.

STEP 2
Next, line the trench with weed barrier fabric. Use anchor pins to hold the fabric in place. The fabric will not only keep weeds out of the trench, but prevent the gravel from sinking into the mud.

STEP 3
Cut the drain tile to the appropriate length and place it in the trench. Don’t forget to add enough length to connect to the downspout. If you are connecting your drain tile to existing solid (non-slotted) drain tile, attach the pieces using the appropriate connector.

STEP 4
Fill the trench with gravel.

STEP 5
Connect the drain tile to your downspout, using the appropriate connector. Incoming rainfall will flow through the gravel, enter the tile through the slots, and flow away from the house.

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[thomasmorrison]

You need to install some catch basins to catch immediate surface water. The slotted pipe is mostly used for water coming up through the slots in the bottom of the pipe. You also need to show the discharge to daylight or to a sump basin so that a sump pump can discharge to daylight. In addition, you should paint the side of the house with liquid rubber to seal it, e.g., blackjack 57.

[pas]

Great video, however I'm not sure if having the down pipe flowing directly into the french drain/AGI pipe is a good idea

[trishna]

TYTYTY I needed this because of this next summer is with lots of rain. Its easy for me to do it .GREAT

[josephj]

I have water build up next to one room of the home. I’m going to concrete from the wall onto a channel drain which will connect onto the drainage main pipe beneath. I believe taking the water away from the home is a better approach all with schedule 40 PVC.

In principal this French drain will help but it’ll be harder to maintain and keep clean. I think PVC with holes acting as a French drain will be easier to maintain.

Possibly have a PVC drain with holes beneath the soil, fill with concrete and slope the concrete away from the home be a better solution? What do you think?

We will never know unless we go back to homes which had/have drainage issues and to go back a few years later to check what worked best. Thank You.

[bilbobaggins]

Great video thanks! Answered my question. Besides, any expert who does trench work in cuffed dress pants and a dress shirt is OK in my books!

[tengotnco]

Just to summarize important comments you need solid pipe on a graded trench; you need to seal concrete foundation and use foundation membrane to seal and ward off water from foundation; the pipe line is covered with fabric and needs to go to a catch basin, use gravel to cover the pipe ...do not cover with soil because soil, water equals plants or weeds

[leerobertson]

How do you maintain your termite barrier using this method? This seems to be a real problem.

[AntonioDal.]

Would have been better to also paint the foundation/bottom of the wall with water blocking substance such as liquid rubber before filling it. Always try to add another layer of defense while youre at it.

[tmb]

Thank you! I have liked and subscribed. Did I understand correctly that the pipe has holes in it that rain can go right into it's sides - not just water coming from the gutter pipe, right? Thank you!

[jtac]

If you want to know about French Drains look up “The French Drain Man” out of Michigan

[kiddyzheng]

French drain will cause foundation problem if it's installed within 1m according to an engineering website.

[stanleyhewell]

I'm thinking if you use solid pipe and catch basins, you don't need to worry about soil buildup and wraps because you can just hydro jet it clean if it ever does clog. Landscape fabric will clog eventually, that's a fact.

[mike]

will this work if there's not really a slope to work with? you mentioned that the water will go "downhill" however I don't have much of a downhill to use.

[Goodvibes-Adventures]

Not sure if im a fan of curtain drain using perforated pipe...As it may allow some water to escape but can also escalate water seepage out of the slits and back in the foundation...Also while he had it dug out...He should have brushed liquid rubber on the foundation ledge...and then take thick mil plastic against the liquid rubber and under the pipe ..The liquid rubber would seal the area penetrating the inside...Which is most likely at floor level...He does have a convincing way of expressing his technique 😅

[joanafilgueiras]

I'm wondering what size gravel can be used

[christopherdekonstrukt]

I get some water in my garage from the back wall. I can implement this strategy outside from the patio over.

[shoottothrill]

This man loves a good from the great outdoors joke! Love it

[yellowSR]

LOL, you never T downspouts into a perimeter drain. You’re also not suppose to put them right against the house. Regrade the soil 1” drop for every foot away from the house. For ever 1’ of basement depth, you go 1’ out for that drop. 6’ basement = 6’ out from house and 6” down. If you do this, or cant quite go that distance due to surrounding elevations, at end of that drop is where you may need to add a french or perimeter drain…. and DO NOT T downspouts into it. Run their own PVC smooth pipe to daylight so they dont clog with debris.

[garystevens]

Do you have more videos on this subject? So can slotted pipe join up to solid pipe?

[kathyluciana]

Is that supposed to do around the home foundation ? Or to meet the down spouts?