Okanagan Yard Drainage Solutions Do It Yourself
$ "Do it Once Do it Right" 👍 Approach
The most common drainage method used today for eliminating excess water from low points and other areas prone to saturated soil is the ‘Tile Drain’ or ‘French Drain’. French drains are quite simple: in essence, they are just trenches filled with aggregate, drainage pipe, and filter. The advantages of French drains are low cost and easy installation. They can be covered over with turf after installation, making them less conspicuous.
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- Determine the Drainage Path
This will give you a good indication of whether the job is simple enough to do yourself or if you should contact Okanagan Drainage Solutions Specialists. Start from the spot where water is collecting, or where you want to relieve flooding. This could be inside your basement or along your foundation. Then trace a route to the lowest part of your property, or a retention pond if you have one. Be mindful of obstacles: There may be tree roots, foundations, concrete pathways, or underground utilities in your path.
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- Dig the Trench
A French drain starts with digging a trench. The depth and width of the trench can vary, but 8 inches to 12 inches wide and anywhere from 8 inches to 2 feet deep are common sizes and usually satisfy most needs to solve your Okanagan yard drainage problem.
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Ensure Proper Slope
The physical principle involved is gravity, so grading is a critical consideration—you must ensure that enough slope exists for the water to actually flow, and flow in the right direction. It might be adequate to check very short stretches of drain with a level to ensure that a slope exists to carry water in the desired direction.Ensure that you have a minimum of a 1 percent slope (1 - 2 percent is ideal). If unsure, employ Penticton Landscaping professional help or you may be wasting time and money on a drain that will not work. (1% fall is equal to 4 in over 40 inches run).
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Add Geo-Textile Fabric / Landscaping Fabric
To ensure your drain functions as long as possible, it’s a good idea to line the trench with a good quality geo-textile fabric to further prevent soil and sand fines from reaching the drainage pipe and clogging the slots. This will add cost but is definitely the ‘do it once do it right’ approach.Add Drainage Aggregate
Add a thin bed of aggregate to the trench to create a smooth evenly sloping bed for the drainage pipe to lay on. The gravel size for this use is typically around 14 mm - 20 mm.Lay the Drainage Pipe
The area to be drained will need a good quality slotted (punched) drainage pipe 'Tile Drain.'
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- Fill with Aggregate
Fill the drain with more drainage gravel on the top of the drainage pipe. Leave 4 inches - 6 inches of space on top of the gravel for turf. A popular alternative is to lay coarse decorative gravel in the top couple of inches as this provides the best solution, and you may add landscaping stepping stones or landscape slabs. If you choose this method, it is important that the slabs and stepping stones be level with the decorative gravel.
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- Turf the Trench
Ideally, you want to lay pre-grown ready-lawn (Sod) on top to finish your drain off. You can lay soil and seed, but there is a greater risk of fines washing through to the pipe and clogging the slots (especially if you do not have the pipe filter sleeved/landscaping fabric on the top of the gravel top layer).
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Don't get in over your head; let the professionals install it for you
Consider hiring Okanagan Landscaping professionals for complex systems that cover large areas and require multiple lines. Proper grading, pipe selection, and other design factors can make or break a complex drain system.
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Feel free to call us for a free estimate and advice on the right solution for your project.
A Green Future | Kelowna Landscaping Company
Kelowna Professional Drainage Solution Experts
www.AGreenFuture.ca
403-547-6551
