# Do you have any advice for installing a trench drain?



## jmr106 (Apr 3, 2016)

*EDIT: So this pretty much posted in the wrong forum and I can't move it. :-\*

Water goes under the crawlspace door when it rains a lot. The yard slopes towards the house a little, but it isn't worth regrading the yard and only goes under the crawlspace door. The rest of the crawlspace stays dry. Rubblestone foundation sitting on top of the ground. Nothing below ground. 

So, I propose to put in a trench drain under the crawlspace door and run it to the corner of the house about 10 feet away. At the corner of the house, there is a little drop-off slope where the yard on the side of the house is maybe 7-8 inches lower. 

So my questions are kind of interesting:

This probably needs at least a 2.5 inch slope for 10 feet. How do install it in the ground to look flat and yet slope? Most drains that I see are level with the ground.

Drain will be set in concrete to prevent the drain from floating. I don't want to use gravel. Can I just dig a trench and put some concrete in first, then the drain on top or is that an odd way to do it?

Once the drain is installed, there would be the house on one side and the dirt on the other. How do I try to keep a lot of dirt from washing in since the dirt in the yard would be level with the top of the drain?

Photo of the area where the drain would run: https://preview.ibb.co/khdQTa/upload.jpg

You can see the drop-off, but I'll have to build that area up towards the end a little bit, because they just put some kind of concrete/rocks there and there isn't much dirt within the last foot or so at the corner. 

The discharge pipe for this drain connects from the bottom, so I plan to run some kind of pipe from under the end of it and somewhere around into that little side yard. Ideally, I'd like to run the pipe underground but have it discharge on the surface of the ground. That probably doesn't make sense, but I have my reasons. I'm trying to find some kind of flat discharge thing because I don't want a big pipe poking out of the ground.

The goal is, of course, to channel away from the house foundation. Regular drains are about 5" or so deep and are too deep for the small slope to be effective, so I'm planning to use these compact drains that are about 3.15" deep so that I can get enough slope. I plan to also have the downspout channel water straight down into this drain and also carry it away.

I'm not sure how to discharge it above ground on the side of the house without it being a hassle when mowing the lawn. I'd rather not have another pipe above ground (existing sump pump pipe already there in photo).

A new door has been ordered and will replace the old, rotten wooden door seen and will seal off properly. Just need to deal with the water that runs into it. It isn't "that" much water, but I'd like to stop it.

Compact drains that I plan to use: https://image.ibb.co/bXv5Ta/compact.jpg

The side yard which is about the only lower level area to discharge: https://ibb.co/eeQm1v

Just to the left of where the pic is, that's a neighbor's driveway, so I don't want to take it all the way over to the fence at the far left of the photo. Pretty sure it is illegal to discharge right next to someone else's property line, too. So, I have no choice by to run it to somewhere in the middle of that lower level area. What can I do above ground?


----------



## KHouse75 (May 14, 2008)

This is what I do. I drain and entire courtyard that's basically a bowl with two of these and have never had problems with water even when tropical storms dump a foot of rain in a day.


----------



## add50317 (Feb 22, 2010)

Havent read the whole post but wanted to write quick the trench drains you posted a pic of will work. The dirt issue-you will have to MAKE SURE you have something in the ground around the drain to prevent dirt runoff when it rains. Grass, stone etc, etc, something. If you dont like that idea then go with the square drain Khouse posted. I just put 2 in and they have a catch for debris. You'll need to lower the ground level a couple of inches in front of door to prevent water from getting to door but either will work. Far as drain issue and mowing-look into pop up drain (usually hooked to 4 in pvc). I just put one in. When i put a running hose into it-to test it-it worked fine. I have to say I have not been out in a downpour to see if it works lol. Far as level-ness. The drain can be fairly level-an iota of slope is fine. They look level cuz the top usually is level it is the underside (trench) that needs to slope. Your comment on concrete-it ill work as well. Only issue is figuring out a removable grate. Far as downspout and sump-you could tie all three together when you put this in.


----------



## add50317 (Feb 22, 2010)

Oh, and seal the door lol. That will help prevent rot.


----------

