# Drainage problem - need advice



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Where will the water eventually drain ?


----------



## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Two choices. 1. Run underground pipe from downspout around corner drain to the front/back yard. 2. Install drywell with trench leading to it: http://www.easydigging.com/Drainage/drywell_soakaway.html
http://pwd.org/pdf/water_resources/conservation fact sheets/dry_wells.pdf

You may pick up some water from the neighbor (higher elevation), solving two problems with one fix. Depends on the volume...

Be safe, Gary


----------



## gruntman (Sep 19, 2008)

Scuba_Dave said:


> Where will the water eventually drain ?


I was planning to have it end some where in the middle of the path. I was thinking most of the water would be absorbed into the gravel around the pipe. I wasnt sure if this was a good idea. 

At the end of that path I have a small downspout that takes water off a very small roof. I dont get a great deal of water from that so I was going to bury a solid pipe from that down spout along the edge of the fence by the grill and then have that go to a perf pipe where you see that dirt. 

Man - this is alot of work just to redirect some water. Any thoughts?


----------



## Allison1888 (Mar 16, 2008)

I think the concept will work, but you need to take the water farther from the house. We did something similar with a trench and tubing that carried water near the back of the lot. I realize you don't want to dig up your whole yard, but is there somewhere farther back that would provide a happy medium. If you're going to do it...better to make sure it will work for years to come.


----------



## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

gruntman said:


> I was thinking most of the water would be absorbed into the gravel around the pipe.
> 
> Man - this is alot of work just to redirect some water. Any thoughts?


Gravel only prevents soil erosion.

Don't underestimate the difficulty of this problem. 

The handbooks that talk about commercial drainage use rainfall rates and accumulation, and soil permeability [which can be easily tested].

You don't want to have to do this over.

Your system should probably be able to handle a 10 year or 20 year rainfall. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-year_flood


----------



## federer (Aug 20, 2010)

any updates? maybe i will post pics of my regrading project


----------



## gruntman (Sep 19, 2008)

I ended up turning over all of the dirt in the front yard. I added about 40 bags of compost and worked it in. The I topped it off with Johnathan Green grass seed and some hay. Watered it every day and in about 2 weeks I had grass. It rained once pretty hard but I didnt get the run off I experienced before. I havent added the gravel and stepping stone walkway yet.


----------



## gruntman (Sep 19, 2008)

*Just started digging*

So here it is 6 months later and I just jumped in and started digging. I have a trench starting from my downspout about 2 1/2 feet deep that ends with a hole about 3 feet deep. To be honest, I dont know quite what I was thinking but I did it anyway because I just had to get out of the house! Im in Boston. 

1) If I tie the downspout into a pipe and run that to a dry well should I be concerned about the pipe getting clogged with debis evenutaully
2) If I do that shouold I use solid pipe for a few feet to get the water away from the foundation?
3) Would I be better off not directly connecting the downspout, but instead create a kind of "gravel field" wrapped in fabric so that the water could run from the downspout and soak down into the pipe below and be direct to the drywell? 

Any ideas would be great.


----------



## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

I considered something like this in our previous home but moved before I could get it started.

Are you familiar with the term "french drain"? Try Googling it. In a nutshell it's a layer of gravel in the bottom of the trench, then perforated pipe on top wrapped in fabric. Then more gravel and sod on top. One thing I read recently is to not to place the pipe so the perforations are on the bottom. They are more likely to get clogged on the bottom.


----------



## gruntman (Sep 19, 2008)

Yes, Im familiar with a french drain. I guess what Im asking is - is it better to set up a system where the downspout goes directly into a pipe that leads to a dry well, or create a gravel bed where the water from the downspout (an extra runoff from the surrounding area) can either seep into a gravel bed that leads to the dry well, or empty into a catch basin that also leads to the dry well. I can see pros and cons for each approach. Any thoughts?


----------



## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

If you go with an underground pipe then it should be at least 3 feet deep to avoid freezing problems. In addition it should have a continuous downslope. (added later) You may get away with a shallower depth if the pipe has a continuous downslope and the drywell never fills up far enough to inundate the pipe as it enters. If its purpose is just to carry away downspout water then it should be non-perforated.

The ultimate destination of the water should be somewhat further from your house.

A perforated pipe should not be wrapped directly with the cloth but rather there should be some pea sized or larger gravel between the cloth and the pipe. It is acceptable to lay down some gravel then the cloth, then more gravel, then the pipe, then more gravel, then bring the edges of the cloth up and around the top of the pipe.


----------



## HomeInsulation (May 25, 2011)

Hey gruntman,

You've already done all the hard work. Definitely connect the downspout to the underground drainage pipe.

Use a solid piece for at least the first 10 feet to get the water away from the house.

Try to keep the water away from any hardscaped areas like the pathway and patio. If the water accumulates there in the winter and freezes, refreezes it will raise and lower the ground shifting the pavers. Ruining all your hard work. 

You may want to try a Perc Test to determine the drainage rate of your soil.

Now that you have the trenches dug, you can see how fast the water drains into your soil by filling them up with water. Put a garden hose in the trench and let it run for a hour or so. Then time how long it takes for the water to drain.

Different soils drain at different speeds. You're topsoil looks nice and rich in the pictures so you might be lucky and have a fast drainage rate. The faster the drainage rate, the smaller the dry well has to be.


----------



## gruntman (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks for the tip about the freezing - that makes sense. Im going to cover that area with crushed stone and a few stepping stones so if there is some movement it wont cause damage.

Reading some posts here - now Im concerned that I didnt move this farther from the house. 

Around here alot of the house's downspouts are connnected to a underground drainpipe, but all the pipes Ive seen are all filled with debris and dirt. If you connect the downspout directly to the drainpipe that goes underground how do you keep the pipe from getting clogged?


----------



## bubbler (Oct 18, 2010)

gruntman said:


> Around here alot of the house's downspouts are connnected to a underground drainpipe, but all the pipes Ive seen are all filled with debris and dirt. If you connect the downspout directly to the drainpipe that goes underground how do you keep the pipe from getting clogged?


That's my problem with a direct connection as well, I can see the amount of debris that is directly in front of the outlet from my downspouts--that all washes out of the gutters, so it my downspouts go directly into an underground pipe it seems like only a mater of weeks/months/years before it's all clogged up.

I was thinking of doing a 6" pipe covered by fiberglass screen and having my downspout outlet end right above it... so any debris will be captured by the screen, then either the force of the water, or periodic cleaning by me, would keep the water flowing into the pipe.


----------



## gruntman (Sep 19, 2008)

I finished the drain and covered it with dirt. Now Im making the pathway that leads to the backyard. I have some old slate that I thought I could piece together. But im not sure what I should put down around it or under it. I dont like pea gravel because it gets everywhere. Any ideas?


----------

