Installing outside drains

You should take these factors into consideration when determining your overall cost:. Digging and installing your own french drain system is not a highly skilled project, but it is hard work and labor intensive.

If you choose to do your own, you need to be aware of how to use a level and stake a grade. Check out this overview at the Pittsburg Drain Guys website.

Renting a ditch trencher is the best way to go if you choose to do this on your own. Today, I would hire someone to do this versus doing it myself. If you are human, leave this field blank. With an outdoor sink, you can have faster and simpler food preparation and cleanup with fewer trips in and out of your home.

In just one day, you can have an attractive and practical outdoor cooking space with an outdoor sink. If you want to have hot water running outside, also insulate the piping. For better drainage, slope the pipes slightly, then install them with two-hole clamps every four feet or less. At this time, install the shutoff valves and drain plugs at the lowest points of the plumbing.

Use thread adapters to connect the supply pipes to the sink. For a properly working sink, you'll need to install a drain pipe for the sink trap.

Sometimes a section of lawn will remain too wet to mow until well into the spring, or a gravel driveway will develop muddy areas. In this circumstance, the French drain is frequently called a curtain drain. Depending on the area to be drained, the trench can be dug by hand, with a trenching machine, or with a backhoe.

The depth of the trench depends on the depth of the water table and the topography—the bottom of the trench needs to remain higher than its downslope outlet. In some cases, it will be necessary to have an engineer design the system. Typically, the trench will be filled to within six inches of grade with crushed stone, and the filter fabric folded over the top.

Native soil covers the fabric, and grass is planted atop that. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How to Install a French Drain.

By Andy Engel. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. What is a French Drain? Steps for Installing a French Drain The steps include digging a trench whose bottom slopes, and that is long enough to lead to a discharge point. In the area where water is to be collected, the sides and bottom of the trench are lined with filter fabric to keep dirt from washing in and clogging the drain. Perforated pipe is laid in the bottom of the trench atop this fabric.

Beyond the water collection area, non-perforated pipe is used to transport the water away. Next, the collection area is filled to the top with gravel, and the section of the trench with the non-perforated pipe is backfilled with the soil that came out.