Before going any further, the pipe we are discussing here is heavy-duty schedule-40 PVC pipe with either two or three courses of holes with the outer courses usually 120 to each other. A perforated drain pipe is an effective solution when it comes to issues such as standing water or excessive ground water near the foundation of a building. Create a minimum slope of 1/8 inch per foot of linear run by moving the string down the second stake around inch or more. Contents of this site are Copyright 1998-2022 by Kent. I dont recommend using corrugated flex-pipe in drainage systems. A: Steven Baczek, a residential architect from Reading, Mass., who specializes in designing durable, low-energy homes, responds: I hear arguments for both methods, but it really depends on how the pipe functions in your drainage system. I also place the perimeter piping in what I call a ground gutter, a trench filled with crushed stone and wrapped on all sides with filter fabrica pipe within a pipe. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Install stakes every four feet along the trench youve dug using a small sledgehammer. Dig a trench that is about twice the width of the drainage pipe. 6. Copyright 2022 Zonda Media, a Delaware corporation. A perforated pipe can also be used as a drain tile when its placed near the base of the foundation of a home. In addition, make sure that you dig at least two-feet deep. You will need all the right tools and equipment to perform this installation successfully. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. To help you out, this article will guide you on installing a perforated drain pipe. In this scenario, the pipe would have to be completely occluded with silt and mud to become ineffective. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 8. Also, make sure to maintain the slope of the bottom of the trench. To ensure optimal drainage, a perforated drainage pipe needs to have a proper slope. Add or remove soil as needed starting from the beginning of the trench so that a consistent distance is maintained. 7. In short, it needs to be installed correctly for it to work according to its design. 5. All Rights Reserved. A Dozen Ways to Strengthen Your Remodeling Brand, The Empire Group Plans Large Build-to-Rent Community in North Phoenix, The Most Affordable Places to Retire in America in 2022, Yardi Matrix Reports Institutional Investment in Single-Family Rentals Is Rising, NAHB: Proposed Schumer-Manchin Legislation Could Affect Builders, New Conservation Community Lagoon Valley Materializes in the Bay Area, 7 Ways to Prepare Your Team to Sell in an Uncertain Market. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 3. With the perforations facing down, the primary function is collection and distribution. Follow him on Instagram @stevenbaczekarchitect, Technology to address safety, communications, and costs. In the systems I install, its much more difficult for the debris to be washed away with the perforations facing down. 12. So there are good arguments for both methods. Order by Phone & Online Order Inquiries: 1-877-445-3527. Either way, though, when silt and debris fill the pipe to the level of the perforationsessentially half the diameter of the pipeit can no longer take on water and no longer is effective for drainage. JLC Online: Best practices for professional builders and remodelers, Measurement innovations help contractors and customers, The Last Word (We Hope) on Vapor Barriers, A Builder's Guide to Breathable Indoor Air, Building a Deck With a Welded Steel Frame, Housing Market Slows as Fed Takes Aggressive Approach to Combat Inflation, When Hidden Defects Complicate a Simple Deck Replacement. Even when placed in a ground gutter as described above, the pipe fills with groundwater more quickly. Use a tape measure to find the distance from the string to the bottom of the trench. Make adjustments to maintain the correct distance. Put the perforated pipe in the trench and make sure the holes are facing down. 10. If this is the case, then a sump pump is usually attached to the drainage pipe. Find the location where the water will enter the perforated drain pipe. 11. Level the string between the two stakes using a line level. Steve Baczek (stevenbaczekarchitect.com) of Reading, Mass., is an architect specializing in energy-efficient design and certified passive homes. Tie a string on the stake next to the stake where the water will enter. Regardless of your preference for perforation placement, I always recommend installing clean-outs in strategic locations for clearing the pipe should it become blocked or sluggish. Use a garden rake to smooth it out. If you find any roots, cut them out so you can place the pipe in a straight manner, or if not, in an angle that is slightly curved. In the meantime, you may browse the digital edition. When more water enters one area than another, it flows to another area of the pipe and drains away. Location services are disabled. Make sure you extend the fabric on both sides out onto the ground surface; the excess fabric will be used to cover the gravel infill of the trench. Take out all the string and remove the stakes. 2. This would seem to work best in a French drain system where excess water drains to a sump pit to be pumped out. 9. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Here, the perforated pipe has two functions: collection and conveyance, with the latter being the primary function. Add soil and sod to the top of the landscape fabric. Add gravel to the trench to fill it up about four to six inches from the soil line. Put landscaping fabric in the trench so that soil wont enter the gravel around the pipe. Should You Consider Switching to Cost-Plus Pricing? After replacing soil and compacting with the tamper, check the distance from the bottom of the trench to the string. Keep doing this for every stake in the trench. PRICES ONLINE MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRICES IN LOCAL STORES. 4. 13. The usual function of drainage pipes is to ensure rainwater from gutters are kept as far away from a house or they can be used to drain wet areas from low spots in the yard. The ground gutter would need to saturate to the level of the perforations before any significant water would enter the pipe, and the likelihood of that happening is usually pretty slim. Once you do, tie a string to the stake found at that location. I place the pipe with the perforations facing up and count on the streaming water from the downspouts to help keep silt and debris from accumulating in the pipe. Use the edges of the landscape fabric to cover the top of the gravel. Compact the soil between the stakes using a tamper. Having the holes facing up is just the most effective plan for the systems that Ive designed. NOT ALL ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE. That said, heres a list of things you will need: 1. When designing a water-management regimen for a home, I try to drain to daylight (A Primer on Water Management, Jun/17). Q: When I use perforated pipe in a drainage system, should the holes go up or down? Copyright 2022 Rooter Guard Articles will be published online soon. In this system, drainage pipe around the perimeter of the house links with the downspouts as well as with a perimeter drain inside the basement, all of which drain by gravity to a pipe that exits the ground at a safe distance from the building. JLC subscribers have access to the July/August 2022 print edition at this time. Please enable them and try again. Add two inches of gravel to the base of the trench. Water draining from the walls or dripping from the eaves diffuses through the filter fabric and the crushed stone, with most of the liquid being distributed by the ground gutter. Privacy Policy.