In areas where groundwater lies close, puddles are not uncommon. They do not dry out for a long time in the spring and form in rainy weather. Excess moisture approaches buildings and interferes with the improvement of the site. There are several ways to dry an area of water.
Multi-channel drainage systems with drainage pipes require serious investments. They are necessary in marshy and clayey areas, with close groundwater.
Less expensive options, point and linear drainage, artificial reservoirs also reduce stagnation in soils.
Determining the water level on the site
The easiest way is to dig a hole deeper, up to 60 cm. This is done with a special hand-held hole drill, a device similar to a corkscrew. Sometimes water immediately begins to flow into such holes. This indicates that there is a lot of excess moisture in the soil.
In dry weather, water is poured from above. If after 5-6 hours it continues to stand, the reason for the flooding of the area is the low groundwater level. A similar indicator is the neighbor’s well, any nearby pit.
In what cases is drainage necessary?
- Low-lying areas fall into the flood zone. They are surrounded by drainage channels around the perimeter.
- Grass does not appear on the site for a long time, strawberries get wet, and hearth trees do not develop well. Do point or linear drainage.
- The plot is located on a slope. Stormwater removes the nutrient layer of the soil. In this case, water is drained through channels from the upper edge of the site in one or both directions.
- Swampy terrain and clay soils. Drainage is done in the form of a “herringbone” throughout the entire area.
Types of drying systems
The type of drainage area is selected based on specific conditions: degree of soil moisture, type of soil, financial capabilities.
The most budget-friendly is considered to be a point type without drainage into a storage tank. Simple - French or channel type of drainage. The closed linear type is the most expensive, but durable. It is installed in areas with country houses and landscaped areas. Drainage pipes are rarely laid on garden plots.
Closed drainage of the entire area. An axis is selected, and a central drainage channel is dug along it with access to a storage tank or well. Additional trenches are made on both sides, parallel to each other, in increments of up to 6 meters at an angle of 45 degrees to the central axis. They connect to the central channel.
A slope is created for natural water flow. A cushion of crushed stone and sand is laid at the bottom, and a drainage pipe is laid on top. It is wrapped in a layer of geotextile to prevent particles of earth from clogging the holes.
The pipe is filled with crushed stone mixed with sand up to the soil level. Excess water is periodically pumped out from a storage tank or well. Pipe cleaning is done every 10-15 years.
Open channel system
It is done according to the principle of closed drainage without laying pipes. It is quite possible to drain the swamp on the site using this method. Water flows into a storage well or artificial reservoir through ditches covered with gravel. The walls of the ditch are made with a slope of 25-30 degrees, reinforced with concrete or boards. This drainage system is called French.
The use of colored gravel and pebbles to fill the trenches adds color to the area. The edges of the trenches are decorated with flowers and beautiful shrubs. Such a drainage system is cleaned every 6-10 years, sometimes the gravel is completely renewed.
Point drainage. You can drain the area yourself using pits. They are dug in low-lying areas, up to 1 meter deep. The walls of the holes are made with a slope of 30 degrees, lined with geotextile, and reinforced with decorative stones. Used as an additional water reserve for irrigation.
Gardeners use meter-long pieces of plastic pipe as point drainage in wetlands. Many holes are made in them with a diameter of up to 1 cm. These pipes are dug into the ground to their full depth vertically or at a slight angle at a distance of two meters from each other.
Medium fraction gravel is poured into the pipes from above. This system saves the roots of fruit trees from excess moisture when the groundwater level is low.
Root drainage
The roots of some moisture-loving plants act as a draining system. In the tropics, swamps are drained by eucalyptus trees. In the middle zone, the following are considered good “pumps”:
- birch;
- hawthorn;
- larches;
- maples (including decorative ones); alder;
- ash;
They are placed around the perimeter of the site. The root system of these trees reaches 80-100 cm. Crushed stone mixed with soil is poured into the planting holes for drainage and strengthening the root system to a depth of 20-30 cm. Among fruit trees, the most moisture-loving is plum, among berry crops - serviceberry and rose hip.
Plants that drain the area can decorate it
Aquilegia or columbine is distinguished by openwork foliage and delicate flowers from yellow to dark blue. An unpretentious perennial plant, propagated naturally by seeds. Loves shady places. Blooms from late May to mid-September.
Astilbe. Perennial plant with fluffy inflorescences. Depending on the variety, it can be white, pink or soft lilac in color. Blooms from June to late August.
Badan. A low bush with large fleshy leaves that produces bunched pink inflorescences. It develops from rhizomes and has healing properties. Loves shady places.
Brunnera or garden forget-me-not. The inflorescences reach half a meter, the plant forms a very airy, delicate carpet. The perennial flower reproduces by dividing its roots.
Garden geranium. Color ranges from blood red to pale purple. Not whimsical, fills all available space.
Iris. Tuber-bulbous plant, depending on the variety, blooms from late May to mid-July. The leaf is narrow, pointed, dense. Unpretentious to soil composition.
Kupavka or swimsuit. Wild plant. When fertilized, the yellow “rose” reaches 6 cm in diameter. Opens in late May-early June. Leaf carved, decorative.
Photo instructions on how to drain the area
It happens that a summer resident gets a wetland for use. There is little joy in this, but do not despair, because many effective ways to combat this disadvantage have been developed. Even the territory of the world-famous Versailles was once an impassable swamp, and many botanical gardens, for example, in Sukhumi, are located where even a hundred or two years ago it was impossible to even pass.
Swampy areas
Many people try to deal with excess moisture by filling the area with brought sand or soil - this is a gross mistake that will not bring results. The swamp is very tenacious, being the most resistant hydraulic system, so in just a year or two the land will become swampy again. To fight effectively, you need to resort to other, longer, more complex and expensive technologies, but all the efforts are worth it.
First, you need to decide on the type of swamp, because they can be lowland and upland, and the differences between them are very significant, therefore the methods of control are different. Lowland swamps are located in depressions of the relief; excess moisture is observed due to the close occurrence of groundwater. In such areas, the soil itself is very fertile, contains a large amount of nutrients and even peat, but plants, and especially fruit and berry bushes and trees, grow poorly, disappearing after just a couple of years, so in order to grow a real garden and vegetable garden, and not a flowerbed with unpretentious annuals, you will have to put in a lot of effort.
Pond in the garden
Plants disappear because the wet soil does not allow enough oxygen to pass through, and the roots suffocate, and groundwater contributes to their rotting. Also, toxic products (aluminum salt, nitrates, various types of gases, acids) are often formed in wet, swampy soil, which interfere with plant growth.
Methods for draining lowland swamps
Drainage of low-lying swamps is possible using the following methods:
Help from professionals
You can invite a team of specialists who, using pumps, will almost instantly pump out all the excess water from the area; significant drainage can be observed on the same day. But this is quite expensive, and sometimes the problem of waterlogging returns.
Sanding
Adding sand in equal proportions to the parent rock improves the quality of the soil, and also increases air exchange. In order to improve the yield of the resulting soil, it is recommended to add humus to it, which will allow you to grow vegetables and herbs on the site.
Drainage
To effectively and permanently drain a swampy area, all experts recommend making a drain or drainage. It is best done using a system of plastic pipes with small holes in the walls. They should be laid in specially dug ditches with a depth of about 60-70 cm for clay, 75-85 for loam and up to a meter for sandy areas. Drains must be dug with a slope, so the water will not stagnate in them, but can flow into a sewer pipe, well or reservoir; this should be the lowest point of the site.
Trees in a swampy area
It is most effective to use a herringbone system, in which small pipes collect excess moisture from around the area and carry it to the main pipe, which carries the water out of the area. In swampy gardens, as a rule, there is already a common drainage ditch; if it is missing, the water can be diverted to the nearest body of water. You can also dig a well, the lower boundary of which will be below the groundwater level, fill it with crushed stone, and water will flow into it. With such an integrated approach, the drying of the area will be noticeable within a couple of days to a week. The drains themselves can be covered with earth, but to make maintaining them easier, you can fill them with gravel or crushed stone.
Open ditches
To remove excess moisture directly from the surface of the earth, you can make open ditches, the edges of which should be beveled by about 20 degrees to avoid shedding, but this method is not used in sandy areas, since the ditches quickly collapse and the sand is washed away. This method of drainage is very common; it can be seen in almost every garden. The disadvantage of this method is the gradual crumbling, clogging of the watercourse with plant particles and debris, and water blooming, so these structures must be regularly cleaned with a regular shovel.
French ditches
In France, drainage of wetlands is carried out using deep ditches filled with crushed stone. For the system to be effective, you need to either dig trenches and lead them into the well, or dig ditches down to a layer of sand that will allow water to pass through. Such ditches are more aesthetically pleasing, do not clog and do not bloom, but if they are clogged with earth, cleaning becomes very difficult. But the ditch can be disguised as a path by strewing it with pebbles, crushed stone or laying wooden slices on top.
Wells
The technology of their operation is similar to ditches; for this it is necessary to dig holes one meter deep, about half a meter in diameter at the bottom and up to two at the top. They should be dug at the lowest points of the site, and then covered with crushed stone. All excess water will flow into such wells.
Dig a pond
After the construction of a decorative pond, excess water will flow into it and evaporate, and soon a significant drainage of the area will be observed. For these purposes, the Cross Canal was built a long time ago in the French residence of the monarchs at Versailles - the effectiveness of the method is obvious.
Drainage of swampy areas
Tree planting
Some tree species can save a wetland from waterlogging. The most useful for these purposes are willows and birches, which can evaporate large amounts of moisture through the leaf blades. These trees effectively dry out nearby areas of soil, although it may take several years to completely dry the area. You can think through the design of the site in advance, initially planting only moisture-loving crops, and when the trees have completed their task, move on to the desired types of plants.
Raised beds
To be able to grow vegetables and herbs, owners of wetland areas must make raised beds, thus, excess moisture will collect in the ditches between the beds, and the areas themselves will become noticeably drier. Moreover, there is such a pattern: the higher the plot is raised, the more diverse crops can be grown on it. Many people think that it is impossible to farm in waterlogged areas, but you just need to look at photographs of a Dutch or Finnish vegetable garden surrounded by a complex system of canals to be convinced of the effectiveness of the method. After all, in these countries, with the help of technology and labor, almost everything is grown, and they also make good money from it.
Imported soil
The level of the site can be raised with the help of additionally imported land, which, after plowing, will be mixed with fertile but heavy marshy soils, as a result the site will become suitable for growing crops and very fertile; experts note that cultivated marshy lands do not require fertilization for several more years.
come to terms
It is not necessary to fight the swampy area; you can interestingly play up the unusual moisture content of your summer cottage: dig a pond, plant it with moisture-loving plants, choosing the design of a traditional swamp corner. In such conditions, lingonberries, cranberries, iris, Volzhanka, hydrangea, rhododendron, spirea, thuja, chokeberry and cotoneaster feel great. Ferns and virgin grapes will complement the beauty of the swamp garden. Perhaps you will like such beauty so much that you will no longer want to change anything.
Arrangement of the reservoir
Raised bog is formed on watersheds, that is, hills, and does not depend on the level of groundwater. Excess moisture in such areas is formed due to the fact that incoming precipitation is delayed, unable to penetrate below due to a waterproof horizon, most often clay. The soil of the raised bogs is not fertile and is quite acidic. To use such areas, it is necessary to reduce the acidity of the soil; dolomite flour, slaked lime and chalk are suitable for this. It is also necessary to constantly supply fertile soil and manure to such places in order to obtain a plot suitable for growing vegetables in a couple of years.
Having become the owner of a swampy area, you should not despair, because if you know what and how to do correctly, you can not only make this piece of land suitable for growing vegetables, berries and fruits, but also build a country house on it. You just need to approach this important matter comprehensively, responsibly and wisely. From all of the above, we can conclude that there are a huge number of ways to deal with a wetland, but it may turn out that even these effective methods will not help, and then all that remains is to resign yourself and equip such an area in your dacha. To do this, there are a huge number of different effective ways that will even help decorate such an area.
The most effective results on how to drain a site with your own hands are achieved only if you have a good street ditch, at least 1 m deep, which will guarantee a spillway. Even on flat terrain, it can significantly suppress the pressure of groundwater and reduce its level.
Before draining the area yourself, you should assess the situation. For example, if the terrain has a pronounced slope towards the street or towards the site, ditches should be dug for water drainage, which will hold the flow and at the same time direct it in the right direction. If the slope is directed towards the street, it is necessary to ensure the presence of a transverse ditch before the blind area of the house, which will delay the drainage. In addition to it, a longitudinal ditch is dug to conduct water to the street ditch.
If the plot has a slope in the other direction (from the street), then a transverse ditch should be organized along the front side of the fence, a longitudinal one - to the garden. In this case, it is imperative to take into account that the beds must be laid across the slope, otherwise nutrients will be washed out of the soil.
Before draining the area by organizing drainage ditches, you need to remember that such measures only help with heavy precipitation and melting snow.
When producing (if it is level), you should provide a ditch along the fence 2-3 m long, 0.5 m wide and at least 1 m deep. Low-lying areas are filled with the resulting soil. During the season, construction waste, cans, broken glass and other poorly disposed waste are piled into the ditch as densely as possible. When the hole is filled to the lower level of fertile soil, another similar ditch is dug. The soil raised from the new ditch is used to fill the remaining part of the first ditch and to fill the lowlands. This creates a drainage system around the perimeter of the site.
It is not difficult to answer the question of how to drain an area with your own hands if it is flat and does not have sufficient drainage into a street ditch - it is difficult to do. To ensure this, it is necessary to organize a drainage system with a slope of 2-3%. It should consist of separate drainages, which are asbestos-cement or pottery pipes (diameter 10-15 cm) and a maximum length of 20 meters.
To lay pipes, a trench with a maximum depth of 1 meter is dug with a slope towards the catchment area. It is better to place crumpled clay on the bottom and, compacting it, form a tray. If pottery pipes are used, a gap of 15 mm is left between them; if asbestos-cement pipes, cuts are made on top 1 cm wide and a third of the diameter in depth, the distance between them is 10-15 cm. The pipes are filled with coarse crushed stone (20-30 cm deep). height) and soil that is removed from the trench.
Let's look at how to drain an area with your own hands if it is not possible to ensure the availability of the necessary pipes. You can use other materials, for example, bricks, from which a tray with a cross-section of 12 x 12 cm is laid, or even bundles of brushwood without leaves. The main thing here is to know basic information about how to drain a plot in your country house. After this, making a drainage system will be easy.
It should also be noted that if the area is very waterlogged, then to drain it they use a system supplemented by a well for collecting water, into which an automatic vibration pump is lowered, ensuring operation in standby mode and eliminating its frequent shutdown.
Poor growth of garden crops and trees, constant dirt on garden paths and seasonal flooding of cellars and basements indicate a high groundwater level in a summer cottage. You should not put up with these inconveniences, otherwise increased humidity can result in more significant problems - swelling of blind areas and paths, shrinkage of walls, or even destruction of the foundation. Nevertheless, there is no reason to rush to get rid of suburban property. Draining the area is not at all difficult - it is enough to build an efficient drainage system. The construction of drainage does not require any special skills, so you can easily do it yourself. As for knowledge, we will try to tell you about the secrets of construction and give important recommendations as the work progresses.
What indicates the need for drainage
A drainage system is necessary where the area is flooded even after light rain.
The question of whether a drainage system is needed in a suburban area, as a rule, does not require a long study of the situation and analysis of natural factors. Most often, inconveniences arising from waterlogging of the soil appear after snowmelt or heavy rain. The beds are overgrown with sedge, paths and lawns are occupied by puddles for a long time, and basements and cellars suffer from dampness - these are the factors that indicate the need for drainage. However, before you invest time and money in installing a drainage system, you should make sure that it is feasible. Several conditions will help to do this, indicating the need to drain the soil.
If at least one of these factors is confirmed at your dacha, then the need for drainage can not be discussed. A high-quality drainage system will give a second life to cultivated plants, make the area cleaner, protect paths from deformation, and protect the foundation from destruction.
Types and design of drainage systems
The problem of excessive soil moisture on the site can be solved with two types of drainage systems - surface and deep. The decision which one to use to drain your site directly depends on the reasons that lead to flooding of the area.
Surface (open) drainage for collecting precipitation
Surface drainage is a system of storm inlets designed to collect and remove rain and melt water outside the site, preventing it from being absorbed into the soil. This drainage system works excellently on clay soils and can complement traditional storm drainage. Water is drained into filtration wells or off site. In addition, the lion's share of precipitation simply evaporates.
Point drainage is often combined with a linear drainage system
Depending on the design of drainage systems, surface drainage is divided into two types:
When arranging point drainage, wastewater is collected using storm flaps, drains, storm water inlets and drains. The places where they are installed are door pits, drainage points for roof storm water inlets, areas under watering taps and other areas that require local water collection. Point catch basins are connected to underground pipes that carry wastewater into the storm sewer.
The trays of the linear drainage system are covered with grates that prevent them from clogging
Linear drainage can be wall-mounted or remote from structures. It is a system of grated trays for collecting precipitation that did not fall into point storm inlets. It is rational to use this drying method in the following cases:
Linear drainage also includes road drainage, which is made in the form of a ditch parallel to the road surface for vehicle traffic.
The installation of a deep drainage system is necessary where groundwater approaches the surface of the site closer than 2.5 meters. Its construction requires a large amount of excavation work, so it is best to construct such a drainage simultaneously with digging pits for the foundation of a house and outbuildings.
Factory-made drainage pipes and types of soils on which they are recommended to be used
To construct deep drainage, perforated pipes (drains) are used, which are laid in a layer of soil at an angle. The presence of holes allows drains to collect excess moisture and transport it to a storage collector, filtration well or drainage tunnel.
The slope of drainage pipes must be at least 1%. For example, for a highway 20 m long, the height difference between the top and bottom points will be 20 cm.
Design features of deep drainage systems
Another common type of deep drainage is the bed or backfill system. It is made in the form of an underground channel, up to half filled with a filter pad made of crushed stone or crushed brick. To prevent the absorption of collected moisture, the bottom of the reservoir drains is sealed with a layer of clay, on top of which roll waterproofing is laid.
The simplest and most effective methods for draining a summer cottage
Since drainage in a summer cottage and directly around buildings can be done in various ways, we will focus on the simplest and least labor-intensive options.
How to reduce moisture levels without drainage
Many factors influence swampiness, so in some cases a dacha plot can be drained without drainage. If a special topography contributes to increased soil moisture, then making sure that the water flows outside the site is quite simple. To do this, in some places the soil is removed, and in others it is added, creating a small slope. If the selected soil is not enough, it will be imported from outside the garden area. It is better to add chernozem or peat to the soil at the dacha, and in order to make the soil lighter, add 1/3 to 1/5 parts of sand to it.
A pond arranged at the lowest point of the site is an excellent way to utilize drainage water.
If water accumulates on the site due to nearby layers of clay, and the territory itself has a slight slope, then at the lowest point you can dig a small reservoir. It can be used as a natural reservoir for watering cultivated plants, turned into a fish pond, or used as a decorative element of landscape design. As a rule, due to the high groundwater level, there is no need for additional waterproofing, but in some cases a special PVC film for swimming pools will help make the reservoir airtight. To prevent the surface of the artificial lake from blooming, aquatic plants are planted along its banks.
Planting moisture-loving plants is an excellent way to normalize soil moisture. For example, an ordinary birch is a real pump that literally pumps water out of the ground. Spiraea, serviceberry, hawthorn, rosehip, and, of course, willow and willow do a good job of draining territory. Planted in problem areas, as well as along paths, they will not only remove excess moisture, but will make the landscape original and attractive.
How to make drainage around a country house or outbuildings
To protect the ground floor or basement from melt and rainwater, wall drainage is built around country houses. This drainage system is most effective in the off-season, when the groundwater level reaches its maximum value. The construction of a “reclamation” system is best carried out at the stage of building the foundation, however, if the decision to build it was made due to the appearance of water in the basement, it’s okay - better late than never.
Constant flooding threatens to destroy the foundation
The construction of drainage is carried out in stages.
Digging a trench and sealing the foundation
Drainage pipes are laid in a “pie” of crushed stone and geotextile
If it is not possible to purchase special perforated pipes, then they can be made from ordinary polymer sewer PVC pipes. To do this, drillings are made in their walls, the diameter of which should be slightly smaller than the size of individual grains of gravel or granulate.
Vertical inspection wells allow you to monitor the condition of the drainage and, if necessary, clean it
Drainage around the house can be done in two ways - close to the foundation and at a distance from it
There is no need to rush into arranging a blind area around the house - it is necessary to allow time for the soil in the trench to settle. Pouring concrete and laying paving slabs begins only after the soil is completely compacted.
Video: construction of a low-budget deep drainage system with one well
Drainage of a summer cottage: the simplest method
A surface drainage system allows you to avoid unnecessary financial costs and build drainage structures on a large summer cottage. Its main purpose is to remove excess moisture during rainstorms or during snow melting.
When constructing open drainage, excavation work is carried out in accordance with the instructions given below.
Experienced builders determine the points for laying storm drains and collecting sewers by observing the flow of rain or melt water, planning the location of the channels in such a way as to optimally combine individual streams into a common flow.
Preparation of drainage ditches
Next they deal with the actual drainage. Depending on the degree of aesthetics, landscape design requirements or personal preferences, it can be tray or fill. In the first case, the arrangement of channels looks like this:
Laying trays will make the drainage system durable and aesthetically pleasing
In the second case, construction is carried out according to the following scheme:
To arrange drainage, you can also use the old, “old-fashioned” method - the construction of fascines. To do this, branches of alder, willow or birch are prepared, which are tied into armfuls 15 cm thick so that thin twigs are on one side and thick ones on the other. Bunches of branches are not laid on the ground, but on pegs pre-installed along the entire length of the trenches, tied together like anti-tank hedgehogs. The brushwood is placed with thick branches upward and compacted along the edges with moss. If everything is done correctly, you can count on 20 years of operation of the reclamation system.
To protect the canal walls from collapse, rubble stone or turf is used. The trenches are decorated by constructing borders along their edges with perennial moisture-loving plants, for example, irises.
One way to make a drainage channel more attractive is to plant ornamental plants.
Drainage of a summer cottage: the traditional method
No matter how simple and cheap an open drainage system may be, it has one significant drawback - low aesthetics. Agree that doing landscape design on a site with a whole network of canals is not an easy task. In this case, it is better not to save money and build a durable and effective deep-type drainage system.
The best pattern for laying drainage pipes is the herringbone pattern. In it, the side lines converge to one central pipe, which is discharged into a sewer well or outside the site.
Scheme of deep drainage system
If the drainage system is needed not to protect the foundation, but to reduce soil moisture, then the depth of the trenches is selected based on the recommended values:
For drainage, special polymer pipes with holes with a diameter of 1.5 to 5 mm are used. Ideally, their type and quantity are determined by a calculation that takes into account soil moisture, its type, amount of precipitation, etc., however, if you do the drainage yourself, it is cheaper to buy PVC water pipes with a diameter of 100 mm and make a grid of holes in them with in increments of 40–60 mm independently.
Trenches for closed drainage can be dug by hand or using earth-moving equipment
After the ditches have been dug, the main part of the work begins.
Geotextiles can be secured to the walls of the trench using fragments of bricks or pegs driven into the walls
Observing the slopes, drainage pipes are laid and connected into a single network.
Filling perforated drainage pipes with crushed stone
It is not recommended to use crushed limestone for drainage. Firstly, at depth it will be compressed and will not allow moisture to pass through, and secondly, its interaction with the soil can provoke the appearance of a salt marsh.
Video: construction of a closed drainage system at a summer cottage
Maintenance and cleaning of drainage in the country
Although a properly constructed deep or surface drainage system does not require frequent preventive measures, some work cannot be avoided. The contents of inspection wells should be checked periodically, removing soil particles using a dirty water pump and a high-pressure pump. When pumping mud from a drainage well, a long pole is used to agitate the bottom sediments. Complete flushing is required when pipes are heavily silted, as well as every 10–15 years of operation of the drainage system.
High pressure water systems are best for cleaning drain pipes
To free the pipeline from sand deposits, the pipeline must be accessible from both sides. Flushing is carried out with a strong stream of water, which is alternately directed from one side or the other of the pipe.
If you have to deal with persistent deposits of dirt and clay, then you can use a traditional plumbing technique - cleaning pipes using a long cable and a stiff bristle brush. By combining mechanical action with flushing, you can completely remove long-term deposits on drainage pipes.
If the channels of surface systems become silted, you can resort to cleaning them with saltpeter. To do this, the turf and top filling are removed from the trenches, after which saltpeter is evenly scattered onto the crushed stone layer. Then the “pie” is poured with plenty of water and the top layers are returned to their place. This method allows you to extend the performance of the system for more than one year, but it can only be used as a last resort - saltpeter is a source of nitrates, and its excess negatively affects the quality of the soil.
Video: how to flush a deep-type drainage system
A high-quality drainage system will protect the foundation and basement of a country house from flooding and will add health and strength to green spaces. The cost of carrying out reclamation measures is not so high as to refuse them, especially since you can build drainage on the site with your own hands. Everything you need for this can be easily found in the retail chain, and earth-moving equipment will help speed up the work.
Share with your friends!Excess water in a summer cottage leads to soil washout, a decrease in the yield of garden crops, and deformation of residential and outbuildings. In this case, it is important for everyone who is faced with such a problem to know how to drain the area of water with their own hands.
What influences the choice of dehumidification method
The accumulation of water on a site can occur for many reasons, but the main ones are the following:
- increasing groundwater levels;
- the site is located in lowlands, which contributes to the rapid accumulation of precipitation;
- clayey and loamy soils with low moisture absorption coefficient.
The most problematic areas on the site are identified in the off-season, when the maximum amount of precipitation falls - in early spring and late autumn. It is recommended to pump water from the site during the dry period - in summer.
Rapid drainage of land is carried out using several methods. When choosing the appropriate solution to the problem, it is necessary to take into account the main factors:
- type and level of soil permeability;
- size of land;
- optimal water level;
- period of soil drainage from groundwater;
- finished buildings on the site that require drainage;
- direction of underground sources;
- presence and type of vegetation.
The most popular methods for draining land on a site are a drainage system, drainage pits and ditches, landscape design elements, moisture-loving shrubs and trees.
Closed and open drainage systems
Modern drainage systems allow you to quickly and effectively get rid of excess liquid on the site. Simple drainage consists of a pipeline and a water receiver. A stream, lake, river, ravine or ditch can be used as a water intake.
The drainage system is arranged from the water intake to the land plot, maintaining the optimal distance between its main elements. On dense soils with a high clay content, the distance between individual drains should be 8–10 meters, on loose and heaving soils - up to 18 meters.
Open drainage
An open or French drainage system consists of shallow ditches whose bottom is filled with fine gravel and stones. Such drainage is arranged quite simply: a shallow ditch is dug and the waste is discharged into a drainage well or a deep trench to the level of the sand layer, which is used as a drainage cushion.
A drainage well measuring 1x1 m can have a closed or open design; its bottom is filled with medium-fraction gravel and broken bricks. Such structures do not become clogged, but are filled with soil, which is washed away with water. For this reason, draining this type of well is much more difficult than draining an open drain.
Closed drainage
A technically complex device that will quickly remove excess water and prevent it from stagnating. The arrangement of closed drainage is carried out using pipes made of clay or asbestos cement and laid in a certain order - in a straight line or in a herringbone pattern. Closed drainage is suitable for areas located on a slight slope, which ensures natural water flow.
Closed drains are often combined with drainage systems that allow water to be removed from the foundation of the house.
Sewage pits and ditches
Many owners choose a fairly simple way to solve the problem of draining areas by digging sewage holes and ditches. The arrangement of a cone-shaped pit is carried out as follows: at the lowest point you need to dig a pit up to 100 cm deep, up to 200 cm wide at the top and 55 cm at the bottom. The drainage system is quite effective, since excess moisture can be drained into drains without the use of additional means.
The process of arranging drainage ditches is more labor-intensive, but no less effective. Ditches are dug along the entire perimeter of the territory - the depth and width are 45 cm. The walls are made at an angle of 25 degrees. The bottom is laid out with broken bricks or gravel. The main disadvantage of ditches is their gradual crumbling, so it is worth timely cleaning and strengthening the walls with boards or concrete slabs.
Landscape design elements - streams and ponds
We effectively get rid of excess water on the site by installing artificial ponds and streams. Similar elements of landscape design can be organized in areas located at a slight slope.
It is better to arrange water sources in dark places to avoid algal blooms. The bottom of the artificial pond is lined with stone or geotextile.
To enhance the effect, moisture-loving vegetation – shrubs, plants, grass – can be planted next to the artificial pond.
Such landscape forms are structurally reminiscent of the French drainage system, since they are developed according to the same principle.
Moisture-loving plantings - shrubs, trees and grass
To drain the soil, moisture-loving trees, shrubs and grasses that are capable of pumping out excess water are used.
In order for green spaces to remove moisture, you need to know which varieties are recommended to be planted on the site. Such plantings include: willow, birch, maple, alder and poplar.
No less in demand are shrubs: hawthorn, rose hips and bladderwort. In moist soils, hydrangea, serviceberry, spirea, mock orange and Amur lilac develop.
To give the site attractiveness and aesthetics, moisture-loving garden flowers are planted - iris, aquilegia and asters.
Too moist soil is not suitable for growing fruit trees - pears, apples, plums and apricots. Therefore, when choosing trees, it is better to give preference to seedlings with a shallow root system. Trees are planted on hills up to 55 cm high.
To do this, a peg is driven into the soil, the earth around it is dug up to a depth of 25 cm. A prepared seedling is tied to the peg, the roots are sprinkled with earth with the addition of humus. The root collar remains exposed to a height of up to 8 cm above the ground surface.
After planting is completed, the seedling is watered abundantly to get rid of air gaps between the root system and the soil.
Important! Excessively wet soil has high acidity, so when draining it is recommended to additionally liming it. This will improve the quality of the soil for further gardening and household work.
During operation, the condition of the soil on the site is carefully checked, since excess moisture can have a negative impact on garden crops, residential and outbuildings. It is recommended to carry out the soil drainage procedure simultaneously with liming.
Now every landowner knows the answer to the question of how to get rid of water on the site and do it correctly. This will require free time, desire and financial investment.