curtain drains

[karl]

does anybody know were i can get info on installing curtain drains around the perimitter of my house,how deep,how wide,what pipe to use

[LazyPup]

Curtain drains are used to prevent water from leaching through the soii laterally.

They are often used to protect foundations or leach fields.

A trench is dug completely around the area to be protected. The depth is determined by the soil characteristics but normally 4 to 5 feet deep then a four inch diameter perforated pipe is laid in the bottom of the trench. The pipe must be laid with a minimum of 1/8 inch per foot and must be able to discharge into a drainage ditch or other area that is lower than the pipe.

The trench is then filled with pea gravel to within a few inches of finished grade, the gravel covered with a permeable membrane and the top covered with topsoil.

[kactuskid]

If your basement is getting water inside then 90% of these problems can usually be solved by making sure your gutters are clean and leak free and downspouts are extended far from the foundation walls. Also grading the soil around your home at least 1" per foot for 4 feet out will steer the water away. Here's some links that may help with the excellent advice you've recieved from LazyPup.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A8583-2003Feb26&notFound=true

http://www.ndspro.com/subsurface_drainage_install.html

http://popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/home_owner_clinic/1998/8/clinic_898_2/

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/EnviroEd/Can_Do/drainage.htm

http://www.soundhome.com/topics/topic_downspout.shtml

http://www.bobvila.com/BBS/Basement_and_Attics/2055/2055/flat-page1.html

[bap1218]

I was hoping you might be of some help. My husband and I are looking to purchase a home in Bethel, Ct. The house itself sits at the bottom of a hill but is on level land (the back yard is level but the rest of the property slopes upward). There is also a brook that flows along the side of the house which slopes downward and is probablya good 50-60 feet from the level land.
The current owners mentioned that the basement is damp and has occasional puddling. We are concerned about the flooding from the brook and the downward sloping property as well as the dampness and puddling in the basement. It has been mentioned to us about curtain drains, but they are expensive. Can you give any additional insight as how to proceed with this or if there are options other than curtain drains...thank you for any help you can provide.

Brooke

quote:Originally posted by LazyPup

Curtain drains are used to prevent water from leaching through the soii laterally.

They are often used to protect foundations or leach fields.

A trench is dug completely around the area to be protected. The depth is determined by the soil characteristics but normally 4 to 5 feet deep then a four inch diameter perforated pipe is laid in the bottom of the trench. The pipe must be laid with a minimum of 1/8 inch per foot and must be able to discharge into a drainage ditch or other area that is lower than the pipe.

The trench is then filled with pea gravel to within a few inches of finished grade, the gravel covered with a permeable membrane and the top covered with topsoil.

[LazyPup]

Curtain drains are effective when dealing with subsurface water that migrates laterally through the soil, but they are not effective for dealing with surface water which results from storm drainage or watercourse flooding.

The simplest and no doubt the cheapest solution to control surface water is to grade the land to create channels to drain the effected area. In many cases just grading the land a few inches will be all that is required.

In the above scenario there is a hill that would normally drain onto the flat land where the house sets. A continual depression could be graded at the base of the hill which would divert the watershed across the base of the hill and to the adjacent stream. Rather than create a specific ditch you could grade an area ten or twelve feet wide with a slight pitch of a foot or less at the center and tapering to the ground level. That could create a very effective storm drainage while still leaving the terrain comparitively flat for lawn mowers or landscaping equipment. The graded area should then be sod covered or planted with grass to prevent erosion.

I would also consider adding fill near the house foundation then grading to make a gentle slope away from the house. A build up of 8 or 10 inches at the foundation wall and sloped back away from the foundation for about ten feet should be adequate to minimize water in the basement.

Combine that with proper gutters and downspouts and pipe the downspouts away from the foundation wall to an adequate storm runoff area.

[bap1218]

Thank you for your help. This is has been very informative.

Brooke