Excess moisture in a suburban area negatively affects yields. Water washes away nutrients from the soil, causing plant roots to rot. Constant dampness leads to deformation of buildings and the appearance of mold. To avoid this, you need to remove excess water and dry the area. This problem worries owners of plots located in lowlands or swampy areas. There are many ways to solve it. Read to the end and you will learn how to drain an area of water with your own hands cheaply and effectively.
If water accumulates in the area, it must be drained Source ochisti.ru
When is it necessary to drain the area?
Large puddles appear in a suburban area when water does not seep into the ground during rains or floods. This happens if the soil is clayey or the groundwater level is high. And if the area is in a lowland, water flows onto it from above. The presence of large bodies of water or swamps nearby also affects the humidity level.
In all these cases, for normal living and harvesting, it is necessary to drain the area from groundwater. The problem can be detected in spring or autumn. Flooding usually occurs in the off-season, when the snow melts or there is a lot of rain. You can see places where moisture accumulates.
If a plot of land is purchased in the summer, you can also understand that it is flooded. This is detected by the following signs:
- doors and frames are warped, cracks are visible on the walls;
- smell of dampness, mold visible in the corners;
- there is water in the basement;
- a lot of mosquitoes, snakes, frogs;
- Weeds are dominated by nettle, wormwood, hemlock, and also a lot of reeds.
Prolonged accumulation of moisture near the house will lead to the appearance of mold, unpleasant odor, and deformation Source stroyfora.ru
Clay soil
If the soil on your site is rich in clay impurities, then water drainage through it will be difficult. And even precipitation will not rush to dry out.
And if your yard is also in a low area, then all the liquid will flow down. This reason can be solved by digging open and backfill ditches through which sediment will go deeper.
Selecting a drying method
Often, a moisture problem is discovered after purchasing a property. It needs to be resolved as soon as possible, before the water damages buildings and destroys plants. It is not difficult to drain a swampy area of water, but choosing a method for this, you need to take into account several factors:
- cause of flooding;
- soil features;
- the depth of groundwater and the direction of its movement;
- presence of bodies of water nearby;
- size of the flooded area;
- presence of buildings and vegetation.
Each case may require different methods. For example, if the site is in a swampy area, raising it or installing an open drainage system will help. And when the groundwater level is high, closed drainage systems are used, possibly even with a well and a pump for their forced removal. This method is also used in areas that are located in lowlands.
Important ! After draining the area, it is recommended to enrich the soil with fertilizers, since all nutrients are washed out of it with water.
Before choosing a method for draining a site, you need to study the characteristics of the soil and the reasons for moisture accumulation Source aquakomfort-spb.ru
Useful tips
Ideally, if you decide to create a drainage system, you should do this not in the fall, but exclusively in the dry season, for example, in the summer.
Of course, it is possible in the fall, but be prepared for the fact that you simply will not be able to create a high-quality trench, since there will be a large amount of water on the site, which you just need to get rid of.
It is necessary to determine the most optimal depth in order to retain groundwater and then begin laying a drainage system, which must necessarily be below this mark.
Today, many owners of suburban areas make the same mistake. They install the drainage system absolutely correctly, but do not pump out the water at the required frequency.
In this case, the drainage becomes absolutely useless after a couple of months.
When creating a system, you need to be extremely careful. Very often, unprepared people can fall into a well or drainage holes. Therefore, to avoid injury, pits must be covered.
How to arrange drainage
A drainage system is the most common and effective method of permanently draining a swamp in a summer cottage or near a country house. Drainage ensures the outflow of water outside the land. Typically, open or closed drainage systems are installed. There are also deep and point drainage, but they are used less frequently. The point of such drainage is that the water is discharged through a pipeline outside the site.
Open drainage
Open drainage is a system of ditches located on a slope. Through them, water flows into drainage wells or beyond the boundaries of the site. The distance between them is at least 6 m. It is better not to do them around buildings, this can lead to deformation of the foundation. Such ditches are made with sloping walls, the depth is at least 40-50 cm.
A variant of such a system is backfill drainage. The bottom of the ditch is laid out with geotextiles, then filled with gravel or stones to 2/3 of the depth. Fine gravel is poured on top, and then a layer of sand and soil.
The easiest way to drain the area is with trenches filled with gravel Source strojdvor.ru
This method is most often used if the soil is clayey. It helps drain water during floods and heavy rains, preventing the soil from becoming saturated with moisture. For soil with a lot of sand, this system is not used. This method is also not suitable for high groundwater levels.
The disadvantages of such a system include a reduction in the usable area of the site. This can be avoided by breaking a ditch near the fence. In addition, such trenches quickly become clogged with debris and leaves, and they have to be cleaned regularly.
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in landscape design and gardening.
Closed drainage
A closed drainage system is a more complex but effective way to remove excess moisture. It will quickly help remove water and prevent its further accumulation. This method is also used to lower the groundwater level.
Closed drainage is installed using special PVC pipes buried in the ground. There are holes on their walls through which water from the soil enters them. To prevent clogging, the pipes are wrapped in geotextile. They need to be buried below the soil freezing level. The ditches are located at a slope, directed towards drainage wells.
Surface groundwater drainage
Waterlogged soil can be drained using ditches. Excess liquid must be directed to storage pits. The depth of the ditches should be between 40 and 80 cm.
The advantages of surface removal of excess moisture include: low cost, high speed of work.
The disadvantage of this method is the constant shedding of the gutters. The owner of the site has to regularly clean the channels of silt.
Video description
You can see how to properly arrange drainage on a site in this video:
The step-by-step work on arranging a closed drainage system looks like this:
- First you need to plan on paper the optimal passage of the ditches. They should be located no closer than 2.5 m from trees.
- Then mark the area according to the plan.
- Dig trenches.
- Pour a layer of 10-15 cm of coarse sand.
- Lay geotextiles and pour gravel on it.
- Lay pipes wrapped in geotextile.
- Fill the space around the pipes with medium gravel until there is 20 cm left to the ground level.
- Cover with the edges of geotextile, fill the trench with small pebbles and soil.
To install a closed drainage system, special pipes are laid in trenches Source landscapevkazan.rf
Closed trenches
This type is more neat and convenient. It does not get clogged, because... These furrows are covered with sand and disguised as paths. It is logical to take them to the well or make the depth deeper, to the sand layer, where precipitation will go naturally.
Construction of ponds, sewage pits or ditches
Owners of country houses are often interested in how to dry a plot of water with their own hands without drainage. This is also possible, but it is best to use such methods in the country, and not in a country house. This is digging ditches, sewage pits or decorative ponds. They can become not only a means of draining water, but also an element of landscape design. The choice of method depends on the characteristics of the site and the reason for the accumulation of moisture.
Note ! The disadvantage of this method is the need to regularly clean the resulting reservoirs. Without this, they will bloom, mosquitoes will appear, and there will be an unpleasant smell.
Wells
The easiest way is to dig holes in the lowest flooded areas. They should be cone-shaped, tapering downwards. The diameter at the surface is 2 m, the depth is at least 80-100 cm. Such pits can be decorated by turning them into decorative ponds. To avoid shedding and silting, their bottom is covered with gravel.
Ditches
Ditches are more difficult to dig, but such a system will drain excess water more efficiently. They are organized around the perimeter of the site. To prevent the walls from crumbling, they are reinforced with boards or concrete slabs. You can put a metal box on the bottom.
Drainage ditch beautifully designed to look like an artificial stream Source kndlandscaping.com
A variant of this drainage method is the installation of decorative streams. This is appropriate if the site is located on a slope. The bottom of the artificial stream is laid out with pebbles, pebbles or geotextiles. It is recommended to arrange streams under trees, as in a sunny place the water will bloom.
Is it possible to completely remove quicksand?
The quicksand reveals itself very quickly when digging a mine. All free space is instantly filled with wet sandy porridge. This is dangerous not only for the well structure, but also for the worker. It is very difficult to get out of the quicksand. There were cases when diggers got stuck in it just above their knees, and they were barely pulled out by the machine.
Fatalities due to suddenly discovered quicksand are not stories, but reality. You cannot go down into a mine that has been swept up by quicksand, even with a safety rope. It is almost impossible to get a person alive and unharmed from under the viscous mass.
Quicksand are dangerous not only for their suddenness and enormous destructive ability. Being deep in the soil, they maintain the stability of the surface and the buildings located on it. Attempts to volley pump out the quicksand layer lead to the formation of voids, and as a result, subsidence of the area, cracks in the foundation, and the appearance of failures of different sizes.
It is almost impossible to remove quicksand from the site and well, so you have to tame and calm it in order to get enough water without negative consequences.
Moisture-loving plants
If you are wondering how to drain a site with your own hands at no cost, you can consider the option of planting moisture-loving plants. This method will be effective only in small swamps and if there is no urgent need to remove water.
By using plants that require a lot of water, you can lower the groundwater level and speed up the drying out of the area after rains and floods. This will also help decorate the area. Willow, maple, poplar, alder and birch are used.
If you need plants that grow faster, you can plant shrubs: hawthorn, viburnum, serviceberry, rose hips. This is an ideal way not only to reduce the amount of water on the site, but also to create a hedge. There are also moisture-loving herbaceous plants. These are perennial flowers: iris, aster, aquilegia. You can plant cranberries and blueberries.
To remove excess moisture, moisture-loving plants are planted on the site Source yandex.net
The decision depends on the situation
The search for the prerequisites for the appearance of a swamp can be entrusted to a specialist, but this is not always effective. If he couldn’t help, inspect the surrounding area, talk to your neighbors about this topic.
Raising the area
If the groundwater level is high or if the area is very swampy, only raising the site can help. It is backfilled with soil. This is a complex and expensive method, but effective. It consists of several stages.
- Drawing up a detailed plan indicating aquifers, clayey areas, voids.
- Demolition of all buildings, clearing of debris.
- Laying a drainage system, preferably a closed type.
- Before backfilling begins, a strip foundation is laid around the perimeter of the site.
- Then the soil is covered in layers of 10-15 cm. Sand and crushed stone are usually used. Each layer is laid with geotextiles, compacted, and compacted. After this, you need to wait 2-3 weeks for the soil to shrink.
- Fertile soil is poured on top.
- Then you need to sow the soil with cereal crops. They have an extensive root system that will secure the fill.
To get rid of excess moisture, you may need to raise the level of the area Source marc2000.ru
Prevention measures
To extend the service life of the well and prevent the appearance of quicksand, you must adhere to the following rules:
- do not allow the water level to decrease by less than half (if the pressure created by the water decreases, the mine will collapse);
- monitor the bottom filter and change it after its service life has expired;
- clean the well at least once every 5 years;
- remove accumulated sand from the bottom of the well;
- use specialized equipment for cleaning.
It is prohibited to use any electrical appliances in the mine.
Briefly about the main thing
If the site is located on clay soils or in a lowland, it may need to be drained.
This procedure is complex, but quite feasible. If you choose the right drainage method, taking into account the characteristics of the soil and the depth of groundwater, you can get rid of the problem.
For this purpose, open or closed drainage is most often used, ensuring the outflow of water into drainage wells.
If the area is very waterlogged, it may need to be raised. And to get rid of moisture during rains, it is enough to plant moisture-loving plants on the site.
Drainage system
Structures made from drains are an excellent solution to the drainage problem. To drain a site using engineering structures, it will be necessary to create surface or deep watercourses into which liquid will be collected and discharged beyond its boundaries or into specially equipped containers. The structure may consist of wells or trenches with pipes that are connected in series into a single network; there are two types. The tasks of both options are similar - removing excess moisture, but the principles of their construction and operation occur differently.
Backfill
You can get rid of moisture by pouring a layer of sand over the entire area of the site. You need to start working by determining the highest point. It is necessary to take into account that you will need to raise the level by at least twenty centimeters.
Having calculated the required cubic capacity of the material, you should purchase construction sand and gravel. Sand, lying on the ground, squeezes out excess moisture, and its high drainage ability does not allow water to accumulate on the surface.
The final stage of the process - a fertile layer of soil is laid on top of the “pie” of sand and gravel on which any crops can be grown.
Well
Another option for draining a swamp on a site is to make a waterproof well. You can build a well from concrete or from a large plastic container.
The well should be protected from clogging with geotest material. The water accumulated in the container can be used for irrigation or pumped out with a pump and discharged through laid pipes outside the site.
You can build a drainage system yourself, following the instructions given above. The cost of such work will be low, but the effect will be quite significant.
