Important rules for creating drainage ditches

At the summer cottage there has always been a drainage problem, i.e. drainage of excess water from floods and rains in order to avoid its accumulation and stagnation. To solve this issue, specially equipped drainage ditches are used, about the advantages and disadvantages, the methods of the device, the technologies for creating which we will now talk about.

Drainage ditches: advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of the construction of a drainage ditch is that complex building materials are not required for its arrangement, as well as large financial investments. Being a fairly cheap drainage structure on the site, such ditches are often becoming a common solution and help in the drainage of excess water.

Of the disadvantages of drainage ditches, one can single out a lower efficiency compared to a linear drainage, which already requires several more efforts for arrangement at a summer cottage. Also, drainage ditches often dry out, which means that their service life is unfortunately characterized as limited. Timely repair of the ditch is also required to avoid clogging and crumbling of the side slopes, so you have to pay for the cheapness one way or another.

Drainage ditches most often drain excess water into the central watercourse, leaving the site. You should not drain water into ponds where fish are found for subsequent fishing, eroded ravines, especially unfortified, non-flowing ponds, as well as places, due to the relief of which there is a risk of waterlogging. By directing the drainage ditch to the wrong place, you can harm nature, so it is worth approaching this issue with special attention and prudence.

Arrangement of drainage ditches

In order to avoid most of the problems with the washout resistance of drainage ditches, it is necessary to strengthen them well. For this, materials such as sand, crushed stone and gravel are used. At the bottom and on the sides, a drainage layer is created, with an average thickness of 8 to 10 centimeters.

As for the slopes of the drainage ditch, for additional protection against shattering, they can be strengthened with cultures of wild plants or those intended for decoration. The developing root system will be an excellent support for the ditch in order to avoid its shattering and will allow it to last for a longer period.

For a serious improvement of the drainage ditch, such modern material as a geogrid is also used, which has special crutches for fastening on the sides and at the bottom.

In conclusion, it should be noted such a method as paving with natural stone. This allows you to give an unpresentable ditch an original appearance, taking into account the adoption of additional measures for its stability and reliability of use in the future.

Drainage ditches: creation technology

Naturally, it all starts with an analysis of the territory. Mainly, in order for the drainage ditch to fully reveal itself as a drainage structure, it is necessary to remember and mark for yourself those places in the summer cottage that are subject to a large accumulation of water after floods and rains. It is through them that the ditch will pass in such a way that the direction of the water is one-sided and uniform. The layout of the drainage ditch also depends on the slope of the relief on the site towards the above-mentioned central supply.Otherwise, the direction of the water will be difficult and the ditch will turn into a swamp, which will dry out over time.

The drainage ditch should be dug at the same depth along the entire length of the expected path of excess water. There is an option of digging a ditch around the entire perimeter of a given area, but most often it is enough to restrict oneself to a rectilinear, L-shaped or so-called “herringbone” form of a ditch, when branches are dug from the main path.

An ordinary bayonet shovel acts as a tool for digging a drainage ditch. Be careful not to overdo it with the depth - it should be the same to avoid the accumulation of moisture already in the ditch itself. Make sure that nothing obstructs the direction of the water, including vegetation and shrubs - this way the ditch will quickly clog up and the effect of its action will not follow.

If the direction of the drainage ditch is supposed to be through a path connecting different parts of the site, a pipe or a small bridge should be equipped along which it will be possible to cross the obstacle that has arisen.

Alternatives

More modern alternatives to drainage channels are such types of drainage as linear and point. What is it?

Linear drainage – a specially equipped system of recessed trays designed to drain water over a large area. This is one of the types of storm drainage, which involves flat slopes on both sides towards the drain line.

Point drainage - the type intended for the collection and subsequent removal of excess water in a certain place is the intersection point of slopes of a certain size, where water flows either from drainpipes or from the territory of the site.

Modern drainage systems as a complex of interconnected elements presuppose, first of all, convenience, ergonomics and high quality of materials used in their manufacture, most often stainless steel. This will become a reliable guarantee against the accumulation of unnecessary water on the site, you will no longer be concerned about this vital issue. However, you can also use an ordinary drainage ditch, as already described above - it's up to you to decide.