Help with Drainage

[Olympus]

I have a drainage issue around my shop, but only in one corner of the building. The other 3 corners are built up enough that they are higher than water will ever get. But one corner is essentially level with the ground or possibly an inch higher than the ground. Water hits this corner and gets diverted two ways, across the front of the building and across the side of the building. I've dug a small trench along the two sides of the building for the water to follow, but with a heavy rain, it fills up faster than it can flow and then starts getting into my building. Aside from doing some major dirt work, are there any other options that I should consider?

I do not have gutters and I know those will be a large help. They are on my list of things to add once I get the money saved up.

The second thing someone considered was digging a trench along the front and side of the shop, putting in a perforated drain pipe along both sides of the building, and then filling the trench with big rock to help the water soak down to the drain pipe. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[pattenp]

Sounds like some open grates and drain pipe should work. But if you do the buried drain pipe be sure to use a silt sock on it and after back filling with some stone put down a layer of soil filter fabric and finish back filling with stone.

 

[rancherbill]

. Run the water over to where it will run away.

Don't waste time digging if you were going to do Eaves troughs anyway.

 

[CNGsaves]

Do both . . . . . just HAVE to get gutters and direct the water away from building. Winter time might be good time to get bargain on gutter install as I'm sure they are slow now. Go with big gutters also as they will self-flush leaves and debris if big enough.

The buried drainage pipes need to be big enough to handle peak flow and also flush out any **** that gets in there. Be sure to plan "clean out" access if case a long run gets clogged. Agree to let gravity do the work.

 

[8man]

Open ditch drainage is easier to monitor to make sure it is working. It is cheaper because you can "improve" it by hand if it isn't working as desired. As said above, you need to make sure to daylight the trenches (they can be "V" ditches or gentle "U" shaped swales) to a place where the water will leave quickly. That would be a point downhill.

The drainage pipe ideas will only work if you run them far enough that they daylight, and they can fill up with debris.

Gutters will concentrate the roof runoff in to a downspout, but there will be a lot of water coming out there. From that downspout it has to move away from the building. Again, either a pipe or a ditch to move it away or you wasted your money on gutters.

In a heavy downpour, the gutters may become overloaded and the roof runoff will go right over the side of the gutter. If that happens you are right back where you are today.

When I can I use overland flow by cutting swales (ditches) to move the water away quickly.

 

[bczygan]

You need a bigger trench!

Actually this and the other advice above applies.

Intercept the water where it comes from, and direct it where you want it.

Gutters, trench drains, even a shed roof over that area, will divert it.

A temporary fix could even be some plastic taped to the wall and rolled out away from the building to shed the water to a lower area.

Or you could create a swale, with a french drain down slope. A swale is just a V shaped ditch to promote drainage flow better than flat ground. Do you have room for one? You will need a few feet alongside the building that you can contour.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You have to have somewhere for the water "to go" (First law of plumbing : "Water and **** flow down hill !") If you don't have a natural low area that can hold all of the runoff from the building or drains out out your yard, you need to make one. This is called a "dry well".

I don't like surface drainage trenches/ditches. The underground equivalent is called a "French drain" Do not use the corrugated, flexible drain pipe. It tends to clog.

Connect the second item to the first items. Remember, that your dry well can overflow (mine does a couple of times a year). Having a place for the overflow to go iis preferred, however if designed and installed correctly, it will correct itself within a day or two.

Search GJ for "dry well" and "French Drain"

 

[vekster]

If a swale is created, is there any benefit to putting in perforated weep tile and stone in the bottom of the swale?
May drain the swale better/quicker and keep it from being swampy....just a thought

 

[theoldwizard1]

Open ditch drainage is easier to monitor to make sure it is working. It is cheaper ...

But on tiny little suburban lots, like mine, every square foot matters !

Underground does cost a lot more, but designed and installed properly, it will last a lifetime.

 

[Olympus]

I've got 6 acres, so I have plenty of room. The water is mostly coming from roof run off but the ground also slopes toward the front of the building. Re routing that would be a large job and I don't have the funds for that.