Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
DIY Drainage of Surface Water Around a Patio
DIY Drainage of Surface Water Around a Patio. Patios are constructed with a variety of materials such as concrete, stone pavers and wood. Regardless of the material, water that pools around the patio can lead to structural damage. Not only can the water compromise the structure, it can be a health hazard, a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A...
Patios are constructed with a variety of materials such as concrete, stone pavers and wood. Regardless of the material, water that pools around the patio can lead to structural damage. Not only can the water compromise the structure, it can be a health hazard, a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A do-it-yourself solution is to install a French drain -- a perforated, corrugated pipe placed in a trench below the ground -- to transport the water to another location.
Drain Path and Trench
The French drain should run from the patio area, where the water pools, to a lower spot on your property. Use stakes to indicate the drain’s path. Dig a channel or trench to a depth of about 18 to 24 inches and depending on the size of the drainage pipe, 6 to 12 inches wide. For the water to drain away from the patio, the trench must maintain a slope of 1 inch for every 8 feet.
Drain Assembly
A 2-inch layer of crushed stone or pea gravel sits at the bottom of the trench. Cover the gravel with landscaping fabric positioned so the excess fabric runs up the sides of the trench. Place a corrugated drainage pipe in the trench with the holes facing the bottom. Wrap the fabric around the pipe and pour a blanket of gravel into the trench to about 3 inches below the ground's surface. Top off the trench with dirt and turf.
