A functional drainage system is one of the essentials in every building construction or renovation. It’s vital in any portion of a building that interacts with water. One of the most common types of drainage systems is underground pipes. This drainage system is a blanket term for fittings and pipes placed below the ground. Typically, it ensures two points: to channel rainwater to its soakaway or to transport wastewater to its holding area in the home or treatment facility. Suppose you’re planning to construct or renovate a building. In that case, you may want to go through an Underground Drainage System 101 lesson to understand what it really is, and how it works. With that said, here’s a homeowner’s guide to help you through:
Why Is an Underground Drainage System Important
Installing underground drainage is necessary as it plays a crucial role in every home. Aside from serving as water routes, underground drainage systems have a cluster of benefits. The following are some of the points that an adequately installed underground drainage system can provide to a home:
Eliminates Water Accumulation
Underground water systems are usually made of properly sealed and top-quality pipes and fittings. This way, they prevent stagnating water in the roof, sink, and other initial points. In addition, they can avoid leaks and tears that may cause water seepage and other issues.
Prevents Watery Basement and Wet Crawl Spaces
Underground drainage system keeps basements and crawls spaces dry. This way, they prevent water seepage, condensation, and leaks. This reduces the chance of pests living in such areas as they prefer wet spaces.
Reduces Health Risks
In most cases, buildings without proper underground drainage become breeding grounds for molds and fungus because of water deposits. The latter’s presence may lead to health issues as some molds could cause allergic reactions and breathing problems. Because of the drainage, the system prevents leaks that can be the ideal space for mildew and fungus to grow.
Reduces Soil Erosion
Since underground pipes cause leaks and seepages, they keep their surrounding soil intact. To make this happen for a long time, you could add pipe wear pads to prevent moisture penetration that can affect the ground.
What to Look for in Installing Underground Drainage Pipes
Apart from mandatory plumbing inspection, drainage pipe installation is one critical stage in buying, building, or renovating a house. Unseen issues during this process could cause long-term problems for the drainage.
In other words, it may make or break the whole drainage. To have a proper pipe installation, careful planning is necessary. This way, homeowners can ensure the pipes are well-placed. In addition to this, building owners should look for the following points as they are factors in having top-notch underground drainage:
Quality
Above all, you need to ensure your drainage has pipes of the highest quality. This means the lines have industrial-grade strength, thickness, and look. They should be free from uneven stains and sandpaper marks. In addition, they should be appropriate for fitting to adapters, bends, and couplers. This way, homeowners are sure that rainwater or wastewater is transported correctly.
Installation Process
The way the pipes are placed may vary depending on the installer’s methods. Some may begin with pre-cutting or bending the pipes before digging a trench. Others choose to dig first before preparing the pipes.
Either way, building owners need to select the suitable one for the location, soil type, and weather in which the pipes are installed. Rains may affect the digging, so weather forecasts must be prioritized first if this is the situation.
Legal Requirements
In most installation practices, installers or homeowners may need legal permission to dig. For this purpose, building owners need to secure legal requirements first before proceeding. In addition, it’s highly advisable to talk first to the government’s representative on excavation, digging, and related tasks to avoid future issues in the installation process.
Soil Type
Before installing the pipes, building owners should classify the soil type of the location. Muddy soil becomes problematic when wet. Hence, pipe installation should be done on sunny days. For loose soil, you need to be extra careful as it’s more prone to erosion. While trenches for underground drainage may not be too deep, building owners must still try to avoid accidents.
Wrapping Up
Drainage systems are as critical as any part of the house, such as the kitchen and bedrooms. Drainage pipes are for channeling rainwater or wastewater toward their catchment or treatment facility. Without these, problems like wet crawl spaces, basement flooding, mold growth, and soil erosion may occur. Collectively, these conditions can lead to more significant structural issues in the building.
If you’re planning to build, buy, or renovate your home, take into consideration the underground drainage systems, and their specifics such as pipes, drain cleanout, and fittings. Because these are essential, you need to plan it out. With proper planning, it is very feasible to have well-placed pipes in your drainage. You can think about the basics you learned in this article before planning and constructing your underground drainage system.
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