How to add drainage along a wall?

[flolemens]

Hi Community,

I've had some moisture building at the base of the wall, and I'm planning to put drainage with ag pipe. Any advice on how to do it? Should I use drainage gravel and then lay the Stretch Ag-Pipe ? Anything else?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @flolemens,

What sort of moisture are we talking about here? Is it standing surface water that doesn't go away for a few days after rain or just moist soil? If you have standing water, then the Ag-pipe will undoubtedly help it drain away. 

You'll need to dig a trench 65mm wide and around 200mm deep that slopes away from the area and to your drain. You'd then lay your socked Ag-pipe in the trench and backfill it with drainage gravel.

This step-by-step guide on How to install garden drainage should come in handy.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Mitchell

[flolemens]

Hi @MitchellMc ,

thanks for your advice. Well, it does not stand surface water but it kind of infiltrates and the bottom is a bit wet/humid. So I thought drainage would stop the soak. Thoughts?

[MitchellMc]

Adding drainage will allow the water a place to escape @flolemens, and once it has, the soil will dry out faster.

Where does that air-conditioner release its wastewater? Quite often, the area next to an AC unit can be quite wet/humid due to the water it produces. It might be worth diverting this wastewater pipe away from the area as well.

Mitchell

[TheHandySqirrel]

The most important thing you want to fix is where the water is going. You need fall *away* from the house so any water drains elsewhere and does not go near your walls or slab. If you have downpipes which are not caught and directed towards a stormwater drain, that's another thing to fix (including the a/c as MitchellMc suggests).

I have learned a lot by watching YouTube videos from two American drainage experts – Apple Drains and Gate City Foundation Drainage. They share a lot of their knowledge.