Channel drains are installed to protect your basement from flood damage, prevent sewage backups, and keep your yard clean. A licensed contractor can install them, but if you want a do-it-yourself installation, you need to ask yourself first: What are the uses of channel drains? What are the potential benefits of channel drains? In this article, you’ll learn the answers to these questions and more.
What Are The Uses Of A Channel Drain?
Several elements are involved in building a house or building. One of the most important systems installed in your home is the drainage system. There are many types of drains found in your home. You’ll even find some that are located outdoors, such as a channel drain. In general, channel drains are used for sewer and stormwater disposal. Channel drains serve several important uses for your property, including the following:
- Flood control: A channel drain’s main purpose is to control flooding in basements, crawlspaces, driveways, and sidewalks. They can also be used on inner walls or connect two adjacent wall sections for water runoff control.
- Prevent water damage: Channel drain systems can channel sewer and stormwater away from your property and your foundation.
- Keep your home clean: Flooding not only causes damage to your home, but it can also be detrimental to your health and your family’s. Stagnant water outside your home can encourage the growth of mosquitoes, for example. Installing a drain system ensures that wastewater and rainwater are flushed out effectively.
How Do You Install Channel Drains?
As mentioned earlier, channel drains are used to drain sewer and liquid waste off of residential and commercial properties. When these channels are used correctly, they work as watertight filters for residential and commercial properties. These filters trap solids in the pipes and then pass through the channels where they’re removed from your plumbing system.
Are there any other important considerations when it comes to channel drains and trench drainage systems? Probably the most significant consideration is the proper placement of the channel drain pipe. It can be done for residential and commercial buildings by following the local building code or contacting a licensed professional. In either case, ensure that you choose the correct length and diameter of the drain pipe to match your property’s topography. Regardless of how you use them, installing channel or trench drains is an easy project with the assistance of a trustworthy contractor and high-quality materials at EasyMerchant.
What are the legal requirements for channel drains? Any municipality that uses a combined surface drainage system must follow certain minimum standards. The most important among these is the combined site flow rate guidelines. Regardless of the type of drain you use, both concrete and polyethylene fibers are required to be securely woven through the channel. It creates a strong and reliable structure that meets all applicable codes and provides exceptional protection against surface runoff.
What Are The Benefits Of Channel Drains?
Most people don’t understand the importance of channel drains, but if you want to avoid serious plumbing problems, then it’s crucial to know their benefits:
- An effective long-term solution
Channel drains are excellent for decreasing the amount of water that seeps into your basement or reducing the amount of moisture that seeps into your crawl space. Installing channel drains will significantly reduce surface water penetration into your home’s structure to prevent opening or cracks in the foundation. A channel drain is an effective solution to prevent water from pooling in your property’s surrounding areas.
Channel drains are also called linear drains, trench drains, or gravity drains. They’re specifically designed to give efficient surface drainage to reduce the risk of flooding in a large area. The installation of a channel drain prevents water from collecting in non-porous surfaces. Not only does a channel drain work well in larger areas, it’s also suitable for smaller drainage blocks. It can even be incorporated into your sub-slab footer drain network, where it works as an additional strategy to stop water accumulation.
- Prevent erosion
When you properly install and maintain your channel drainage systems, you can drastically reduce the amount of soil erosion. It’s especially useful in areas where runoff is often a problem, such as near oceans, rivers, and lakes. You’ll find that rerouting channels allow you to more effectively control the rate at which soil is washed away from your home.
- Boost your property’s value
Aside from improving your drainage system’s effectiveness, channel drains and downspout extensions can dramatically improve your home’s aesthetics. Improving the appearance of your home can boost its marketability and make it easier to sell. Flooding and water damage devalue your home, turning off potential buyers. Removing the risk of structural damages with channel drains and downspout extensions can significantly improve the look of your home and its market value.
If you have a lovely patio or deck, or even a pool or pond, there’s no excuse for not using drainage solutions to keep water from ruining your landscaping. It’s important to get in contact with a reputable and experienced professional to install these drains promptly and cost-effectively. You’ll find companies specializing in installing channel drain solutions in residential and commercial properties.
- Easy to install
If you’re looking for a way to improve your landscaping at home, you may want to consider using channel drains. These drains are easy to install and are ideal for maintaining drainage in your garden. They can be installed by yourself if you’re confident about doing DIY drainage work, but it’s best to have a professional plumber install them for you.
- Safeguard your health
When you prevent water from leaking or seeping into the walls or structure of your home, you’re reducing the threats posed by mold and mildew. Plus, when you regularly maintain your drains, you can ensure that your gutters and downspouts are working properly and effectively. Doing so will help wastewater flow towards the sewer and prevent standing water, which not only emits a foul odor but may also become contaminated with bacteria, parasites, or animal feces.
Takeaway
One should not disregard the benefits of having a functional and effective drainage system. It’s important to hire a licensed professional to install channel drains because, although they look simple, a qualified tradesperson will ensure that your drainage system work as effectively as possible.
