Installing channel drain in your home is an easy and cost effective way to deal with drainage issues on your property and it’s so easy most people can do it themselves. In this guide we’ll go through the basic installation methods to help you install a successful channel drainage system in your driveway, pavement or other problem areas.
Installing channel drain- The method
- Clear the area of tarmac, paving or bricks.
Once you have planned out the route of your channel drain you will need to remove the hard surface to accomodate for the trench.
Installing channel drain in paving
If you’re fitting channel drainage into block paving, it is best practice to place the channel drain at the lowest point of the problem area, taking advantage of the slope which will force the rainwater to run off into the channel drain.
Installing channel drainage in your driveway
Installing channel drain in your driveway is especially useful if you have a sloped drive which leads onto a main road. This slope will naturally direct the excess rainwater into the channel drain before hitting the road. This is the preferred method so that any run off from your property goes into the channel drain system rather than flooding the road.
Learn more about installing a channel drain system in your driveway.
- Dig the trench
Dig a trench which is large enough in height to accommodate a 50mm compacted sand base at the bottom, and is wide enough so that 100mm of concrete side fill on each side can surround the channel. As you dig the trench you need to allow for a fall of around 5mm per every 1m length of channel drain. Most domestic channels do not have a built-in fall or slope, so this needs to be accommodated for manually in the trench preparation. Fixing a length of string along the trench to mark the height of where the grating should finish (roughly 2mm below the final surface level) can help you by acting as a guide.
- Lay the drain
Start installing the channel at the lowest point to ensure that if you need to cut any lengths, they’re at the furthest point form the outlet. connect the lengths as you go along, they will slot into the next one at the end. When you get to the end, the last length can be cut to fit the space needed.
Once finished, install an end cap at the highest point and seal the joints with a silicone sealant to ensure the system has longevity and connect the lowest point of the drain to an underground drainage pipe.
- Place the grate
Place the grating onto the channel making sure it is securley attached and cover the grating with tape or something similar. Pour concrete into the trench, finishing 2mm above the surface of the grate.
Once finished you need to wait at least 72 hours for the channel to cure and set in place before vehicles can drive over or the grates can be removed.
Each length of channel drain has integral bottom outlets. If the drainage pipe that you need to connect to is lower than the actual channel drain, these outlets should be used. To do this all you need to do it cut out (or sometimes pop out with a hammer) the circular inner section of the outlet and connect the 110m pipe, we recommend ULTRA3, to the outlet.
If you are connecting to an adjacent gully or chamber it may be possible to use an end outlet.
If you wish to connect your channel drain to a soakaway system, similarly you simply need to join your channel to the drainage pipes which lead to your soakaway.
