How to Install a Channel Drain

Using a shovel or small excavator, dig a trench that covers the length of the channel drain and the drain pipe. The trench should be around 6 inches deep for the channel drain to give you enough space for laying the channel drain. The drain pipe will need to be around 12 inches deep. You’ll also want around 4 inches of space surrounding the channel for pouring concrete.

Place any dirt into a wheelbarrow to make it easier to remove and move to a new location.

Next, compact the ground using a hand tamp or mechanical compactor.

Before you call it a day, you'll want to make sure that your trench has a slope that directs water down toward the area where you're installing the drain pipe so that water correctly flows all the way through the draining system. 

The most ideal slopes for drain lines fall between 1/8th to 3 inches for every foot of piping material. Just how much slope your channel drain needs depends on the grading of the landscape and the speed at which you need water to flow to prevent flooding. Use a level to check the slope and add or decrease the amount of soil to get the necessary grading.

To prevent humidity and water from building up around your channel drain, place a vapor barrier down after you've prepared the trench.

While you prepare your channel drain, you'll need to support the rebar as you install the drain. The easiest way to support your channel drain is to use bricks. Stack bricks on both ends of the trench—until your channel drain sits 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch below the top of the surrounding ground or concrete. Your drain must sit below the surface level if cars will drive over it to prevent the weight of the vehicles from cracking the drain. 

With your channel drain sitting securely on top of the bricks, it's time to secure the rebar to the channel clips attached to your channel drain. Pop a piece of rebar into each of the allotted slots, and secure it by hitting the top of the rebar with a rubber mallet until it’s flush with the top of the drain clip. From here, you can leave the bricks or remove and save them for future projects.

Follow the instruction manual for your specific drain pipe for connecting any parts of your drain. Your drain pipe and fittings, however, will depend on your property and how you want to redirect water away from the home. For instance, some homes use a driveway culvert for channeling water.

To attach a drain pipe and fittings, you’ll need to apply waterproof silicone around the edge of a PVC elbow and then quickly insert and press it into the outlet piece. Continue to add PVC piping and elbows as necessary, until you’ve reached the end of your desired drain system.

Once your channel drain system is completely installed, you can prepare it for the concrete. But before you start pouring concrete, cover the surface of your channel drain with masking tape to prevent concrete from falling into the slots and clogging the system. 

Now it's time to mix the concrete to add to your channel drain and start pouring it into the surrounding spaces. Use a pointed trowel to smooth the concrete for a polished look. Be sure to remove the tape carefully once the concrete sets.

The drain pipe does not typically need concrete, as it tends to go into the yard. So for this step, use a shovel to remove soil from the wheelbarrow you filled during the excavation process.

The aftermath of an excavation site can leave your yard looking more like a construction zone than a residential lawn with former curb appeal. Add some fresh compost and grass seed to your yard to have your prized lawn up and running again in no time.