What is a landscape drain called?

Author: Prof. Kayli McDermott MD  |  Last update: Friday, May 30, 2025

Yard drains are also called catch basins. As that name implies, the purpose of this drain is to 'catch' excess surface water in a basin and redirect it. The catch basin acts like a sewer drain and directs the water through a pipe sloping away from the basin.

What is a yard drain called?

Catch Basins

A catch basin drainage system, also known simply as a “yard drain,” is a key component of many modern stormwater management systems. These basins are designed to collect and manage rainwater runoff efficiently.

What is an outside drain called?

Some of the most common outdoor drains include French drains, dry wells, catch basins, and trench drains.

What are the four types of drains?

Types of Home Drainage Systems
  • Surface Drainage. This type of drainage system focuses on getting rid of water from the top or surface part of your home. ...
  • Subsurface Drainage. A typical subsurface drainage system can remove excess water from the soil at the root level. ...
  • Slope Drainage. ...
  • Downspouts and Gutters.

What is the difference between a drain and a swale?

Swales ideally have a trapezoidal cross-section with a flat base, while drains have a shallow 'v'-shaped configuration (Figure 1). Swales and drains should be designed to convey the required run-off volume effectively, and be well vegetated to allow for seasonal slashing.

How to Install Landscape Drainage Correctly

What is a swale in landscaping?

Drainage swales are shallow ditches that blend in with surrounding landscape design, facilitate water management, and encourage natural irrigation. Swales take advantage of natural slopes in the land to direct water downward into all the soil as opposed to letting it pool above ground or waterlog a specific region.

What are the three types of drainage systems?

Understanding the Types of Drainage Systems
  • Surface Drainage System. Surface drainage systems remove excess water from the land's surface through channels or ditches. ...
  • Subsurface Drainage System. Subsurface drainage systems are implemented beneath the top layer of soil. ...
  • Slope Drainage System. ...
  • Downspouts and Gutter Systems.

What is landscape drainage?

Yard drains are also called catch basins. As that name implies, the purpose of this drain is to 'catch' excess surface water in a basin and redirect it. The catch basin acts like a sewer drain and directs the water through a pipe sloping away from the basin.

What is a YardWell?

AquaStop YardWell™ diverts gutter or sump pump water away from your home, where it can neatly drain in your yard. AquaStop YardWell is an extension that connects to your buried downspout extensions or sump pump discharge lines.

What are the different types of outdoor drain pipes?

Different Types of Outdoor Drains
  • French Drains. These humble drainage systems use a gravel-filled trench to capture excess groundwater and surface runoff before it causes issues around your home's foundation or yard. ...
  • Trench Drains. ...
  • Catch Basins. ...
  • Channel Drains. ...
  • Downspout Drains. ...
  • Dry Wells.

What are stormwater drains called?

Stormwater Catch Basins

Also known as storm drains or curb inlets, catch basins are structures designed to collect and channel excess water from paved surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. They typically have a grated ground-level opening leading to an underground collection system.

What are the drains outside my house?

A drain is a pipe that drains water and waste from a building and other buildings which belong with it, for example a garage. A lateral drain is a length of pipe which carries wastewater away from your property to a sewer. It's usually located outside your property boundary, often under a public pavement or road.

What is a culvert drain?

A drainage culvert is a structure, such as a pipe, that allows water to freely flow under various obstructions. These pipes provide effective stormwater management – allowing the free flow of water under roads, trails, and railways.

How do you make a landscape drain?

  1. Plan the Location. Figure out where the excess water is pooling and where you want it to go. ...
  2. Dig a Trench. ...
  3. Line the Trench with Filter Fabric. ...
  4. Pour the Gravel Bedding. ...
  5. Hook Up the Pipe Connections. ...
  6. Set the Pipe Drain in the Trench. ...
  7. Cover with Gravel and Filter Fabric. ...
  8. Backfill with Topsoil.

What is a gravel drain called?

French drains are typically made of perforated pipes and are surrounded by gravel or sand and landscaping textile that prevents the drainage material from migrating. Additionally, the landscaping textile prevents soil and roots from clogging or entering the holes in the pipe.

What is the difference between a ditch and a swale?

Swales, although similar to ditches, are low valley-like intersections between properties, usually more moist and having more growth of vegetation than ditches. They are also used for the conveyance and retention of drainage and irrigation of land, however are usually located along the rear yards of properties.

What is the drain in my backyard?

Yard drains are also known as collection basins; they catch excess surface water running away from your home. As the name would suggest, each drain funnels water directly into a more extensive drainage system below ground. Many homeowners find this type of system beneficial after heavy rains or snowmelt.

What is surface drainage?

Surface drainage is the diversion or orderly removal of excess water from the surface of land by means of improved natural channels or constructed drains, supplemented when necessary by shaping and grading of land surface to such drains.

What is a lawn drain?

Surface water that moves across a lawn can be difficult to control, especially if it's originating from off of your property. Fortunately, a French drain is a low-cost DIY project to manage surface water. A French drain is a trench filled with permeable materials, such as gravel atop a perforated PVC pipe.

What is horizontal drainage?

Horizontal drains are holes drilled into an embankment or cut slope and cased with a perforated-metal or slotted-plastic liner.

What is landscape trenching?

Trenching, a fundamental aspect of landscaping, involves creating narrow, deep depressions in the ground to install utilities, irrigation, or demarcate specific areas. Key roles of trenching include: Irrigation System Installation.

What is an example of a land drainage?

Land drainage is most commonly used to give relief to excess water that sits above ground. It is often referred to as a 'French drain' and can be identified as a flexible black pipe with a corrugated outer layer.

What is underground drainage called?

Subsurface Drain (SSD) - A pervious backfield trench, usually containing stone and perforated pipe, for intercepting groundwater or seepage. Surface Runoff - Precipitation that flows onto the surfaces of roofs, streets, the ground, etc., and is not absorbed or retained by that surface but collects and runs off.

What is a drainage system called?

In geomorphology, drainage systems, also known as river systems, are the patterns formed by the streams, rivers, and lakes in a particular drainage basin. They are governed by the topography of land, whether a particular region is dominated by hard or soft rocks, and the gradient of the land.

What is the difference between a swale and a trench drain?

Like a trench drain, a swale is a surface water drainage device. However, it's a lot more subtle in terms of its appearance in the landscape. A swale is like a ditch, but it's broad and shallow, and usually covered or lined with turfgrass or other vegetation.

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