Best Drainage System Outside Pole Barn

[jmd4j]

I built a 48x50 pole barn, and was wondering what type of drain to install to reroute water around the building? I cut into a slight slope to build the building, and some of the water flows down the hillside toward the barn. I installed gutters on both sides that helped tremendously, but there is still some that runs off the bank toward the barn. I'm wondering if a french drain, or install a few drains where the X's are in the picture, would be better.I plan on getting the barn/pad concreted, and if I run the pipe across and under the barn, I can tie that into a drain I'm wanting to put in the center of it also, and keep routing it on out in the same direction. I plan on having gravel on the outside of the barn on the side pictured, and sod the slope. I just wanted more opinions on what you all though the best drain type would be? Thanks!

 

[terry.dinerman]

What a fine looking barn and a beautiful location!

If this was my barn I would change the contours of the ground around the barn.... create a grass-lined waterway to carry run-off around the structure, rather than try to trap / pool / pipe it away....

The cost of creating a GLW is in machine time, and has almost no maintenance, where any form of enclosed drainage requires parts (pipe and gravel), will accumulate silt, and therefore have a set life-span...if your GLW gets overgrown, it is wide open for maintenance...running the mower or dragging a box blade thru it will cure that problem....

This is, of course, my humble opinion and your mileage may vary...

BE SAFE OUT THERE...

Terry

 

[rswyan]

What td said ... :thumbsup:

 

[dave1949]

X2 on Terry's drainage swale. It looks like that high side needs to be cut down and widened some more. If it will hold grass with the runoff that's fine. If not, then a rocked bottom would be the next step although not nearly as easy to maintain with a mower.

French drains are meant to dry out a wet area, carry ground water away from foundations and the like. They don't do much at all for sudden runoff which is what you are trying for.

 

[lt190b]

Grade Grade Grade. Your just not finished yet. The further you can get the water away the better. lt190b

 

[jmd4j]

Well it looks like I'll be doing some more grading! Thanks for everyones insights. I'll keep chipping away on the upper side. I wish I could use the dirt to raise the height of the entire pad, but I'm at my limit on the upper side for door height, so the grade on the upper end (pictured) is the highest I can go. I should be able to get the hill graded down low enough to create a natural waterway though. Thanks again!

 

[terry.dinerman]

Happy to help a friend...new or old.

Be SAFE out there...

T

 

[EddieWalker]

You need to remove more dirt!!!! You need for your soil to slope away from your building far enough that when water is flowing, it doesn't come close to it. Then you need the dirt on the other side of the slop to be angled enough to maintain it with a mower, or turn it into landscaping that you can maintain. A retaining wall would be my last option because of the expense involved.

Eddie

 

[jmd4j]

I'll get to removing more dirt in the next day or two if it dries out enough. I've got about 30 more feet of slope I can play with until I start running into another shed, so I should have plenty of room to remove more dirt. I should be able to get a small waterway/trench deep enough to keep the water flowing, and have an upslope easy to mow. I can get sod relatively cheap around here so I may use what I'd use in drains/gravel and throw it to the sod.

 

[MacLawn]

Wha' they said. I know, I've got to do the same thing! Dirt needs moving... changing the face of the earth, one shovel full at a time.