Trench drains are one of the most common drainage features that are used in many applications. They are easy to install and they are very effective. They are also attractive and hold up well over the course of the years. There are not many other kinds of drain types that are so easy to install and so effective overall.
If you have a drainage system that needs an update, or you are thinking of installing trench drains when you landscape a yard, put in a pool, or add a fountain or pond to your property, you will need to know how this kind of drain works and what to expect. You should always go into this kind of installation with a lot of information on hand and be sure that you have the right Trench drain solution in place when you are done with the project.
If you are ready to learn about tips on where to buy trench drains, read on!
What is the Purpose of Purchasing a Trench Drain?
Trench drains offer the ability to remove standing water or runoff from elevations above your yard through the use of small channels that will discreetly guide runoff and standing water down into a drain field. This drain field might be at the edge of your property or maybe your drain field is the street drains that are at the edge of your property.
These trenches are often installed near pools and landscaping in-home use to help keep standing water from killing landscaping elements or creating slippery conditions near pools and other bodies of water. Trench drains are easy to install and help diffuse the water that has been carried away from the location it is not wanted out over a wider area that can accept the runoff and absorb it.
Trench drains are the easiest solution for many kinds of drainage needs and they will be the best solution for most of your drainage needs. Even if you are planning to trench for a commercial property, a job site, a pool, or even a commercial building, you will probably need to have trench drains as part of your overall drainage solution. Even if slot drains and other more cosmetically focused drains are part of your drain system, you will still have to connect these smaller drains to a trench drain system in most instances.
Trench Drain System Categories
There are some basic types that are common to find offered when you are looking to install a trench drain. There are benefits to each kind of system and your unique needs might dictate the use of one kind of system over another.
All of these drains are technically surface drains and they are made to channel pooled water on the ground or other surfaces in your yard or parking lot or other areas that need to take care of the water. This is a common drain type that is used in many types of drainage solutions. Even if you have other kinds of drains installed in your facility or yard, you will have a trench drain connected to them for part of the system.
There are various ways to make and install this kind of drain system and you will find that not all of them are created equal. Many people are not aware of what kinds of processes are used to make this kind of drain system and only find out when they are installing their first trench drains on their property. Your installer should be able to advise you about the right way choices to make for your trench construction and design.
· Cast-in-Place
This is an older method that is not always used in modern applications but still sometimes has relevance in certain conditions. This is a process that uses a wooden mold that will build the channel for the trench drain. Metal frames are attached to the wooden mold and are used to create the top edge of the form of the drain.
The form is then suspended inside the trough and flush with surface elevation. There will be a space that is six inches or even more below this on either side of the form. The drain pipe is then attached to the form and the concrete is poured into this form to create the trench drain. This is a lot like the older methods for pouring concrete and people who have seen this process done will recognize the method as being similar while being used for a different purpose.
· Precast Concrete
Precast concrete is a very common method of installing a trench drain system. You simply buy pre-made segments of the drainage solution in prefabricated sizes and join them together to create your trench drain system. This saves big money on time and if you do not have any oddball sizes of shapes of drain that need to be made for your project, you will never notice that you did not make these trenches custom using forms.
This is a great system for installation with a small number of people on the work crew or in the case of homeowners doing their own installation. Many companies offer a wide selection of pre-made shapes as well and you will have no trouble picking the right size drain made with the right fittings for your unique needs.
· Linear Systems
These systems are also quite common. These drains are made from concrete, fiberglass, or other polymers and can be installed in segments like the precast drainage systems. These systems are not strong enough on their own to support the needs of the drainage system, so they will need to be assembled in a trench and then have concrete poured around them.
This is not a complicated process and it offers a lot of strength and stability to this drainage type to simply pour concrete around them when you are done laying the linear drains. This is a great solution for areas that are high traffic and need some extra stability as well as smaller drain systems that need to be installed in hard-to-access areas.
· Former Systems
This is the improved version of the cast-in-place style of the trench. This system allows you to cast-in-place without having to build your own formers for your needs. The form is removed once the concrete has dried and this format makes it easy to create custom solutions without the struggle and waste that is part of making a cast-in-place system yourself.
This might still be a skill set that is outside of the range of most homeowners, but a drain installation expert can handle this kind of project easily. This is a great way to take advantage of the custom-fit nature of the cast-in-place method without having to build your own molds.
Tips on Where to Buy Trench Drains
Now that you know a little more about the kinds of trench drain systems that you can invest in for your drainage solution needs, you probably want to know how to pick the right trench drains to install. Buying trench drains from the wrong supplier can lead to all kinds of issues that you might not have expected to have to deal with when you were shopping for trench drains.
Getting the right drains installed for your home or your business is very important for the overall lifespan of your landscaping, pool, fountain, or even the foundation of your home. Correctly installed drainage that works properly is very important for the safety of pool areas and walkways and also for the welfare of your plants and garden.
1. Consider Peak Flow
The answer to what your peak water flow needs are going to be is necessary to be sure that the company that you are working with can supply you with the right size trench drain for your needs. Peak flow can be hard to calculate through guesswork, so you need to be able to get a real number for this part of your planning process.
The rational equation for managing rainfall can be a big help in taking care of this need for your overall planning. You will need to know the runoff coefficient of the drain that you are looking into first of all. This information can be affected by the steepness of the drain incline since that will cause the water to move faster. You will also need to know the peak rainfall intensity in inches per hour and the drainage area that you will be working with per square foot.
The conversion factor is 96.23 for this calculation. The actual calculation is Q= C*I*A / 96.23. You can see why having a drainage and trench drain installer on your side is important! This calculation can make or break the successful function of your trench drain and your overall drain field as built. You will need to make sure that any trenching supply company that you are working with can provide you with the right size drain as determined by this calculation.
2. Expertise
Working with a company that does not know what they are doing can lead to very bad results for your overall trench installation. You will find that expertise is very critical for any trench drain installation and that you will not be pleased with the results of a low-quality job that is not completed with the right products and solutions.
Any trench drain company that you elect to work with should have the right credentials to prove that they have worked on this kind of solution in the past and you should look into the company’s reputation. While a new company might have a lot of experienced team members on staff, it can be hard to be sure that this will be the right solution for your needs without any feedback to look into. You should always try to work with a company that has a great reputation and that installs their own or well-known and trusted products.
Working with a third-party installer can also work if you are buying your own precast products, but you should also look to see if this company has a lot of experience in their related field as well. There is no shortage of people who pretend to know how to do their job out there in every market, and you do not want to end up being a guinea pig client for a business that is not sure how to do the job.
3. Consider Load Bearing and Design Features
There are always going to be considerations that must be dealt with related to the load-bearing ability of your yard and drain field. You should make sure that you ask the right questions to make sure that the company that you are going to work with knows how to grade, prepare and install the entire system that they are planning to put in your yard or install near your office.
While some companies might only work on installing the actual drains themselves, you should consider whether you want to work with a company that will not take care of the entire installation process from start to finish. Having the same teamwork on every detail of your drainage work can make for a much better end outcome and you will be likely to be way happier with a job that is managed by one company from start to finish.
For many people, the biggest concerns that are related to the installation of a trench drain system are related to setting up the grade and other factors to make sure that your drainage systems will work perfectly. Making sure that the location that you are buying trenching solutions from can help you to install and problem-solve for your unique needs can be a big benefit to working with an experienced company that is used to doing full installations for customers.
4. Weighing Cost When Purchasing Trench Drains
Always be wary of estimates that are very costly as well as estimates that are on the very low side of the spectrum. Either of these issues can lead to disappointment in the final product for the stated cost. If you are working with a company that is bidding for a job at a much lower cost than other competitors, that is a red flag that there is a reason for this savings.
Likewise, companies who are bidding much higher than other companies in their area need to justify why they are doing so. There is no reason to accept shoddy work at a cheap price any more than you should feel compelled to pay a very high fee for an average job. Estimates help you to pick the right company for your needs at a cost that you can afford.
Quality installers will offer you the chance to understand clearly every single item on the estimate as well as making sure that you know what expected added fees and charges might be. For many people, there are lots of unknowns about this kind of process, so you should be able to get all of the details in writing before you choose which company to buy trench drain supplies from.
5. Full Service or Not
The answer to whether or not a company is the right one for your needs can be complex. If you want to install your own drainage system, you might not need to be as picky about service options as someone who cannot take care of this need for themselves. You will always need to consider the quality of the installation services that are being offered if you need the company to both sell you the trenching supplies and install them.
Look at business reviews and talk with the person who is sent to bid your jobs about the details of the job. Make sure that you are comfortable with the proposed process that is going to be done to create your drainage solution. You can also make sure that you know the expected timeframe for the completion of the job. You do not want to assume too much when you are working with a full-service company and asking questions is a good idea.
Make sure that you think about whether or not you can realistically install your own drainage systems when you are shopping for trench drain supplies and solutions. There is nothing worse than spending the money for a DIY project only to realize that you have done something critical wrong and the whole thing will have to be fixed. Make sure that you are not reaching past your own level of comfort to try and take on a job that is better left to experts.
6. Aesthetics
Ask to see pictures of finalized jobs using the products that you are thinking of working with for your installation. If you want upgraded touches like embossed drain covers, drain covers with designs on them, or other aesthetic requirements, you should make sure that the company that you are looking into is capable of providing these services.
It is all too common for people to pick any entire drainage system and have it installed, only to find out that the custom options that they wanted were not going to be possible. If aesthetics are really important to you, prioritize this in your shopping for the right trench drain solution for your needs.
Another factor for aesthetics is whether or not the company can install your drainage needs in a tidy way that looks nice when it is done. There are many ways to insert drainage solutions that work, but sometimes these solutions are not very attractive to look at. If you want to be sure that the solution that will be installed in your yard is going to look a specific way, you need to inquire about this factor upfront.
Not every company is going to be able to deliver these kinds of high-quality results and you should be aware of this limitation well in advance of purchasing drainage solutions that do not look the way you hoped or that will impede the beauty of your overall property.
7. Consider Safety When Shopping for Trench Drains
Make sure that you ask about safety considerations when you pick a trenching system that you are going to have installed for you. Some companies are not going to follow safety guidelines the way that they should and you should make sure to be aware of these problems well before you have the company on your property and working on the job.
Accidents that happen on your property might end up requiring a homeowner’s claim to be filed and you should avoid working with any company that does not value safety above many other factors. There is no excuse for working with a company that does not care about the safety of you, the homeowner, or their own staff and you should avoid working with any business that does not take this seriously.
This is part of the responsibility of owning a business that does construction-based installations regularly, so it is a big red flag if you are working with a company that does not have the ability to prove that they will be able to take care of your needs with safety being near the top of the list.
8. Materials
You might have in mind a trenching system that is made with specific materials. This request should be made early on before you start having a company plan your entire drainage system. You do not want to find out after you have paid for plans to be drawn up and picked all your drainage solutions that the drains that you want to have installed are not available to you.
A good trench supply company will be able to explain which kinds of drains you can have for your unique needs and they should be transparent about the fact that they do not have the kinds of products that you are inquiring about if this is the case. Being sure that you are getting the right drainage solutions for your needs is important and you should be able to seek assurances that this will be possible well before any major planning is undertaken.
Being able to see the materials and learn about the kinds of fabrication that are used to create the drainage solutions in question is an important part of the process of investing in the right drainage solution for your overall needs. You will be much happier with your overall buying experience if the materials that are used to create your drainage solutions are exactly the ones that you wanted from the start.
9. Professionalism
No matter how nice the products are that a company is selling, you will find that working with them is not worth it if there is no professionalism on offer. You cannot hope to work effectively with a company that does not offer you professional services that they will stand by. Part of professionalism is offering up a good warranty as well as 100% customer satisfaction.
There is nothing worse than buying a product and having an issue with it and then being told that there is nothing that can be done to solve the problem. This is particularly true if you are working with this company not only for the purchase of your trench drain materials but also for the installation.
It is never a good idea to work with any company for any kind of service that will not stand by their quality of service just like the quality of their products. You will always have a better experience when working with a company that is professional and wants to make sure that you love the products and services that they have sold to you or installed for you.
10. Think About Looking to Buy Trench Drains in Your Local Area
Working with a company that is not able to service your local area can make your overall buying experience really stressful. You should always think twice before you decide to buy from a company that is not anywhere near your location. Even if you are going to do the installation process through a third party or if you are doing the work yourself, having a local company sell the products to you will make your overall purchase process much better.
You should always aim to work with a local company rather than one that is not concerned with their reputation in your location. Companies who have no stake in your local area and no relationship to your state or your county or city will not be as motivated to think of what is right for you. They will just not be as likely to feel that they have skin in the game too.
Beyond this, it can be really difficult to work long distances with a company when there are problems that crop up with your installation. Working with a company that has local branches near you will make it much easier to get the right products for your needs as well as getting help if there is something that is not right.
11. Preparation Advice
While not every company provides support for installation services, but if the company that you are working with does this, you should consider using this to your advantage. This might even be worth prioritizing if you are not sure about which company to buy from. Advice about the grading and the preparation for your installation can make a big difference to your overall experience with your new drain products.
Many larger companies will make sure to offer advice and might even be able to provide these services for your needs, and it might be worth making sure that you make this an important part of your considerations when picking a place to buy trench drain products. Being able to get advice about the right way to prepare and take care of the grading and other needs for your drains can help greatly with your overall experience once the drains are complete.
12. Installation Advice is Important When Purchasing Trench Drains
If you are not sure which products to buy or what will be the best drainage solution for your needs, the company that you should pick to work with ought to be able to help you to pick the right items for your needs. This should be a major requirement when you are searching for the right place to buy trench drains and you might want to put this near the top of your list.
Many companies will send out a technician to help you to plan and pick out the right drainage system and trenching solutions for your overall needs. Not every location needs the same kinds of trench drains and you should be able to gain access to advice about the right trenching products for commercial, residential, and pool use.
Most companies will have skilled technicians on their staff that are tasked with coming out to your location and bidding on the job that you need to have done. This is when you can discuss the right drainage solutions for your needs as well as ask questions about the right trenching materials and designs for your property and your unique goals.
The pan and grate materials that are the foundation of the overall system is very important and you need to be sure that you work with a technician that knows how to make sure that your trench drain system will hold up to load and the amount of water that might be flowing through it at peak times.
You should probably be concerned about buying from a company that does not offer this service to customers. This is a really important service to offer to customers and many companies that know what they are doing will make sure that this is part of what they offer to customers for their purchase.
13. Consider Driving and Foot Traffic
You should always consider areas that will get a lot of vehicle or foot traffic as uniquely challenging locations that will need additional support. This is one of the areas that many people overlook when they are planning their own drainage system but this is something an expert might start with when planning a drainage system.
The portions of your drainage system that will be under sidewalks and roadways will need to be installed with the proper protection to keep them from being crushed. These drains might also need to be made of different materials than the drains in other parts of your overall system.
Consider making sure that these drains are made to be more stable and sturdier and that they are protected by the right infrastructure needed to keep them from getting damaged by added weight pressing down on them.
This can be a factor for driveways or sidewalks at your home as well and sometimes drainage systems will pass under your patio or other areas of your home that might carry more weight than other parts of the yard. You might not realize how much weight some kinds of functions can put on your drainage system so you should always aim to reinforce these areas with greater protection than the rest of your drainage system.
How do Experts Help Plan Drainage Systems?
When you have an expert come out to your location to look at your site and help you pick the right trench drains for your needs, they will always follow the same process. They will look at the natural grades and slopes of the property and then calculate the related drain slot width and other measurements that will make the drainage solution that you need perform the best.
They will be armed with the information that you need to know related to the max water flow that your drainage solution will need to handle. They can calculate peak flow for your area and use the measurements that they have taken as well as their observation of the kind of soil on your property to determine what kind of drainage solution you might need.
They will also look at your drain field or the sewer connections that you will need to use for your runoff and suggest any kind of collection basin or other solution if needed. You might have some choices to make related to cosmetic parts of the drainage system and you might get to choose between some materials and other kinds of drains to help keep costs down or manage peak water flow times more effectively.
This is part of the benefit of working with an expert because they will know all of the ins and outs of what is required to make the perfect drainage solution for your needs. This can require a lot of guesswork if you have not done this before and having an expert bid the job for you and help you to make the right product decisions can help you save money and do the project right the first time.
Picking the Right Place to Buy Trench Drains Matters
You need to be sure that you work with the right trench drain company to ensure that you get the best results from your trench drain system. You should never choose a company that does not offer the right warranties and support for your trench system. Being able to protect your investment with a warranty and the advice of an expert can make the difference between a great experience and a bad one.
The trench drain system that you install will make sure that water is drained off your property for safety and the beauty of your yard. In commercial settings, you will be able to remove run off while also setting up a secure drainage system that will hold up to some hard work and tough daily challenges. If you choose to work with the right company you can get the support that you need for every step of your installation process.
Picking the right trench drains for your needs is just as important as picking the right company to supply and install them. Make sure not to cut corners when you pick where you buy your trench drains and you will have the best installation process possible.
