Residential Drainage
Introduction
Multi-Flow drainage systems are ideal for drainage in residential settings. It is used beneficially in yards and gardens, along driveways and sidewalks, near foundations and retaining walls and under basements.
The explosion of Multi-Flow usage is part of a larger trend toward more extensive and intensive usage of yards and gardens. Homeowners increasingly want to keep grass, shrubs, trees, and flowers on their entire property healthy, attractive and ready for use. Heavy use or yard work during saturated conditions compacts the soil and consequently threatens the plant life. Multi-Flow is also often used to keep water from flowing under or even into houses, basements, and outbuildings.
Residential drainage is all too often ignored during the development of new housing additions. Once the landscaping is in place with established turf, Multi-Flow becomes an even more attractive solution to drainage problems due to its unobtrusive installation method.
Vertical or horizontal installation?
Most commonly, Multi-Flow is installed vertically. If a trench is needed, vertical is the orientation of choice. Multi-Flow can be installed horizontally where construction requires the top soil to be stripped away. It is usually stripped away to a somewhat impermeable clay base and new fill is then hauled in. In these cases, Multi-Flow is rolled out horizontally before the new fill is hauled in. The time and cost of trenching can be by-passed. In planters and under pavers are two common examples of horizontal installations.
Advantages of using Multi-Flow in your residential drainage
Whether it is new construction or addressing an existing problem, Multi-Flow is a wise choice because Multi-Flow is:
- easy to use
- efficient
- long lasting
- affordable
Easy to use – Multi-Flow is a product that homeowners, contractors, and landscape architects love to work with because of its shape, the adaptability of the overall system, and the flexibility of the pipe.
Shape – Because of its panel shape, Multi-Flow can be inserted vertically. This means that a trench can be dug with a small walk-behind trencher or in some cases by hand. The result is less excavated material to haul away, less backfill to haul in, less time spent, less damage to the landscaping, and of course, less expense.
Connectors – Not only are Multi-Flow connectors easy to use, there are a lot of them. Any configuration that is appropriate for a given site can be carried out using one or more of the 60 Multi-Flow connectors.
Flexibility – Multi-Flow is easily bent making it convenient to work with, suitable for making tight turns, and easily joined to connectors.
Collect water – Water can enter a Multi-Flow drain more quickly because Multi-Flow has greater surface area than traditional round pipe. The more drainage product that there is in contact with surrounding saturated soil, the more quickly drainage can take place.
Transport water – Once water has entered Multi-Flow flow channels, it moves away from the saturated area quickly because the channels are round and unobstructed, unlike those in other panel shaped drains.
Strength – Multi-Flow is designed to withstand heavy loads. Able to withstand loads well in excess of 6,000 psf, Multi-Flow is not going to collapse due to heavy surface loads in shallow installations or due to earth weight in deep installations.
Improved filtration methods – The Multi-Flow system includes a heavy effective geotextile filter. This high quality fabric acts as an excellent secondary filter, keeping Multi-Flow’s flow channels clean and open. Clean coarse sand acts as a very effective primary filter. Due to its shape, Multi-Flow is easily encased in sand, assuring a long life. When placed in a 4 inch wide trench Multi-Flow is readily protected in this way. This would be difficult if not impossible using French drain methodology.
Affordable – A completed Multi-Flow system typically costs about half as much as a comparable French drain system. The longer life of the Multi-Flow system brings the per year cost down much further!
