You might think of "drain tile" as a general tiling concept, like installing tile around a drain area. But the more common trades meaning of drain tile is in providing a buffer around an area meant for drainage. Clay drainage tile or similar material is placed in an area where it helps water drain from a surface by creating permeability.

Drain tile training is accomplished among professionals working on home systems meant to protect a house or building from wear. Those looking to get training in drain tile installation or drain tile replacement can find resources online including:

1. Links to drain tile training resources from organizations involved in monitoring the installation of drain tile or helping contractors provide this kind of feature to buildings.

2. Tutorials from sites dedicated to exploring the installation of drainage tile, where beginners can learn the basics of how a drain tile system works.

3. More information on drain tile from public trades forums where experts post about the practical logistics of doing drain tile work.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find training resources for drain tile

More than a few elements of drain tile training are available through the sites of regulatory orgs or other companies interested in helping contractors understand the process.

I recommend: Find online training options for understanding the need and standards for drain tile at the American Home Inspectors Training Institute. Get step-by-step instructions for installing a French drain and other drain tile configurations from Easy Digging, a tool supplier. Ask the Builder has a short course on drain tile installation.

Look for drain tile tutorials online

Another resource is how-to articles and tutorials on drain tile from public sites that also allow for greater knowledge on this kind of home fix. These free sites can help show how to install drain tile and how to maintain it for the future.

I recommend: Find drain tile resources through the online how-to site Tutorial How 2: Home Improvement Tutorials. You can find tips on outdoor drain tiles at My Garden Guide.

Get more from public trades forums

For jobs like drain tile installation where advice can be hard to come by, public trades web forums are a great source of inside info. Learn what you can before starting up a drain tile process from the wisdom floating around the net.

I recommend: Self Help Forums has posts on foundation drain tile to help beginners figure out the process. Get more professional opinions on this potentially complex procedure from Contractor Talk.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Finding the kind of drain tile education and training that will put a beginning business at the top of its game takes work: find a balance of educational tools for management (or the people who will bid jobs) and structural expertise for those who will be doing the actual installation, for a comprehensive knowledge of this common work order.

Drain tile is one of the most important parts of any building's construction. If a building has a basement, a drainage tile system will keep the basement free of water. If a building is built on a slab, drain tiles will keep water from pooling underneath the slab.

Whether your project involves new construction or a drain tile replacement in an existing building, you'll want to be sure the drain tile installation is done properly. Because drain tile is buried beneath the ground and costly to repair, it is a job you want to get done right the first time. Before you start this kind of work, ask yourself the following:

1. Are you confident in your ability to install drain tile yourself?

2. Would you prefer to have a professional install the drain tile at your site?

3. Do you need drain tile repaired or replaced?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn how to install drain tile

If you have experienced builders on your staff, it is possible to install drain tile with minimal outside help. Detailed instructions are available from online experts.

I recommend: Tim Carter provides detailed directions on installing drain tile on his website, Ask the Builder. Additionally, Tim will answer any questions you have if you post them in the comment box at the end of the directions. Easy Digging is another source of instructions on how to install drain tile. The website is useful for its detailed diagrams.

Hire a professional to handle drain tile installation

Installing drain tile can be a tricky job, so you might be more comfortable hiring a professional company to do the work for you. A number of companies across the country offer several different methods of drain tile installation.

I recommend: Interior Channel is a basement waterproofing company that specializes in installing drain tiles in existing homes and businesses. Resch Enterprises is a family-owned company that's been in business for more than 40 years.

Repair or replace drain tile

If your building has a water problem in the basement, chances are you need to repair or replace your drainage tiles. This can be a costly undertaking, involving digging around the foundation, but if you have staff experienced in construction, it is a project that can be done with minimal outside assistance.

I recommend: EHow provides detailed, step-by-step directions on how to repair drain tile. The website provides helpful tips and a list of items you'll need to complete the job. When the time comes to buy materials, Sandkuhl Clay Works is one of the country's leading manufacturers of traditional clay drain tile. The company sells a variety of clay drainage tile and fittings.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Corrugated drain tile pipe is inexpensive and comes in long lengths, but it has the disadvantages of collapsing easily and being difficult to clean. PVC piping is a popular alternative for drain tile piping, but other builders prefer traditional clay drain tile.

A drain tile project generally includes using clay, stone or other materials to allow for water flow in a given area. Drain tile work is often done by professionals who know the tricks of the trade. Businesses might hire drain tile workers or excavators to fix a part of a site that gets flooded. Residential drain tile work is also a sizable industry as professionals prevent basements from flooding to avoid property damage. Knowing some of the key terms involved helps businesses make the right decisions for getting drain tile installations on a commercial site.

Action Steps
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Sump pit, water outlet

A sump pit is a place that can serve as a repository for the water that is backing up on a property and causing problems. The place where the water goes is also called a water outlet. A sump pit is often a part of a comprehensive drain tile project.

I recommend: Learn about the sump pit and other key terms at this glossary from Vulcan.

French drain

A French drain is basically a ditch lined with gravel - it is similar to a drain tile project in that it facilitates drainage, but the French drain generally looks a little different.

I recommend: Get detailed information on French drains from WiseGeek.

Standard, extra-quality and heavy duty clay drain tile

Clay drain tile, a common solution for subsurface drainage, is put into several categories for slightly different uses. Companies create the tile from clay soil, which is plastic when moist, but hard when fired or baked.

I recommend: Find out about the general classifications of standard, extra-quality and heavy-duty clay drain tile at Illinois State's Subsurface Drainage info page.

Field drainage

In agricultural usage, field drainage helps remove excess water from the fields for better crop production. Sometimes this involves ditches, but in other cases it involves subsurface installation of perforated pipes, commonly called drain tiles because they were originally made of short pipes called clay tiles.

I recommend: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discusses field drainage and the use of subsurface pipes.

Filter media

In the case of drain tile solutions, the filter media is usually gravel. The filer media provides permeability for those critical spaces in the system where water needs to be able to travel.

I recommend: Take a look at this resource from JJ Custom Plumbing to learn more about the filter media and other basic components for a drain tile system.

Crack injection

The crack injection method is an alternative to doing work intensive and costly drain tile work in a basement, where a drain tile solution may back up. A crack injection method could keep water from entering the basement.

I recommend: For a look at crack injection and drain tile repair options, take a look at this page at BasementAnswers.com.