Weeping Tile Installed Under Patio © Valiant Exteriors
A long time ago it’s possible ancient romans used perforated clay tiles to carry water away beneath their piazzas in the forum. That’s pure conjecture, although our ‘weeping tiles’ do have perforations that lead moisture away.
In reality, a weeping tile (also called drain tile or perimeter tile) is a porous pipe builders use to collect and discharge water. Tradition holds these were once fabricated from terracotta clay. However nowadays they make them from less romantic plastic.
How a Plastic Weeping Tile Works
A weeping tile plastic pipe has a series of small slits along its length. The general idea is moisture can penetrate through these, without soil falling into the cuts and blocking them.
The moisture can then gently flow down the sloping pipe to a convenient point to discharge. It may also exit through a series of small slits at the end, to prevent a strong flow of water causing soil erosion.
Using Plastic Weeping Tiles to Remove Damp
Weeping tiles can help keep a damp basement drier by removing moisture dripping down the walls. This water can then feed into the drainage system or the garden outside. Weeping tiles also carry moisture away from foundations that would otherwise be permanently damp. These ‘french drains’ as we also call them help prevent rising damp causing mould on the inside of walls.
Larger versions of weeping tiles are commonly found in waterlogged fields where the table is high. Farmers call these ‘tiled fields’ adding to the name confusion. In fact, the system works well anywhere soil needs draining.
Using Weeping Tiles to Carry Roof Water Moisture Away
Weeping tiles are effective for capturing water, or discharging it as mentioned earlier. Hence they are often an effective solution for carrying roof water away where there is no natural slope for it to follow.
In this instance, the water discharges into an underground sump filled with gravel. From there, the water seeps into the earth which then carries it away. This is a neat solution to prevent water pooling near a house.
We recommend a site inspection by an eavestrough specialist such as ourselves before hard-surfacing the area around your home. We could then install a concealed weeping tile system in advance if required. This avoids an unsightly pipe on the surface that may become a natural trip hazard when blanketed by snow.
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