french drain without pipe

Officially a French drain is a gravel drain with no pipe. The water just collects in and travels through in a gravel or stone filled channel that starts from the surface or just below it. But in modern times, and for practical purposes, we will consider a French drain to include a drainage pipe in the gravel.

1. What is the difference between a French drain and a trench drain?
2. Can I install a French drain myself?
3. Does French drain need an outlet?
4. How deep should a French drain be?
5. What is better than a French drain?
6. Is a French drain worth it?
7. How long will a French drain last?
8. How far should a French drain be from the house?
9. How much should I charge to install a French drain?
10. Why do French drains fail?
11. What is the best fabric to use for a French drain?
12. How deep should a French drain be in a basement?
13. What size rock is best for French drain?
14. Does a French drain need to be below frost line?
15. Can you drive over a French drain?
16. Can you cover a French drain with dirt?
17. How much do French drains cost per foot?
18. Can French drains fail?
19. Do French drains get clogged?

What is the difference between a French drain and a trench drain?

The terms rhyme, they both involve trenches, and French drains aren't really French. The defining difference is very simple, however: Trench drains are surface structures while French drains are subsurface ones. Let's look at how they both work to keep water flowing offsite.

Can I install a French drain myself?

A French drain is a trench filled with a perforated pipe and gravel that allows water to drain naturally from your yard. Depending on the size of your yard and the scale of your drainage issue, you can purchase the pipes and equipment to create a French drain yourself.

Does French drain need an outlet?

A French drain system can be used alone or combined with a dry well. A properly designed French drain system does not require an outlet. The water will simply soak into the soil as it flows along the perforated pipe. In fact, a French drain doesn't require an inlet on just one end either.

How deep should a French drain be?

French drain depth: About 8 inches to 2 feet deep should be sufficient for many water-diverting projects, though related systems, such as those built around foundations and sub-ground living spaces, as well as the bases of retaining walls, may be deeper.

What is better than a French drain?

If you have a negative sloped yard (which slopes toward your foundation), a surface drainage system is a better choice than a French drain. Sloping of more than 1”-1-1/2” on a 10' run can result in excessive amounts of water seeping beneath your house.

Is a French drain worth it?

If you're dealing with a wet basement or a soggy lawn, you might want to look into installing a French drain. While it's not necessarily a “quick fix,” a French drain can be a smart investment to keep your home and yard dry.

How long will a French drain last?

How long do french drains last? Properly installed drains use advanced plastic sheeting called geotextile to protect the drainpipe from a blockage. French drains can last decades before needing maintenance. If your home requires a sump pump, a high-quality model will last around ten years before needing replacement.

How far should a French drain be from the house?

How Close Should a French Drain be to the House? A good rule of thumb is to install french drains 3 feet from the house.

How much should I charge to install a French drain?

French Drain Cost per Foot

On average, for exterior installation, you can expect to pay anywhere between $20 to $30 with an average price of $25 per linear foot. A French drain for an internal installation costs from $45 to $60 per linear foot with an average price of $52.

Why do French drains fail?

This issue could be due to clogging. When water seeps through soil to get to the French drain, it often brings along sediment into the drain, where it dumps the sediment in the drain on the gravel as it flows through the ditch.

What is the best fabric to use for a French drain?

Quality woven, pure polypropylene soil fabric has always been preferred for French drains, soil stabilization, ditches, and pipe-in-gravel, chamber and mound septic leach field systems.

How deep should a French drain be in a basement?

The trench should be at least 2 feet wide, and can be as deep as 6 feet for a basement or as shallow as two feet for a slab-on-grade home. Lay the pipe on the virgin soil.

What size rock is best for French drain?

For the best drainage, look for coarse washed rock (gravel) that is screened, with a stone size of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Smaller rock with fine particles could clog the holes of the drain pipe. Pea stone works, but the smooth stones settle together and don't move as much water as coarse rock.

Does a French drain need to be below frost line?

Unless specifically regulated by local building authorities, french drains may be placed either above or below the frost line. However, the placement of a french drain relative to the frost line greatly affects the drain's performance.

Can you drive over a French drain?

A true French drain is made with gravel, but with gravel driveways, PVC piping is recommended. The PVC piping only needs to be 4 to 6 inches in diameter for draining purposes. It must also be rugged enough to withstand the weight of vehicles driving over it.

Can you cover a French drain with dirt?

The simplest drain is a classic French drain, which is nothing more than a trench filled with coarse stone or gravel. ... The drain can be left open or, if aesthetics are a concern, can be covered with a couple of inches of topsoil and sod.

How much do French drains cost per foot?

French drains, for example, average $20 to $30 per linear foot or between $1,000 and $1,500 in exterior applications and $45 to $60 per linear foot or $5,000 to $6,000 for internal ones.

Can French drains fail?

However, inspectors may want to know more about this method of preventing flooding on a property because French drains may fail and subsequently cause visible signs of flooding at the exterior of a home's property and potential moisture intrusion problems that affect the home itself.

Do French drains get clogged?

Despite the design's best efforts, French drains get clogged by dirt, debris and silt. They do need to be cleaned out regularly – about once per year – to ensure that they continue to direct water away from the building's foundation. The best way to clean a French drain is mechanically, using an electric snake.