French

when to use a french drain

when to use a french drain

When You Need a French Drain

  1. When you have a problem with surface water, such as a soggy lawn or a driveway that washes out.
  2. If water is getting into your basement.
  3. If you're building a retaining wall on a hillside.

  1. When should you use a French drain?
  2. Is a French drain worth it?
  3. What are the benefits of a French drain?
  4. Where should a French drain be placed?
  5. Do holes go up or down in a French drain?
  6. What is the difference between a French drain and a trench drain?
  7. Why do French drains fail?
  8. Can French drains fail?
  9. How far should a French drain be from the house?
  10. How much does French drain installation cost?
  11. Who installs French drain systems?
  12. Can you install a French drain in the winter?
  13. Does a French drain need an exit?
  14. How deep should I dig a French drain?
  15. Can you drive over a French drain?
  16. Should I use PVC or corrugated pipe for drainage?
  17. How do I dig a French drain around my house?
  18. Can you cover a French drain with dirt?
  19. What is better than a French drain?
  20. How long does a French drain last?
  21. Can I make a French drain without pipe?

When should you use a French drain?

French Drains are primarily used to drain groundwater from gardens and around the foundations of buildings. French drains are designed to move water that is trapped in the ground away or towards an area. They are best used in soil that is prone to frequent saturation from rain or flooding.

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.

What are the benefits of a French drain?

What are Some Benefits of a French Drain?

Where should a French drain be placed?

Dig a trench along the outside of your footing. 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.

Do holes go up or down in a French drain?

When you lay your PVC pipe, the rows of holes should always be facing the downward position. You want to keep the water level in your French drain as low as possible at all times, and you can't achieve this if the holes are facing upwards or sideways.

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.

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.

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.

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 does French drain installation cost?

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.

Who installs French drain systems?

Best French Drain Installation in Los Angeles, CA

Can you install a French drain in the winter?

A French drain will work fine in a cold environment. The French drain must be placed below the frost line for it to work properly in these bitter cold environments. This is critical for the drain to work all year round, without obstructions such as freezing.

Does a French drain need an exit?

No Acceptable Exit Point

If you can't find a good place for your system to drain, you'll need to empty your system into a dry well. A dry well is a vertical hole, typically about 4 feet deep and 1 foot in diameter, that's filled with gravel. A dry well lets excess water be absorbed by the surrounding soils.

How deep should I dig a French drain?

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.

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.

Should I use PVC or corrugated pipe for drainage?

So, for preventing clogs and keeping your drain water flowing long term, pvc is the winner over corrugated pipe.

How do I dig a French drain around my house?

How to Install a French Drain

  1. Call the 811 hotline to have underground utilities marked.
  2. Dig the trench system.
  3. Line the trench with landscape fabric. ...
  4. Add 2 to 3 inches of gravel to the bottom of the trench.
  5. Lay the drain pipe in the trench, with the drain holes facing down.

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.

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.

How long does 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.

Can I make a French drain without pipe?

Installing a French Drain Without a Pipe

When you omit the pipe from a French drain, you've basically got a trench drain. ... If your soil drains well, you can simply dig the trench and cover the bottom with 3 to 4 inches of 3/4-inch drainage rock, depending on the depth of the trench.

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