OT: French Drain Recommendation?
- Thread starter 512taylor
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I did two myself last year, they sell a sleeve to go over the pipe, and you can even buy them made with styrofoam inclosed in the sleeve.
I used gravel and a sleeve, I think it will last longer.
I used gravel and a sleeve, I think it will last longer.
Be sure that a french drain is actually what you need. I see houses all the time where people have tons of stormwater entering their lot, house flooded, and some landscaper sold them a 4" frenchdrain to solve the problem when they really needed an 18" pipe and a couple of grate inlets. French drains are awesome at solving the problem they were intended to solve, but crappy at solving problems they were not intended to solve.
I also had a job where a 12" pipe was designed behind a commercial building and a landscaper decided to use two 6" pipes because he thought that would equal the same size. Even my 12 year old was dumbfounded by that.
I also had a job where a 12" pipe was designed behind a commercial building and a landscaper decided to use two 6" pipes because he thought that would equal the same size. Even my 12 year old was dumbfounded by that.
I need one as well. My Backyard is almost shaped like a bowl. I have the main telephone line running across the back of my yard. On one side of the house is the cable and phone. On the other side is the gas line. So basically my only options are to run the water into my neighbors yard. The problem there is he already has standing water against his house and i'm afraid it's making the small incline between my house and his soft.
I'm thinking about a dry well, but with my soil most likely being clay I doubt that will do any good.
I'm thinking about a dry well, but with my soil most likely being clay I doubt that will do any good.
Listen to this guy. French drains are overrated. If its a big problem in the yard then you probably need a big solution.
I think another problem with that is that it's illegal.
You can alway install the French drain and run it all the way to the curb at the street and dump it there. Instead of the perforated line with a sock, you could also use PVC plumbing pipe ... the 4" drain kind. It won't dissipate until it dumps out, but if you put it at the street it won't matter. I've considered a dry well for myself, but I'm not sure how well they work with the clay soil I have. Could turn into a big mess.
French drains are meant to move roof water, not storm water on the surface
unless I'm sadly mistaken.
It's amazing how many people are that dumb (and dumb is about all you can call it).
unless I'm sadly mistaken.
It's amazing how many people are that dumb (and dumb is about all you can call it).
No. French drains are meant to collect and convey subsurface water away from a particular area. True french drains are not designed or intended for collection of surface water of any kind, whether on top of the ground surface or from roofs or other impervious surfaces. They are for receiving slow, seepage type water below the ground surface. Usually for foundation protection or protection of below grade, interior spaces like basements or sunken living spaces that may be below the exterior grade.
OK. I'll buy that. I think you must be talking about the perforated drain, either with or without the sock. I was thinking about the solid ones that hook onto a gutter downspout ... flexible pipe but without holes. That type may not meet the definition of a true French drain however.
I had a bad problem with standing water at a house in TN. I tried to do my own french drain. It did NOTHING. Called a guy in and he laughed at my attempt then installed some system that worked flawlessly. I can't remember the name of the stuff but maybe someone here can. It was a mesh looking fabric about 12" wide with a tube running along it. It collected the water and ran it to a pipe that then ran out to a pond at the back of the house. He dug trenches, put down sand, placed the fabric in and attached it to the pvc. He probably installed 150' feet of the stuff (basically 3 strips all the way across the front yard).
I never had another problem. Moral to the story, make sure the french drain is what you need before wasting time and effort putting one in.
I never had another problem. Moral to the story, make sure the french drain is what you need before wasting time and effort putting one in.
Its called Mexican landscape engineering.
Flab...Creepy Myrtles are not as invasive like a Willow or Maple. But if any tree is to close to a drain the roots are going to 17 it up.
French drains are over-rated and are functional in small applications. Back in the day when I used to do 1,000 acre developments the engineers would never study the site except on paper. I would always go on site when it rained to see how the water was 'really' draining. Not what a topo would tell me because I have seen water drain uphill. Drainage is the biggest aspect of site design that is over looked and not taken seriously. Reason being is that why cut and fill a site when you can either cut or fill to save time and money. And that is the illusion of drainage.
2 things
1. running water into your neighbors yard isn't illegal, but it is a liability. if their property floods they can hold you accountable.
2. french drains are worthless. save your money, time and effort. a grate drain leading to a solid pipe sloped to a ditch or a sump/sewage pump to move the water if you have no slope is a much better option. depends on a number of factors. call a pro if you don't know what you're doing.
1. running water into your neighbors yard isn't illegal, but it is a liability. if their property floods they can hold you accountable.
2. french drains are worthless. save your money, time and effort. a grate drain leading to a solid pipe sloped to a ditch or a sump/sewage pump to move the water if you have no slope is a much better option. depends on a number of factors. call a pro if you don't know what you're doing.
What is your actual problem? Surface water? Water in crawlspace? Explain in further detail and I may be able to tell you exactly what type of drain you need.
You are simply talking about an extension of your gutter.
A french drain is for water moving underground. Simply put, water takes the path of least resistance. A typical french drain is 1' foot wide and about 3' deep. You place about 1-2" of gravel in the bottom of the trench, then a perforated 6" PVC pipe, then backfill gravel all around it, all the way up to the top. You can put a sock around it if you want, as long as it allows water to easily pass. This intercepts the rivers of water running underground (can be ALOT, especially if you live on a hill). It is also very helpful for crawlspaces that have lower elevations than the ground around them outside the house.
A french drain is for water moving underground. Simply put, water takes the path of least resistance. A typical french drain is 1' foot wide and about 3' deep. You place about 1-2" of gravel in the bottom of the trench, then a perforated 6" PVC pipe, then backfill gravel all around it, all the way up to the top. You can put a sock around it if you want, as long as it allows water to easily pass. This intercepts the rivers of water running underground (can be ALOT, especially if you live on a hill). It is also very helpful for crawlspaces that have lower elevations than the ground around them outside the house.
I'd call Corey Ray from Ewing and Ray foundation. He will come out and look at the issue with you, free of charge. He will then offer suggestions, of how to find out exactly what you do need, without spending the money for the foundation company to do it. MSU graduate as well. He had me dig 3' holes along the side of my foundation, in the most likely places to be water. Then I made a dam around the hole and put a piece of plywood on top of it. We were trying to figure out whether it was a leak from the neighbor, or if it was all rain water, getting under the house. Ended up putting a true french drain in, connected it to the gutters, and I haven't had any problems in over 2 years.
The term "French drain" gets thrown around erroneously quite often. In fact, most drains that people describe as such are actually just surface type drains. Also, I noticed in a comment about connecting downspouts to french drains. That is a no-no. Never connect any type of surface water drain point discharge to a french drain. If a problem ever arises with the perf pipe (blockage, misalignment, etc.) you will be discharging potentially large quantities of water into it and with the perforations, that water will eventually release into the surrounding soil. Over time this situation can cause serious issues. Downspouts can be discharged into a separate, solid pipe placed in the same trench with the perf pipe, but just not directly into the perf pipe.
That sounds like a reverse french drain... French drains are meant to collect water and send it down hill..
Between my neighbors house and mine there is about 20 feet. The water from both homes drains about in the middle and the ground in that area gets extremely wet and stays that way for a long time. This line of wet ground extends into my backyard all the way to my back fence. From reading above it sounds like a french drain may or may not help with this. I am probably guilty as everyone else in just assuming french drains solved all ground/water issues.
Since I want to make sure it is done right, is this something I should call an engineer like Corey Ray mentioned above to look at, or a good experienced landscaper? i just want to make sure I don't get someone out there to dig a '6 inch pipe when I need a '12.
Since I want to make sure it is done right, is this something I should call an engineer like Corey Ray mentioned above to look at, or a good experienced landscaper? i just want to make sure I don't get someone out there to dig a '6 inch pipe when I need a '12.
If you live on a hill then it seems you would need less sub-surface drainage.
Pipe size doesn't matter in this regard, because anything you do is going to basically help, not hurt. Sounds like you just need to do a little light grading (rent a bobcat) and level the area off so the surface water drains on off where it's supposed to. Are you familiar with surveying equipment? If so, check the elevations and see where your high point is that's holding your water and grade it out, and replant grass. That's your cheap solution.
But if you just want to spend some money, you can install a trench drain (not a french drain - trench drains can be as simple as a 1' trench filled with gravel), assuming you have the elevation difference to outfall it somewhere. Sounds like you're dealing with pretty flat terrain though. Trench drains have openings in the top to allow surface water in, french drains (technical name is underdrains) have openings in the bottom for water to percolate into. Underdrains lower the temporary water table during the storm events. That's the difference. Of course, they can be used to lower the water table anywhere.
But if you just want to spend some money, you can install a trench drain (not a french drain - trench drains can be as simple as a 1' trench filled with gravel), assuming you have the elevation difference to outfall it somewhere. Sounds like you're dealing with pretty flat terrain though. Trench drains have openings in the top to allow surface water in, french drains (technical name is underdrains) have openings in the bottom for water to percolate into. Underdrains lower the temporary water table during the storm events. That's the difference. Of course, they can be used to lower the water table anywhere.
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Sorry, miscommunication. If you live on the side of a hill, with water flowing toward your house. Not necessarily on the surface, but underneath.
Not exactly. We're not talking about actual rivers in caverns man. We're talking about standing water. And we're not talking about huge hills in Jackson, MS. Simply, put just areas with negative pitch back toward houses, that causes water to sit underground against foundations or in crawl spaces, causing settlement issues and other issues over time.
I've seen hundreds of different cases. If you have a basement or low crawl space compared to the surrounding exterior ground, you could have an issue. Water runs through the pervious soil 1'-3' below the surface, sometimes more depending on where the more impervious ground begins.