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.

French drain systems are incredibly effective because, unlike typical surface drains, they collect water over the entire length of the drain as opposed to one dedicated area. The force of gravity helps to guide water along a reliably smooth path to a desired discharge point.

A French drain is a pipe placed in the ground to collect rain water. French drains are often used in yards and in basements that have drainage problems. French drains are used to transport excess water to low lying areas where the water will do no damage.

Aside from what we've listed here, the difference between a French drain and a trench drain is that a French drain is used for water that is underground while a trench drain diverts excess water from a surface.

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.

Because digging the trench can be difficult work on your own, get friends and family to help if possible. Once the trench is complete, installing a French drain is a straightforward process. The new drain will get runoff water under control, protect your basement and keep your yard from becoming a swamp.

Over time, a French drain may become clogged. Tiny soil and clay granules slip through the pores of the landscape fabric and gradually build up inside the pipe. Another common cause of French drain clogs is root intrusion from grass, shrubs, and trees.

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.

Can I cover a French drain with dirt? Because a French drain has holes throughout the pipe which allow it collect water, you should not install dirt on top of the drain pipe. Installing dirt will clog the pipe and the holes, rendering it useless.

As mentioned a moment ago, French drains ensure any rainwater in outside your property will flow away from the building. The liquid runs into a gravel trench and then flows into a pipe at the bottom of the drain. The water travels through the tube and then empties somewhere safe away from the house.

Expect to pay between $10 to $50 per linear foot to install an exterior French drain. Interior French drains are often costlier due to the need to break out concrete in a basement floor to excavate beneath and install the drain, so this type of drain runs an average of $40 to $100 per linear foot.

approximately 30 to 40 years

Generally speaking, a French drain will last approximately 30 to 40 years. However, the above-mentioned factors may shorten its life cycle and it must then be replaced by a team of foundation experts.

A curtain drain is an underground trench that slopes downward. It usually begins around two feet below ground level and is one and a half feet wide. Gravel fills the hole to give the water somewhere to go. A French drain sits at ground-level.

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.

A drainage pipe under a gravel driveway doesn't seem like a good idea because of the possibility of pipe breakage due to the weight of vehicles on the driveway. The pipe is protected by the gravel, though, and it won't break as long as the trench is deep enough — 18 inches or deeper.