How a French Drain is Installed

A french drain is also called a weeping tile and it is a gravel or rock filled trench that is used to redirect ground and surface water away from an area – usually the basement. This can also be done with perforated hollow pipes on the bottom to quickly let out water that seeps through the rock or gravel.

French drains are one of the best tools to combat free-standing water in the home and office and prevent water damage. The key to a safe and dry home is good drainage, and a french drain is one of the best.

 

How to Install a French Drain

 

Why You Should Install a French Drain

There are many advantages of installing french drains in your homes. Some of them are;

 

1. It removes excess water: It is normal to find large puddles and sometimes even small floods in the yard after heavy rains. This standing water can flow into your home, or sink down into your basement and lead to water damage. The water damage done in the basement can be quite serious as the excess water softens the soil and weakens the strength of your foundations. It is able to do this to the point where your foundations could shift and crack. If this continues, your home could become structurally unsound very quickly as a weak foundation could very well mean building collapse. A french drain controls this water surplus and keeps your foundation strong, and your home dry. Once you get a french drain installed, you can wave water damage goodbye as you will no longer have to deal with standing water in your yard at all.
2. Combats erosion: When heavy rains pour, it is very easy for the soil around your home to fall into the problem of erosion. If there isn’t a drainage system, then water will continue to eat away at your grounds, lowering the ground level, stealing nutrients and moisture in the soil, and if you have any plants, washing them away. Having a properly installed drain acts as a protective wall underground for your grounds. It channels all the excess water out and keeps your yard safe from erosion. Channeling water out does not mean that it would make the soil overtly dry, french drains only take out excess water, leaving the soil perfectly balanced.
3. They are barely noticeable and keep the family safe: In a family with kids or pets, standing water can be the worst thing as children or pets can wander out and end up in dirty, and contaminated flood waters. The ground could also be slippery and muddy when permeated with too much water, and slip and fall accidents will abound. A good drainage system will take care of this problem. Since french drains are underground, they can go unnoticed very easily. After laying the pipe and gravel, it can then be covered by soil, and even grass. So while the drain is doing all the work necessary to keep water damage away, you won’t even have to notice that it’s there, walk around it or worry that kids might trip over it while playing in the yard. It blends right in while keeping your family safe.
4. Completely eco-friendly: Going green is something that everyone agrees is important to save our planet. Doing away with engines and all things that could affect the environment negatively has become the order of the day. French drains are perfectly eco-friendly, with no generators, pumps or any extra thing needed for them to do their job. They keep your family and home safe from water damage, with no risk to the rest of the world.

 

Conclusion

Heavy rainfall and flooding could pose a big threat to your home and family, being able to destroy your foundations, expose your children or pets to toxic matter, ruin your landscape with erosion, and even tear apart a garden or farm, leaving your yard in disarray. This is why a good drainage system is a necessary addition to your home.

A french drain is the perfect system to install. It is totally eco-friendly, with no extra power necessary other than the natural power of gravity necessary to pull the water down and out. It is also underground and completely unnoticeable, so you don’t even have to mar the landscape with it’s installation but have it hidden yet performing excellent service.

French drains are also fairly easy to install, needing but a little digging, a proper pipe, washed gravel, and filter fabric. The process is also straight-forward without any unnecessary complications, and can be done with a little help from the neighbors.

However, you can always call a professional to help you install your french drain and sit back, relax, and enjoy your perfect drainage system.