If you want to collect water above the surface choose a surface drain instead.
French drain along foundation.
It is a great option if you want to direct surface water away from your home s foundation to remove surface water or to prevent flooding.
A french drain also called a curtain drain is made by placing a perforated pipe in a trench that has been filled with gravel.
They re often used along driveways in damp areas of a lawn and around house foundations to help keep the basement or crawlspace dry.
Read this guide to learn more about how to install a french drain in your yard.
Think of a french drain as an underground gutter system that collects and drains water before it enters your home s foundation.
A french drain is a trench filled with a perforated pipe and gravel that allows water to drain naturally from your yard.
A french drain or weeping tile is a trench filled with gravel or rock or containing a perforated pipe that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area.
The trench will need to be dug down to the footers of the foundation and be about 4 wide.
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.
Dig a trench around the perimeter of the foundation.
A french drain is most effective if moisture around your foundation is the main problem.
You will also need to dig a trench away from the foundation to either a percolation trench dry well or to daylight if the slope of the land allows.
French drains serve to collect and remove groundwater that would otherwise cause a problem.
Perforated 4 inch pvc or flexible abs are the least costly and most foolproof foundation drainage conduits.
A french drain also provides a solution for basements that admit water through the foundation.
Foundation drainage drain tiles also called footing drains and by some folks french drains which is not correct water flows in the path of least resistance.
Alternatively french drains may be used to distribute water such as a septic drain field at the outlet of a typical septic tank sewag.
Foundation drains should pitch at least 4 inches in every 100 feet of length.
Digging a trench around your foundation is required when installing a french drain.
In these wet basements water presses against the foundation and gradually leaks through.