French Drain Installation

What Is A French Drain?

An exterior French drain is a trench that can be 6 inches to several feet in diameter. It is dug on a property along a declined slope. Once it is installed, it is covered over by gravel to prevent excess debris and mud from getting into the trench, as well as to prevent erosion on the inside. Weeping tile, also known as perforated piping, may be installed beneath the gravel in order to keep the water moving through the trench. Gutter downspouts may empty water from a home's roof directly into a French drain system in order to eliminate any potential flooding that may occur after excessive rainfall.

Benefits Of French Drains

If your yard has a retaining wall built into a hillside, the installation of a French drain can help protect the retaining wall by reducing the hydrostatic pressure and lateral load that is placed on it. A French drain can help prevent your lawn from getting soggy and waterlogged, which can make it difficult to grow a healthy green lawn. Another benefit of this type of drain is that it can keep dry the crawl space beneath a pier and beam home. This prevents excessive moisture from building up that could lead to mold, rotting wood, insects, and other problems.