Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair – 405 203 9419

French Drain Ground Water, or Sub-Surface Water.

A “French Drain” Moves “surface water” away from a low-lying problem drainage area. What flows over the ground.  Sub surface water which runs underground is not considered when a drainage system is being installed.  People only think about what they can see and don’t think much about what they can’t see.

Installing Trench Liner For French Drain

Channel Drain set in Driveway is one type of Surface Drain

Sub Surface water is water that is underground and saturated in the soil.  Just like water above ground (Surface Water) moves.  Water under ground moves too and is a very big part of any drainage problem.

Water flows over the surface into the area that floods and is a problem.  A big mistake that is made be the casual eye, is that all the water in a swampy problem area got there by running over the surface.  Yes, it probably did, but it also got there by moving there underground as well.  This is called SUB SURFACE WATER MOVEMENT, and it is important to any kind of Drainage System that might be installed.

If your problem water is partially Sub-Surface water, and you install a Drainage System that uses Surface Drains only, then you just wasted a lot of money!

Surface Drain Installed by sidewalk

Water can only be drained away that is on the surface.  It goes into the top of the Drain on the Surface.  It’s Name is ” A Surface Drain.”  It Drains Surface Water ONLY!

A French Drain can drain Surface water and Sub Surface water both.  It water is in the problem area by means of Sub – Surface movement, then it will enter the French Drain Laterally, under ground,  and be drained away along with the surface water.

French Drain with very little fall

Connecting Gutter to French Drain

Surface Drains look nice but they have limited applications.  They must be installed in situations that they are designed for.  Surface Water only in smaller volume applications.  Surface Drains don’t move as much water as French Drains.