Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair – 405 203 9419

Oklahoma Drainage, Norman Oklahoma French Drain

Recently we had a customer with a sever water problem. They had recently purchased a new home which was built on a hill side. The hill behind the house was steep and the grade to keep the water from running into their back porch wasn’t very good.

Water was running under the cement slab of the back porch. To make matters worse cracking was occurring in the new concrete.

The Solution

The Solution involved installing a 6-inch French drain running the entire length of the house to intercept the surface water running down the hill into the house.

More importantly, the French Drain intercepted the underground sub-surface water that was running down the hill and under the slab.

French Drains protect homes and foundations from surface water and sub-surface water.

We also connected 6 gutter down spouts directly into the drainage system. Problem solved.

In the past 30 years,

Oklahoma Drainage has designed and installed a large number of Drainage Systems.  For the most part, we have utilized French Drains and Surface Drains of many different shapes and sizes.  In two decades we have built up a high level of experience diagnosing Drainage Problems.  We know what to look for, what to expect, and how to approach a wide variety of situations where water is in a harmful or undesirable place.

Installing French Drain and Curb Outlet in Drainage System in Norman.

Oklahoma Drainage  installs many types of Drains in a wide variety of places. 

Here are a few of them. French Drain Installation along foundations near walls –  Drain Installation behind retaining walls – French Drain Installation in and around flower beds –  Drain Installation in basements – French Drain Installation near sidewalks and along driveways –  Drain Installation under pool decks and around swimming pools

 Surface Drain Installation in sidewalks set in concrete – Surface Drain Installation in driveway set in concrete –

– Just what is a “French Drain?” 

Many times, people incorrectly use the phrase, “French Drain,” to apply to many different types of Drains that could be used in a Drainage System.   The term is widely used and many times incorrectly connected to “Surface Drains,” or “Channel Drains.”

A Surface Drain has a grate that sits on top of a basin.  The basin is underground.  A Drainpipe is connected underground to an outlet on the Drain Basin.

Stormwater Drains through the grate into the Drain Basin.  Once in the Drain Basin, water travels out of the basin through a Drainpipe.  The Stormwater continues downhill in an underground Drainpipe to an exit point.

A Surface Drain may come in many different shapes or sizes.  It is a Drain Basin with a Drain Grate on top and a Drainpipe connected on the side.  The Drain Grate may be round or square.

A Channel Drain is a type of Surface Drain,

and many times, is installed in concrete across sidewalks or driveways.  It is long and narrow with a grate on top. Channel Drain installed in a sidewalk by a front door.

A French Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain. 

A basic French Drain consists of a Perforated Drainpipe in the bottom of a trench. 

A Trench Liner is sometimes used depending on the Drainage System Design and the type of soil.  

The Drainpipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drainpipe.   This is to ensure that the Drainpipe does not become clogged. A trench is dug that is slightly wider than the French Drainpipe that is being used. 

There are several sizes of French Drainpipe.  

Three Inch, Four Inch, and Six Inch are the most common sizes of French drainpipe.

The dirt that is taken out to make the trench is hauled away.  It is replaced by some type of small stone or gravel depending on what is desired or available. 

I prefer crushed 1 inch lime stone.  It is the most economical option in my area.  Pea Gravel or some other type of small stone can work just as well.   

The limestone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drainpipe and filled all the way to the surface (ground level).   In some cases where the French Drain needs to be deep or is being placed in sandy soil, a special trench liner must be placed in the trench before the perforated Drainpipe or the Gravel are installed.  This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time.  

 

Large Water Volume

 A French Drain is designed to handle a large volume of water and cover a large area. The Drain is anyplace the trench goes. It has many applications and can be used in many situations. 

It can be installed by itself or incorporated into a Drainage System with Surface Drains or Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it. The main downfall of a French Drain is that they, for the most part isn’t very pretty.  They don’t look very nice in a yard once they are completed. Depending on the area the French Drain is installed and the type of grass around the French Drain, will dictate whether grass grows over the limestone. 

Grass can grow up and through the gravel in the French Drain over time eventually covering the gravel.  This is OK.  It won’t have a measurable effect on the performance of the drain.

DON’T COVER THE GRAVEL IN THE FRENCH DRAIN WITH DIRT.  THE FRENCH DRAIN WON’T WORK IF THE TRENCH IS CLOGGED WITH DIRT.  DON’T EVEN INSTALL IT IF YOU ARE GOING TO COVER IT UP WITH DIRT.

DECORATIVE STONE CAN BE USED TO COVER A FRENCH DRAIN AND THEY LOOK GREAT AND LAST A LIFETIME