Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair – 405 203 9419

What a French Drain isn’t? The Surface Drain Mistake.

 

The Term “French Drain,” is used incorrectly a lot!  In my Business I hear the term used the wrong way daily.  Many people say “French Drain” to mean virtually any type of Drain.

The Picture above Shows a Surface Drain Installation – Not a French Drain!

My name is Blane Callen.  I own and run Oklahoma Drainage.  We have been in business since 1993.  We install several types of Drains, Including French Drains.

The Picture Below is Not a French Drain!

 

Channel Drains are one type of Surface Drain.  A Surface Drain Is any type of drain that takes water in the top (Surface).  They have a Grate on top.

 

Below is a picture of a Surface Drain that many people will tend to call a “French Drain.”

 

What a French Drain Really is.

A French Drain is a Perforated Drainpipe with thousands of small holes in it.   It is placed in the bottom of a Drainage Trench that has been dug by the installer of the French Drain.  It should be placed on top of a Trench Liner which is placed first in the Drainage Trench.

The French Drainpipe has a cloth filter around the pipe as well.

This is a French Drain as well.

Here is the same French drain before we added the colorful river rock.

Once this is done correctly, the trench is filled with gravel of some type.  We use Crushed 67 grade Limestone.  The empty space from the top of the pipe to ground level is filled.  THE DEPTH OF EVERY FRENCH DRAIN TRENCH VARIES.  What Determines the depth can depend on several things.  But for now, just know that some French Drains are Shallow while others are Deep.  The Deeper the Drainage Trench, the more gravel it takes to fill it.

Look Above

The Above French drain was installed in-between two houses where water was trapped every time it rained.

Completed French Drain

In the Picture above you can see the water stains on the concrete.  Water has been standing there a long time to make those types of stains.  Eventually the grass will completely grow over the limestone gravel.  Note!  Dirt should never be placed on top of a French Drain.  In sunny areas, grass will put out runners and grow over the limestone gravel.  Once covered it creates a Natural Filter called a Thatch Filter.  The French Drain continues to work great, and you don’t even know it’s there.

I have installed French Drains all the way back to 1993 that still work great with no maintenance.

In the picture above, you can see that the grass is growing over the French Drain more slowly in the shaded area by the trash cans.  This can be sped up by sprinkling grass seed directly into the gravel.

 

French Drains in Full or Partial Shade, can be decorated instead of letting grass grow over them.

 

Oklahoma Drainage. –  We installed our first Drainage System and completed our first Sprinkler Repair in Norman in 1993.

Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair — Installing – French Drains – Surface Drains – Channel Drains – Sump Pumps.

Providing Expert Sprinkler Repair – Broken Sprinkler Pipes – Sprinkler Head Adjustment – Sprinkler Valve Replacement

We provide Service for Folks in: Norman, Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Moore.

Central and Western Oklahoma is our Service Area since 1993.  

                                                           (405) 203-9419