We solve all types of unwanted water problems in and around your home or business. Oklahoma Drainage Provides : Drainage System Installation utilizing French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, and Sump Pumps.
If you need a French Drain along an exterior wall, or a surface drain installed in concrete in a sidewalk or driveway, or a sump pump in a basement, We can help. There are literally thousands of specific drain installation applications.
Hard rain and flooding seem to be more common all the time. When I started this business in 1993, having over an inch of rainfall in an hour was pretty extreme. Now having over 4 inch an hour rainfall is not unheard of and is becoming more common.
Protecting our homes and businesses from unwanted water should be a goal for all of us.
Oklahoma Drainage has seen and dealt with virtually every possible Drainage and Standing water problem that can occur in or around your home. With over 2700 Drainage Systems installed since 1993, we have amassed a great deal of experience. This is helpful in seeing underlying problems. We look for Secondary Water Issues not just the Primary ones. In this business EXPERIENCE TRULY COUNTS!
Hiring your brother- in- law or a Landscape Company to put in your Drainage System is a bad idea. If a landscape company also installs French Drains, you should run!
Why don't they specialize??? Does your Lawyer also do physical therapy?
Some Builders also make bad choices concerning drainage on new homes they are building. New houses should not have problems with water. Builders usually have a landscape company that installs their drains. Sometimes its a maintenance guy that works for the builder. It's Usually the cheapest fix possible. I've testified in more than one class action lawsuit where a whole housing sub-division had unnecessary Drainage Issues.
Water can cause a huge amount of damage. How important is your money and your home? Over 30% of the work done by Oklahoma Drainage is fixing other people's mistakes. I appreciate the work, but I get frustrated when bad things happen to good people concerning water!
Blane Callen, 405 203 9419
Edmond is one of the communities in Central Oklahoma that Oklahoma Drainage services. We have installed almost a thousand French Drainsin the Edmond community in the past 21 years. Edmond has many hills and valleys. Many Neighborhoods are built on hillsides. This causes many Drainage Problems. We have installed French Drains by themselves and as a part of Drainage Systems to protect Driveways, Sidewalks, Foundations all over Edmond. French Drains may be installed in Flower Beds or grassy areas too. French Drains when installed correctly can provide many years of property protection and Piece of Mind.
A little bit North of Downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Drainage installed a 6 inch French Drain between two businesses which were less than three feet apart. The French Drain went between a Law Firm and a Tire shop. Water was leaking through the walls of both businesses. Gutters between the two establishments were dumping a huge amount of water. We installed a 6 inch French Drain between the two.
French Drain connected to gutter
It took a long time to get the dirt out of the trench for the French Drain. It was a very tight fit. We had to use a little red wagon to haul out the dirt for the French Drain and haul back in the crushed limestone for the French Drain. It looked a little silly, but it was the only thing we could find that was narrow enough to fit between the buildings. A French Drain that normally would take 1 day to install took three.
The French Drain had a Double Exit Point. This means that once water entered the French Drain Pipe, it could run South to the street or it could run North to the alley. To exit points greatly increases the water capacity for any French Drain.
Along the course of the French Drain, we connected two large gutters directly into the Drain Pipe.
Once in place, the French Drain eliminated all the water that was leaking into the two buildings.
FRENCH DRAIN, SURFACE DRAIN PHOTOS AND INFORMATIONStanding water can cause many types of property damage ranging from foundation problems to cracked sidewalks and dead plants and shrubs. If you have need of French Drain or Surface Drain, give us a call. We provide free estimates for all of central Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair Installs Surface Drains and French Drains. Some times it is up hill in all directions from the Problem Drainage Area. This problem can be solved by installing a Sump Pump. When the cavity fills, the water is pumped away to the point where the water exits the drain which can be a curb outlet or a pop-up emitter.
Typically many things must be considered when completing a Drainage Diagnostic.
1. Identify the areas being damaged by water and determine if there are any hidden areas.
2. Identify the sources of water causing the damage. Most Drainage Problems have more than one source. A water source can fall from the sky as rain, or can flow down the hill as storm-water runoff, or can flow from a gutter down-spout (yours or your neighbor’s), or flow under ground as sub-surface water flow, or water can flow off a sidewalk, driveway, or street. (These are the most common)
3. Identify the Exit Pointby determining where we want to take the unwanted water.
5. Determine what type and size of Drain Pipe is needed to accommodate the volume of water to be drained. Larger is always better! Big Drains with Small Drain Pipesnever works!
If you have problems with Standing Water after a hard rain, or your driveway or sidewalk turns into a moat after a thunderstorm, or worst of all, you have water standing against your foundation and seeping into your house and vents, Give us a Call! TYPICALLY A DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN FOUNDATION REPAIR OR REMOVING MOLD FROM YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS!!
TheDrain Pipe used by Oklahoma Drainage consists of: ADS Perforated with Soc Drain Pipe, ADS Solid Drain Pipe, Sewer and Drain–Drain Pipe, PVC 40 schedule used as Drain Pipe, 200 Class PVC used as Drain Pipe. Using a variety ofDrain Pipe and Drains allow us to address Drainage Problems that range from simple to complex and from standard to unique.
Standing water comes from many sources. It causes damage to sidewalks, driveways, and foundations not to mention plants, trees, and grass. Does the side of your house flood because your neighbor doesn’t have gutters, or does your sidewalk turn into a moat after a heavy rain, or worst of all, does water seep into your foundation and duct work after a thunderstorm. Theses are just a few of the Drainage Problems that we can help with.A French Draincan protect your foundation!
Many times people use the term ” French Drain” as general name for a Drain used in or around your home. French Drains are designed to move a lot of water over a large flooded area. They are also designed to take water in on the surface of the ground or below the surface of the ground. This is very important if the water coming into the flooded area is moving through the ground or coming up from underneath. ” Sub Surface Water Movement.” The picture below is not a French Drain!
Recently Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair Installed a French Drain as part of a Drainage System in Mid West City Oklahoma.
Our customer had a back porch Sun Room. Every time he had a hard rain, Water would run in one door and out the other. An indoor creek across his Sun Room.
We installed a French Drain in front of the South Door. It was 26 feet long and ran from a gutter downspout which it was connected to, in front of the South Door and along the house covering the entire “Low” Area. Then we connected 4 inch ADS Solid Drain pipe to the French Drain and ran down hill around the corner of the house to the street.
Once the 4 inch solid drain pipe was connected to the French Drain and the two gutter down spouts, a pop-up emitter was installed to release the water at the street.
The next step was to cover the drain pipe with dirt and put the sod back in place on top of the pipe. There was about 8 wheelbarrows of dirt left over that was displaced by the drain pipe and the French Drain. The extra dirt was scooped up and hauled away.
While installing the drainage system, it was necessary to move two sprinkler heads that were in the way of the drain pipe installation. This was no problem. Installing drainage systems and French drains for folks who have a sprinkler system is very common. Moving Sprinkler heads or pipes sometimes is necessary. We always leave the sprinkler system in complete working order and we discuss any changes in the sprinkler system with the customer before we do it to make sure that everyone is on the same page. In most cases the customer cant tell that we made any changes to the sprinkler system at all.
Harsh weather inOklahoma seems to becoming more common. In 2013, Norman Oklahoma had 4 inches of rain in two hours. That’s the most rain in a short time that I can remember. Storm-Water runoffcan cause damage to all types of property and buildings. Water getting inside your house is never a good thing. A Drainage System that utilizes a French Drain can help.
Drains can protect your home and property from water damage.
Drainage Systems can be made up of one drainor a combination of many drains. Drainage problems can be very complex. Complex Drainage Problems may require a combination of several different types of drainsall inter-connected and working together. Other times the drainage problem may be simple and straight-forward requiring only one drain or several of the same type of drainconnected together.
An example of a complex drainage system would be: A French Drain in the back yard connected to a Surface Drain near a flower bed connected to several gutter downspouts, which are connected to a Channel Drain going across a driveway, which is connected to additional Surface Drain in the front yard, which runs to a Curb Fitting that lets all the waterdrain out on to the street.
A simple Drainage System might consist of a Surface Drain that is connected to a second Surface Drainwhich runs to a Pop-up Emitter which lets water drain over the curb and into the street.
An “Exit Point” is the term used for where all the water leaves theDrainage System. Determining the Exit Point is very critical. It is one of the first things we do when diagnosing a Drainage Problem.
Drainage Systems can:
1. Keep water away from foundations— AFrench Drainis best because it can move Surface Water and Sub-Surface Water(water moving under ground) away from the foundation. Many times less experienced companies install Surface Drains to keep water away from foundations. This can be a big mistake. A Surface Drain can’t move or drain Sub-Surface Water. Also A Surface Drain often can’t move enough water fast enough and easily becomes overwhelmed during a heavy rain. A Surface Drainalso can’t cover or protect a broad enough area. Surface Drains should be designed in a Drainage System to be located in smaller Drainage Areas moving moderate amounts of water. Surface Drainslook better than French Drains. If ,”appearance” is more important than Drainage Capacity, Go with the Surface Drain. Just know what you are getting into and what your expectations should be. One side of a foundation alone, can be over 100 feet. A 4 inch or 6 inch French Drain is best when protecting a large area such as a foundation.
Surface Drain Installed next to sidewalk in Oklahoma City.
2. Keep water away from small or enclosed areas. This might be a low area just through a gate on the side of a house, or the low area between a flowerbed and the wall of a house, or standing water on or near a sidewalk or driveway. These types of Drainage Problems are best served with Surface Drains. A Surface Drain can move water away from a low area that is relatively small. This can occur in yards, flowerbeds, sidewalks and driveways. A Surface Drain is designed to move Surface Water away from a problem area to a predetermined exit point. Surface Drains are available in many sizes. How quickly they remove standing water is usually determined by the size of the Drain Pipe that is connected to the Drain.
Simply put, a Drainage System is one or a group of underground Drain Pipes that take water away from a place that has water standing on it or flowing across it. The water that is in the problem area, can be causing damage or may be inconvenient or both. (Usually Both) A simple Drainage System is a Drainfor the water to enter, a Drain Pipe to move the water away from the Drain, and an Exit Point for the water to be released out of the Drain Pipe.
Drainage Systems quickly can become more complicated. Considerations must include:
How does the water get to the problem area? There may be one or many sources.
Water Sources:
1. It falls from the sky directly
2. It flows down hill over the surface (surface water)
3. It flows underground under the surface (sub-surface water)
4. It flows from the edge of a roof ( There may be many roofs near the problem area, neighbors etc.)
5. It flows from a gutter downspout
6. It flows over the edge of a gutter because the gutter is too small is is clogged
7. It flows up from the ground (seeps and springs are common in Oklahoma)
8. It flows from asprinkler system use ( yours or your neighbors)
9. It flows from a leaking pipe ( water mains, water meters, water lines, sprinkler pipes, sprinkler valves)
There are other reasons for Drainage Problems, the above reasons are just the most common.
Once the number of water sources is determined, a rough estimate of the amount of water that needs to be drained away on average must be estimated. This can be simplified down to “SMALL, MEDIUM, OR LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER TO BE DRAINED AWAY. You don’t have to be an engineer trying to calculate fluid dynamics. Experience at diagnosing drainage problems helps however. How much water needs to be moved will help determine the type and size of the Surface Drainor French Drain that needs to be installed. It also helps to determine the size of Drain Pipe required for the Drainage System. A good rule to follow is, “If in doubt, install a larger Drain and Drain Pipe.” Unused Drainage Capacity is better than property damage caused by a Drain that is overwhelmed by too much water.
For home and small business use typical materials used are:
French Drains move Surface Water and Sub-Surface Water
Surface Drainsmove Surface Water only
Surface Drains look nicer than French Drains in most cases
Once the type and number of drains is determined and what size Drain Pipe will connect them, an exit point must be selected. (Where is the Drainage System going to take the water to and release it?)
The Drainage Curb Fitting is installed when the desired exit point for the French Drain will release theDrainage Water into the Street. The Drainage Curb Fitting is rectangular in shape and made to be installed through the curb. A small section of Curb is cut out with a concrete saw. The Section is a few inches wider than the Drainage Curb Fitting. We then install new concrete around the curb fitting. Once the concrete has dried, the Drain Pipe coming from a French Drain or Surface Drain is connected to the Drainage Curb fitting and then covered with dirt.
The Drainage Pop-Up Emitteris connected to the end of aDrain Pipe. It is downhill from a French Drainor a Surface Drain. It is a small release basin with a green pop-up lid. When releasing water, it pops up about an inch to release the water from the French Drain or Surface Drain. When the Storm Water has moved through the Drainage System and out of the Pop-Up Emitter, the green lid closes back to its original closed position. The emitter is designed to release water out into a yard or down a hill or other desirableDrainage Exit Pointwhere there is no curb.
Popup Emitter to release water from a Drainage System in Yukon.
1. Keep water away from foundations— AFrench Drainis best because it can move Surface Water and Sub-Surface Water(water moving under ground) away from the foundation. Many times less experienced companies install Surface Drains to keep water away from foundations. This can be a big mistake. A Surface Drain can’t move or drain Sub-Surface Water. Also A Surface Drain often can’t move enough water fast enough and easily becomes overwhelmed during a heavy rain. A Surface Drainalso can’t cover or protect a broad enough area. Surface Drains should be designed in a Drainage System to be located in smaller Drainage Areas moving moderate amounts of water. Surface Drainslook better than French Drains. If ,”appearance” is more important than Drainage Capacity, Go with the Surface Drain. Just know what you are getting into and what your expectations should be. One side of a foundation alone, can be over 100 feet. A 4 inch or 6 inch French Drain is best when protecting a large area such as a foundation.
2. Keep water away from small or enclosed areas. This might be a low area just through a gate on the side of a house, or the low area between a flowerbed and the wall of a house, or standing water on or near a sidewalk or driveway. These types of Drainage Problems are best served with Surface Drains. A Surface Drain can move water away from a low area that is relatively small. This can occur in yards, flowerbeds, sidewalks and driveways. A Surface Drain is designed to move Surface Water away from a problem area to a predetermined exit point. Surface Drains are available in many sizes. How quickly they remove standing water is usually determined by the size of the Drain Pipe that is connected to the Drain.
Simply put, a Drainage System is one or a group of underground Drain Pipesthat take water away from a place that has water standing on it or flowing across it. The water that is in the problem area, can be causing damage or may be inconvenient or both. (Usually Both) A simple Drainage System is a Drainfor the water to enter, a Drain Pipe to move the water away from the Drain, and an Exit Point for the water to be released out of the Drain Pipe.
Drainage Systems quickly can become more complicated. Considerations must include:
How does the water get to the problem area? There may be one or many sources.
Water Sources:
1. It falls from the sky directly
2. It flows down hill over the surface (surface water)
3. It flows underground under the surface (sub-surface water)
4. It flows from the edge of a roof ( There may be many roofs near the problem area, neighbors etc.)
5. It flows from a gutter downspout
6. It flows over the edge of a gutter because the gutter is too small is is clogged
7. It flows up from the ground (seeps and springs are common in Oklahoma)
8. It flows from asprinkler system use ( yours or your neighbors)
9. It flows from a leaking pipe ( water mains, water meters, water lines, sprinkler pipes, sprinkler valves)
There are other reasons for Drainage Problems, the above reasons are just the most common.
Once the number of water sources is determined, a rough estimate of the amount of water that needs to be drained away on average must be estimated. This can be simplified down to “SMALL, MEDIUM, OR LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER TO BE DRAINED AWAY. You don’t have to be an engineer trying to calculate fluid dynamics. Experience at diagnosing drainage problems helps however. How much water needs to be moved will help determine the type and size of the Surface DrainorFrench Drainthat needs to be installed. It also helps to determine the size of Drain Pipe required for the Drainage System. A good rule to follow is, “If in doubt, install a larger Drain and Drain Pipe.” Unused Drainage Capacity is better than property damage caused by a Drain that is overwhelmed by too much water.
For home and small business use typical materials used are:
Surface Drains look nicer than French Drains in most cases
Once the type and number of drains is determined and what size Drain Pipe will connect them, an exit point must be selected. (Where is the Drainage System going to take the water to and release it?)
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair : Servicing all of Central and Western Oklahoma since 1993.
Standing Water on Your Driveway? A Surface Drain set in concrete may be what you need. Or maybe you need a French Drain Running alongside your driveway instead. Handling water problems is what we are good at. If you need help, Oklahoma Drainage can provide the best solution for your unwanted water problems.
In the Above picture, we installed a French Drain under the left edge of the pool walkway. The Drain PIpe From the French Drain runs perpendicular from left to right under the walk way stones. Check out the pictures below.
Give us a call for a free estimate if you live in Central Oklahoma.
French Drain Pipe running to curb outlet in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair Services all of Central Oklahoma including: Norman, Moore, Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Oklahoma City, Midwest City, Del City, Blanchard, Newcastle, Purcell and Chickasha.
Recently Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repairinstalled a large 6 inchFrench Drain in Edmond. The customer had water running under his back porch step and into his basement. We did a Free Drainage Diagnostic and Estimate. The French Draindesign that we proposed would intercept the surface water and subsurface water that was flowing under the steps. The French Draindesign called for a 6 inch French Drain to be installed above and several feet away from the steps. It would run around the house parallel to the foundation and about 5 feet to the East. The French Drainwould run past the steps to a point where water must cross the French Drain or run up hill to the steps which in this case was not possible. Once past the steps, theFrench Drain would transition to Solid 6 inch Drain Pipe and continue on around the house to the Pop-Up Emitter down hill in the side yard. Along the way we attached several Gutter Down Spoutsinto the French Drain.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair has been diagnosing and solving Drainage Problems since 1993. Water has the ability to get into places around your home where you really don’t want it to be. Some drainage problems are easy to solve. Typically water enters the problem drainage area one way from one source. The really tricky drainage problems occur when water enters the problem drainage area from multiple directions and from multiple sources. Sometimes a secondary water source can’t be seen or identified until the primary water problem source is eliminated.
An example of this occurs when water is running into a problem area in an obvious way over the ground where you can see it.
Simple enough.
Driveway Channel Drain Installation
A drainage system is installed with a surface drain as the “intake” with drainage pipe running to an exit point. Initially the water drains away and everything looks great. The next day water is back and is all around the surface drain, but below the edge and it hasn’t rained at all, so no additional water ran over the surface of the ground to flood the area. The primary water source was solved, ( The surface water run off ) but the secondary water source was not. Which was sub-surface water, (ground water) running into the area. A surface drain can’t drain “ground water.” A French Drain should have initially been installed instead of a Surface Drain. A French Drain can drain both Surface Water and Ground Water.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair Recently installed a large 6 inch French Drain in Edmond. The customer had water running under his back porch step and into his basement. We did a Free Drainage Diagnostic and Estimate. The French Drain design that we proposed would intercept the surface water and subsurface water that was flowing under the steps. The French Drain design called for a 6 inch French Drain to be installed above and several feet away from the steps. It would run around the house parallel to the foundation and about 5 feet to the East. The French Drain would run past the steps to a point where water must cross the French Drain or run up hill to the steps which in this case was not possible. Once past the steps, the French Drain would transition to Solid 6 inch Drain Pipe and continue on around the house to the Pop-Up Emitter down hill in the side yard. Along the way we attached several Gutter Down Spouts into the French Drain.
A French Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain. A basic French Drain consists of a Perforated Drain Pipe in the bottom of a trench. A Trench Liner is sometimes used depending on the Drainage System Design and the type of soil. The Drain Pipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drain Pipe. This is to ensure that the Drain Pipe does not become clogged. A trench is dug that is slightly wider than the French Drain Pipe that is being used. There are several sizes of French Drain Pipe. Three Inch, Four Inch, and Six Inch are the most common sizes of French drain Pipe. 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 lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drain Pipe 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 Drain Pipeor the Gravel are installed. This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time. It also increases the cost of the French Drain and the amount of time to install it. I install a trench liner in a French Drain about 20% of the time. Most of the time a liner in not needed.
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.
Standing water comes from many sources. It causes damage to sidewalks, driveways, and foundations not to mention plants, trees, and grass. Does the side of your house flood because your neighbor doesn’t have gutters, or does your sidewalk turn into a moat after a heavy rain, or worst of all, is water seeping into your foundation and duct work after a thunderstorm? Theses are just a few of the Drainage Problems that Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair can help with. We can design a Drainage System to fit your specific needs. We install many types of Drains to solve many types of problems. French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, Basement Drains, Trench Drains, Basin Drains, and Sump Pumps are utilized.
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 Drain Pipe is connected underground to an outlet on theDrain Basin. Storm-Water Drains through the grate into the Drain Basin. Once in the Drain Basin, water travels out of the basin through a Drain Pipe. The Storm-Water continues downhill in an underground Drain Pipeto an exit point.
AFrench Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain. A basic French Drain consists of aPerforated Drain Pipein the bottom of a trench. The Drain Pipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drain Pipe. This is to ensure that the Drain Pipe does not become clogged.
The dirt that was 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 lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drain Pipe 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 perforatedDrain Pipeor the Gravel are installed. This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time. It also increases the cost of the French Drainand the amount of time to install it. I install a trench liner in a French Drain about 20% of the time. Most of the time a liner in not needed.
AFrench Drainis 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 aDrainage System withSurface Drainsor Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it.
The main downfall of a French Drain is, that they, for the most part aren’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 theFrench Drain, will dictate whether grass grows over the lime stone. Grass can grow up and through the gravel in theFrench Drain over time eventually covering the gravel. This is Ok. It won’t have a measurable effect on the performance of the drain.
DONT COVER THE GRAVEL IN THE FRENCH DRAIN WITH DIRT. THE FRENCH DRAINWON’T WORK IF THE TRENCH IS CLOGGED WITH DIRT. DON’T EVEN INSTALL IT IF YOU ARE GOING TO COVER IT UP WITH DIRT. PUTTING DIRT OVER A FRENCH DRAIN IS LIKE PUTTING A CORK BACK IN A BOTTLE.
DECORATIVE STONE CAN BE USED TO COVER AFRENCH DRAINAND THEY LOOK GREAT AND LAST A LIFETI
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair 405 203 9419 — We provide:
French Drains are designed to cover large areas and move lots of water. During a hard rain water will seep down through the gravel and into the Perforated French Drain Pipe that is buried under the gravel. The water fills into the pipe and moves down hill to the desired Exit Point. French Drains like the one in the picture above that are in the sun most of the day will have grass that overgrows the limestone. The gravel will disappear over time. The French Drain will continue to work even after the grass has grown over it. A “Thatch Filter ” is made up of the grass that covers the French Drain. The French Drain then has two filters. First is the Neo-Prene Soc that comes around the Perforated French Drain Pipe. Later when the grass grows over it, the French Drain then has a second Thatch Filter. This ensures that the French Drain Pipe won’t clog over time with dirt, sand, or debris. This only works with grass that does well in the sun like Bermuda or Tift.
Shade Grasses won’t grow up and through French Drain gravel.
YOU DON’T WANT TO COVER THEFRENCH DRAINWITH DIRT. IT WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE DRAINAGE PERFORMANCE OF THE FRENCH DRAIN. IT DEFEATS THE ENTIRE REASON FOR THE FRENCH DRAIN. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS AND CAN’T BE PATIENT ENOUGH TO WAIT UNTIL THE GRASS GROWS THROUGH IT IF IT IS IN THE SUN, THEN DON’T INSTALL IT AT ALL.
IF THE FRENCH DRAIN IS INSTALLED IN THE SHADE YOU CAN USE DECORATIVE ROCK TO MAKE A FOOT PATH OR ROCK GARDEN ON TOP OF IT. YOU ARE ONLY LIMITED BY YOU IMAGINATION.
AFrench Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain. A basic French Drain consists of aPerforated Drain Pipein the bottom of a trench. The Drain Pipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drain Pipe. This is to ensure that the Drain Pipe does not become clogged.
The dirt that was 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 lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drain Pipe 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 perforatedDrain Pipeor the Gravel are installed. This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time. It also increases the cost of the French Drainand the amount of time to install it. I install a trench liner in a French Drain about 20% of the time. Most of the time a liner in not needed.
AFrench Drainis 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 aDrainage System withSurface Drainsor Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it.
The main downfall of a French Drain is, that they, for the most part aren’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 theFrench Drain, will dictate whether grass grows over the lime stone. Grass can grow up and through the gravel in theFrench Drain over time eventually covering the gravel. This is Ok. It won’t have a measurable effect on the performance of the drain.
DONT COVER THE GRAVEL IN THE FRENCH DRAIN WITH DIRT. THE FRENCH DRAINWON’T WORK IF THE TRENCH IS CLOGGED WITH DIRT. DON’T EVEN INSTALL IT IF YOU ARE GOING TO COVER IT UP WITH DIRT. PUTTING DIRT OVER A FRENCH DRAIN IS LIKE PUTTING A CORK BACK IN A BOTTLE.
DECORATIVE STONE CAN BE USED TO COVER AFRENCH DRAINAND THEY LOOK GREAT AND LAST A LIFETIME.
In many cases slope is easy to determine if the distance from the drain to the exit is obliviously down hill. The trouble is installing a French Drain or a Drainage System where the drain pipe is not always on a pronounced slope. A slight slope can be hard to see. If the ground looks level then the water won’t flow very quickly, If at all. If the entrance drain is slightly higher than the exit, say only a few inches, then the water will flow across level ground to the exit point. Problem is, the water will move very slowly as long as water is still coming into the French Drain. It pushes the water in front of it out of the exit very slowly. Movement will stop when water stops coming into the Drain. It will stay in the pipe and just sit there till the next time it rains.
If you are Installing a Drainage System across level ground, it will never drain very well.
If you are not sure if a Drainage System is possible because there might not be enoughSlope, there is a simple test you can run. This test takes a good bit of digging.
Start digging the trench where the drain pipe will run. Lets say for example that its about 60 feet. Start digging where the drain will be. Typically a 4 inch drain pipe will need to be installed in a trench 8 to 16 inches deep, depending on your needs. Dig about 10 feet from where the drain will be toward the exit point. Once you have dug a trench at least 8 inches deep, and about 10 feet long toward the exit, Take a hose and place it in the trench where the drain will be installed. There should not be pipe in the trench at this time, just the empty trench.
Turn on the hose so a small amount of water is coming out. The water will start to flow down the trench from where the drain will be, toward the exit. Again there is no drain pipe in the trench.
Watch the water as it flows down the Drainage Trench. In some areas it will flow quickly which is good. Look for areas where water flows more slowly and begins to pool. Once this occurs, turn off the hose and get your shovel. With water still in the trench, dig downhill from the pooling spot. Remove the dirt that is slowing the waters flow toward the exit. Repeat this process until you have reached the exit point of the Drainage System.
This may seem like a lot of unnecessary work. Believe me it is worth it. Once the water flows at a fairly steady rate all the way to the exit, you have ” Set the Flow of the Drain.”
This process is called “Setting The flow.”
There are benefits to taking this process seriously.
First it will tell you if the flow is even possible for the Drainage System that you want to install. If you can’t get the water to flow to the Exit Point Cover up your Drainage Trench and Consider Other Options because this particularDrainage Design will not work. If you can redesign your system by moving your drain pipe or your exit point, then do so. A Sump Pump may be your only option if moving the drain pipe or the exit does not improve things. Sump Pumps will be covered in a future blog.
Second, If you were successful in setting the flow, then you will roughly know how fast the water will flow in yourDrainage System. It will give you a “Worse Case Scenario” for your Drain’s Performance.
Water will always flow better and faster and more efficiently in a Drain Pipe, than in a trench.
If the water is flowing pretty good in the Drainage Trench without a Drain Pipe in it yet, then it will flow even better once the Drain Pipe is installed.
This process is much better than blindly digging a drainage trench and installing a Drainage System. It will keep you from installing something that doesn’t work!
Many Folks don’t know the difference. Actually there are many differences and a few similarities. One difference is, a French Drain takes in a larger amount of water into the drain Pipe than a Surface Drain. There are advantages to Surface Drains as well.
A French Drain Is a Perforated Drain Pipe in a Trench with Gravel or Limestone covering the trench with the pipe. Many times there is a “Sock” around the pipe to act as a filter.
Many times people use the term ” French Drain” as general name for a Drain used in or around your home. French Drains are designed to move a lot of water over a large flooded area. They are also designed to take water in on the surface of the ground or below the surface of the ground. This is very important if the water coming into the flooded area is moving through the ground or coming up from underneath. ” Sub Surface Water Movement.” The picture below is not a French Drain!
A French Drain can take in water in a broad area. It can move a much larger volume of water compared to a Surface Drain. Also, it can move sub surface water moving into the area where a Surface Drain won’t move any water at all.
Surface Drains are designed to move surface water only on a smaller scale in confined areas.
Each solves specific drainage problems. A Drainage System may use one or both together or even several using many types of drains.
Do you have standing water in a large area in your yard? Typically this calls for a French Drain. A French Drain is a great way to control standing water in a large grassy area. It can also protect areas from flooding to a certain degree. As long as the French Drains capacity to move water is not exceeded. If the French Drains capacity is exceeded then water will stand in the drainage area until the rain stops and the drain has time to catch up. A good way to prevent this is to install a bigger French Drain with a larger pipe. The difference between a 3 inch French Drain and a 6 inch French Drain is huge.
Another way to beef up a French Drain is to connect gutter down spouts in front of the French Drain. The water coming off the roof causes suction in the French Drain Behind it. This greatly increases the French Drains ability to move water without increasing the size of the French Drain Pipe.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair recently diagnosed a Drainage Problem in South Oklahoma City. The Home owner had a sump Pump in their basement that was fed from a French Drain outside the Basement Wall. The French Drain was 14 feet down along the Stem wall of the house. The French Drain Pipe was cheap and had collapsed. We brought in a Mini Excavator and dug up the pipe and replaced it with Durable ADS 4 inch perf/soc French Drain pipe. In the end, we were able to dig up the pipe and Replace it.
Do you have water standing in your yard after a hard rain? Does your sidewalk become a moat during a thunder-storm? Is standing water causing your foundation to deteriorate and break down? Is water seeping into your home and causing mold?
Storm-water run off can cause many types of problems. Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair can diagnose your drainage issues and design a Drainage System to fit your specific needs. We install many types of drains including: French Drains, Channel Drains, Surface Drains, Basin Drains, Trench Drains, Basement Drains, and Sump Pumps.
Recently Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repairinstalled a large 6 inchFrench Drain in Edmond. The customer had water running under his back porch step and into his basement. We did a Free Drainage Diagnostic and Estimate. The French Draindesign that we proposed would intercept the surface water and subsurface water that was flowing under the steps. The French Draindesign called for a 6 inch French Drain to be installed above and several feet away from the steps. It would run around the house parallel to the foundation and about 5 feet to the East. The French Drainwould run past the steps to a point where water must cross the French Drain or run up hill to the steps which in this case was not possible. Once past the steps, theFrench Drain would transition to Solid 6 inch Drain Pipe and continue on around the house to the Pop-Up Emitter down hill in the side yard. Along the way we attached several Gutter Down Spoutsinto the French Drain.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair has been diagnosing and solving Drainage Problems since 1993. Water has the ability to get into places around your home where you really don’t want it to be. Some drainage problems are easy to solve. Typically water enters the problem drainage area one way from one source. The really tricky drainage problems occur when water enters the problem drainage area from multiple directions and from multiple sources. Sometimes a secondary water source can’t be seen or identified until the primary water problem source is eliminated.
An example of this occurs when water is running into a problem area in an obvious way over the ground where you can see it.
Simple enough.
A drainage systemis installed with a surface drainas the “intake” with drainage pipe running to an exit point. Initially the water drains away and everything looks great. The next day water is back and is all around the surface drain, but below the edge and it hasn’t rained at all, so no additional water ran over the surface of the ground to flood the area. The primary water source was solved, ( The surface water run off ) but the secondary water source was not. Which was sub-surface water, (ground water) running into the area. A surface drain can’t drain “ground water.” A French Drain should have initially been installed instead of a Surface Drain. A French Drain can drain both Surface Water and Ground Water.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair Recently installed a large 6 inch French Drain in Edmond. The customer had water running under his back porch step and into his basement. We did a Free Drainage Diagnostic and Estimate. The French Draindesign that we proposed would intercept the surface water and subsurface water that was flowing under the steps. The French Drain design called for a 6 inch French Drain to be installed above and several feet away from the steps. It would run around the house parallel to the foundation and about 5 feet to the East. The French Drain would run past the steps to a point where water must cross the French Drain or run up hill to the steps which in this case was not possible. Once past the steps, the French Drain would transition to Solid 6 inch Drain Pipe and continue on around the house to the Pop-Up Emitter down hill in the side yard. Along the way we attached several Gutter Down Spoutsinto theFrench Drain.
A French Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain. A basic French Drain consists of a Perforated Drain Pipe in the bottom of a trench. A Trench Liner is sometimes used depending on the Drainage System Design and the type of soil. The Drain Pipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drain Pipe. This is to ensure that the Drain Pipe does not become clogged. A trench is dug that is slightly wider than the French Drain Pipe that is being used. There are several sizes ofFrench Drain Pipe. 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 lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drain Pipe 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 Drain Pipeor the Gravel are installed. This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time. It also increases the cost of theFrench Drain and the amount of time to install it. I install a trench liner in a French Drain about 20% of the time. Most of the time a liner in not needed.
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.
Standing water comes from many sources. It causes damage to sidewalks, driveways, and foundations not to mention plants, trees, and grass. Does the side of your house flood because your neighbor doesn’t have gutters, or does your sidewalk turn into a moat after a heavy rain, or worst of all, is water seeping into your foundation and duct work after a thunderstorm? Theses are just a few of the Drainage Problemsthat Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair can help with. We can design a Drainage System to fit your specific needs. We install many types of Drains to solve many types of problems. French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, Basement Drains, Trench Drains, Basin Drains, and Sump Pumps are utilized.
Just what is a “French Drain?” Many times people incorrectly
A basicFrench Drainconsists of aPerforated Drain Pipein the bottom of a trench. The French Drain Trench runs through a Problem Drainage Areathat needs to be drained. The French Drain Pipe is perforated (Full of Small Holes) and has Neo-Prene Soc around the pipe. This soc helps prevent debris from clogging the French Drain Pipe.
The dirt that was 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 lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforatedDrain Pipeand filled all the way to the surface (ground level). In some cases where theFrench Drainneeds to be deep or is being placed in sandy soil, a special trench liner must be placed in the trench before the perforatedDrain Pipe or the Gravel are installed. This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time. It also increases the cost of the French Drain and the amount of time to install it. I install a trench liner in aFrench Drainabout 20% of the time. Most of the time a liner in not needed.
AFrench Drainis 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 aDrainage SystemwithSurface Drains or Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it.
French Drains can be installed by themselves, or as part of a Drainage System that uses other French Drains, Surface Drains, or other Drain combinations. Typically a French Drain is used to protect a broad area that has a lot of standing water. AFrench Drain might run along side a homes foundation, or beside a driveway, or on any Drainage Project where Sub-Surface water is the primary problem. If water is running toward your home under ground ( through sandy soil), A French Drain is the only Solution for draining away water flowing under ground.
If you live in Oklahoma City and need a French Drain installed in your yard, or along your driveway, or near your foundation, give CMG a call. If you live in Edmond or Norman and need a Surface Drain installed in the concrete in your sidewalk or driveway, we can help. If you live in Mustang or Yukon and would like to protect your trees or flower beds from standing water with a French Drain, CMG specializes in just that!