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
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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 it's 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
1. Water gets to the problem area by falling from the sky.
2. Water gets to the problem area by flowing downhill over the ground.
3. Water gets to the problem area by flowing underground. (Sub-Surface water flow)
Number 3, Sub-Surface water flow is the big consideration. When doing a Drainage Diagnostic, this is the area that is many times missed or not considered by less experienced companies. People Don’t always think about water flowing underground. They only consider what they see. This is a big mistake when considering how to best address a Water Problem.
Oklahoma Drainage relies on 30 years of experience. Many Times, it is cheaper and more effective to install a French Drainover a Surface Drain. A Surface Drain can’t move as much water as a French Drain, and a Surface Drain can’t Drain away Sub-Surface water. Surface Drains should be installed in areas where the Drainage Problem area is smaller and is not affected by sub-surface water.
The drawback to aFrench Drain, is that it is not a pretty aFrench Drainsdo a great job running along foundations and driveways. A French Drain will keep water away from cement and prevent damage to concrete if water should freeze up against it. A French Drain can keep your foundation Dry.
Most French Drains are not 6 inch. The most common size of French Drain Pipe is 4 inch. Six inch French Drain is necessary when a person has a need for a more Robust French Drain. It needs to move more water than a regular 4 Inch.
Central and Western Oklahoma is our Service Area since 1993.
(405) 203-9419
Here are the Potential Sizes of French Drain Pipe for Residential use.
First is the 3 Inch French Drain Pipe. The pipe is small and can’t move much water. If has become less popular and is harder to find the pipe to install it. Retailer’s aren’t selling it much any more.
Next comes 6 inch French Drain Pipe. It is noticeably larger than 4 inch. For Residential use it is more for Flood Protection Rather than Drainage.
Flood protection Means you want no water coming into a particular area.
Drainage Means water Comes into the problem but is drained away over a relatively short time.
Example by Customer:
My customer in Norman Oklahoma had water that would stand on the side of her house after a rain. The Drain we installed drained away the water in about 15 minutes.
My customer in Chickasha Oklahoma had water Re Directed Into the Garage of her house because the city had replaced a water pipe in the street and changed the slope of her street. It tore off her garage door and took out the back wall of her garage. The city fixed the street but also paid me to install a Double 6 inch French Drain (two 6 inch French Drain Pipes Side By Side) to ensure that during a future potential flood the same event would not be repeated.
Standing Water on a Driveway or Sidewalk can be a real pain. Stepping out of your car into standing water is no fun. Many times a channel drain can solve this kind of problem.
Channel Drains are usually set in concrete. Many times standing water requires that a new drain be set in concrete. This requires that the concrete be cut and removed and a drain installed in its place with new concrete around the edges.
Channel Drain Installed against wall
Obliviously Skill, Expertise, and Experience is required to make a big cut across a driveway or sidewalk.
Oklahoma Drainage
Before
Breaking out the cut concrete
After
If a channel drain is installed correctly, it is very strong. A car can be driven over it.
Channel drains are of two kinds, Metal or Composite.
Metal Channel drains can be Crome, Cast Iron, or Stainless Steel.
A Composite Channel Drain is made up of very tough plastic combinations.
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.
Surface Drain Installation, this is not a French 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.
A French Drainis a Perforated Drainpipe with thousands of small holes in it. It is placed in the bottom of a Drainage Trenchthat 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 Drainpipehas a cloth filter around the pipe as well.
French drain Installation with trench liner and pipe filter
This is a French Drain as well.
Decorative French Drain
Here is the same French drain before we added the colorful river rock.
Installing Decorative French Drain the Right Way
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.
The White Material is the Trench Liner. The black material is the Pipe Filter.
Look Above
The Above French drain was installed in-between two houses where water was trapped every time it rained.
Driveway with a Water Stain
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.
Grass Growing over a French Drain
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.
in the shade.
Oklahoma Drainage. – We installed our first Drainage System and completed our first Sprinkler Repair in Norman in 1993.
Oklahoma City French Drain Contractor. Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair Providing professional French Drain Installation since 1993. We also provide Channel Drain and Sump Pump installation. Sprinkler Repair is available as well.
Oklahoma Drainage Installing French Drains in Central and Western Oklahoma since 1993. 405 203 9419
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.
might consist of a Surface Drainthat 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.
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 Drainpipe.
Drainage System Considerations
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 downhill 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.)
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.
How Much Water?
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 or Small Business
For home and small business use typical materials used are:
Surface Drains look nicer than French Drains in most cases
What Size Drainpipe Do You Need.
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 Pop-Up Emitteris connected to the end of aDrain Pipe. It is downhill from a French Drainor a Surface Drain. A Pop-Up Emitter is a small release basin with a green pop-up lid. It pops up about an inch when releasing water. Next, theStorm Water moves 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.
French Drains in Norman Oklahoma. The Central focus for Oklahoma Drainage is French Drain Installation. We installed our first French Drain and completed our first Sprinkler Repair in Norman in 1993.
Just what is a “French Drain?” Many times, people incorrectly use the phrase, “French Drain,” to apply to many different types of Drains. 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.
A Channel Drainis a type of Surface Drain and many times is installed in concrete across sidewalks or driveways. It is long and narrow like a gutter with a Grate on top. It needs to be set in concrete.
Patio Channel Drain Installation
A French Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain. A basicFrench Drainconsists of a Perforated Drainpipe in the bottom of a drainage trench. The Drainage Trench is dug across a low area that has standing water when it rains. The French Drain Trench also can be used to intercept water moving downhill. That water can be above ground and moving fast. Belowground water can also be intercepted moving slowly downhill.
A Trench Liner should also be used to line the trench before the perforated French Drainpipe is placed on top of it. The Trench Liner lets water through to the perforated pipe. M It is Semi-Permeable. It maintains the integrity of the Drainage Trench over a long Period of time. It also keeps the drain from clogging.
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 limestone. 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 perforatedDrain Pipe and filled all the way to the surface (ground level).
Installing Trench Liner for French Drain
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 Systemwith Surface Drains or Gutter Downspouts connected to it.
The Drawback of Fench Drains
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.
A French Drain can be made to look Nice. Steppingstones can be placed on top of a French Drain. All types of Decorative Stone Can be used as well.
Building a Decorative French Drain
Completed Decorative French Drain
Depending on the area the French Drainis 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 theFrench 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 a French Drain with Dirt
DON’T 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.
DECORATIVE STONE CAN BE USED TO COVER A FRENCH DRAIN AND THEY LOOK GREAT AND LAST A LIFETIME.
Many times we wait until things dry out a bit before beginning a French Drain Installation. Some times the water never goes away. So we start digging in standing water and putting the mud in a wheelbarrow. We then haul it to a dump trailer to be hauled away. It isn’t the easiest thing to do.
The water started draining away as soon as we dug the Drainage Trench. Once the Pipe and Limestone were installed, it drained away even faster.
The trench liner allows sub surface water to pass through it and reach the French Drainpipe. The reason it is installed is to maintain the integrity of the drainage trench so it doesn’t collapse over time. It also helps protect the pipe from filling up with mud or sand, clogging the French Drain.
Below is a picture of a French Drain that we had to take out and replace because it had no liner or filter around the Pipe.
French Drains need a Trench Liner and a Pipe Filter or they will clog up and quit working. I have Installed French Drains that are 30 years old now and still work great!
French drain Installation with trench liner and pipe filter
Trench Liner
The French Drain Pipe shown above has a neo Preen soc around it to prevent sand and debris from clogging the French Drain. The next step is to add the lime stone on top.
The type of rock that covers a perforated French Drain Pipe can be just about any type of quality gravel or crushed stone. Very small crushed stone or sand is not a good idea, however. The water must be able to flow through the stone to reach the perforated pipe.
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. A French Drainmight 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.
French Drain or Surface Drain? So you have water in a place in your home or business that is causing a problem. Maybe you have water standing on your sidewalk or leaking into your air conditioning ducts. You might have water running under your garage door and flooding your garage. You might have standing water that kills grass or plants in your yard. There are an endless number of possible water drainage issues. Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair has provided solutions for water drainage problems since 1993. We utilize French Drainsand many types of Surface Drains to solve all types of Residential and Small Business water problems. We also install Sump Pumps when water can not be drained from the problem area. As of January 2021 we have provided service for 5467 customers in Oklahoma. Our service area includes all of Central and Western Oklahoma. We will service other areas of Oklahoma by special appointment. There is never any cost for us to come and look at your water problems.
Connecting Gutter Down Spout to French Drain Under Sidewalk
The Drainage part of our company name means that we solve water problems for people in Oklahoma. Heavy rain is becoming more common. Back in 1993 when I first started, a hard rain was considered to be about an Inch per/hour. It was fairly rare but not too uncommon. Today things are different. A weather report of rain fall at or above 4 inches per/hour was not uncommon in 2019. Excess water causes all types of damage to property both residential and commercial.
Our Drainage Systems drain water away from places you don’t want it to be. You might have water standing along the foundation of your house, or inside your basement. You might have water on your driveway or flowerbed too.
When I talk to a potential customer while doing a Drainage System estimate, I take a lot of things into consideration. First I have the Customer show me where water is standing or where it is going that it shouldn’t. This is part of defining the specific problem area. Sometimes the Water Problem Areais larger and more involved than the customer realizes. Once the Water Problem Area is clearly defined, the next step is to determine how the water is getting to the problem area. Many times there is more than one Water Source to the Water Problem area. A big mistake in Drainage System Design is to stop once the most obvious Water Source is found. A Drainage System Designer must be a detective to some degree. For Example: Water running down the hill and onto the back patio might be the most obvious water source. Sub-surface water or a neighbor’s new gutter downspout could also be contributing. Most of the time water gets into the problem area from more than one source.
Next you must decide where to take the water. This is determining an Exit Pointfor the Drainage System. If possible you want your exit point to be down hill from the problem area. If it is up hill in all directions from the problem area, then the only solution is a Sump Pump.
Once an exit Point is determined, you must ask yourself if there is any way to install two exit points. Usually this can only work when an exit point can work on both ends of a Drainage System. The benefit of two Exit Points in a Drainage Systemis it greatly increases the water capacity for the Drainage System. It can move much more water faster during a heavy rain than a system with just one Exit Point. MostDrainage Systems can only utilize one Exit Point. In 21 years of Drainage System Installation, I would say 10% of our Drainage Systemshave two Exit Points.
Give us a call for a free Estimate at 405 203 9419 or E-Mail — frenchdrain.sprinklerrepair@gmail.com
Setting the concrete around the channel drain
French Drain Installation in Edmond
French Drain Running on the side of the house
French Drain trench
Setting the concrete around the channel drain
Setting in the Channel Drain in the cut.
Surface Drain Installation as part of a Drainage System
Standing water can cause a lot of damage to your yard. The above picture was from a French Drain Installation in Oklahoma City.
Many times, we wait until things dry out a bit before beginning a French Drain Installation. Sometimes the water never goes away. So, we start digging in standing water and putting the mud in a wheelbarrow. We then haul it to a dump trailer to be hauled away. It isn’t the easiest thing to do.
Perforated Pipe, Filter, and Liner installed in a drainage trench.
The water started draining away as soon as we dug the Drainage Trench. Once the Pipe and Limestone were installed, it drained away even faster.
The trench liner allows sub surface water to pass through it and reach the French Drainpipe. The reason it is installed is to maintain the integrity of the drainage trench, so it doesn’t collapse over time. It also helps protect the pipe from filling up with mud or sand, clogging the French Drain.
Below is a picture of a French Drainpipe
that we had to take out and replace because it had no liner or filter around the Pipe.
The French Drainpipe shown above has a neo Preen soc around it to prevent sand and debris from clogging the French Drain. The next step is to add the limestone on top.
If you have trouble with standing water after a thunderstorm, or if your sidewalk turns into a moat every time it rains, or worst of all you have water seeping into your home, Give us a call. We can quickly diagnose your Drainage problems and design a Drainage System to solve your Drainage Problems.
This year Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair has addressed many standingwater problems and drainage issues for residents and business owners of Oklahoma. On one occasion, we installed a Surface Drainin the middle of a driveway. After a rain, water was standing in front of the garage and would flow under the door when it got too deep. We cut the driveway, Installed the Surface Drain, and replaced the cement. Problem Solved.
Another Drainage Problem
involved installing a Sump Pumpin a basement floor. The basement would flood after a hard rain. Again, Problem solved!
Harsh weather inOklahoma seems to become 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. Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair install a wide variety of Drains in many different places. A Drain or Group of Drains with Drainpipe going to an exit point is a “Drainage System.”
Today we are installing a French Drain system for a customer in East Norman. She has water running into her front door through her flower bed. The bed acts like a pond and over-spills onto her front porch and then through her front door. To solve the problem, we are installing a French Drain running across her flower bed and under her sidewalk. Once under the sidewalk the French Drain will connect to Solid Drain Pipe and continue on down the hill to the exit point where we will install a pop-up emitter. There are two gutter downspouts that will be connected into the French Drain Systemalong the way.
Recently Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair 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.
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.
French Drain Installation is a primary focus for OklahomaDrainage. We have been installing French Drains as part of Drainage Systems since 1993. We also install Surface Drains, Channel Drains, and Sump Pumps to fit our customer’s needs.
WHERE WE HAVE WORKED!
In 1993 we had no website. I stuck little signs on the side of the road as advertisement. I got my first Drain Installation work in March of 1993 in Norman. It was in Brookhaven North of Robinson Street on the West side of I 35.
The majority of our customers live in Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Moore, Midwest City, Del City, Blanchard, New Castle, Yukon and Choctaw.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair hasn’t been limited to those areas, however. We have also installed French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, and Sump Pumps in many other cities.
Working Drainage Systems Installed by Oklahoma Drainage also reside in: Lawton, Duncan, Ardmore, Chickasha, Shawnee, Enid, Weatherford, Elk City, El reno and many other places.
If you live in any of these Cities or towns, we have installed a French Drain, Surface Drain, Channel Drain, or Sump Pump within 5 miles of your home.
Here is a description of other recent work.
A little bit North of Downtown Oklahoma City, OklahomaDrainage 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 gutters.
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.
ADrainage System is made up of three parts. An Intake, a transition, and and Exit.
An intake is a Drain or a group of Drains that brings water into the Drainage System. It can be a French Drain, Surface Drains, Channel Drain, or Sump Pump. A Drainage Systemcan have one intake or several. If more than one, it can be any combination of French Drains, Surface Drains, Etc.
For Example: You might have aSurface Drainset in your sidewalk and a Channel Drain next to your driveway and a French Drainin your yard. They all connect to each other through drainpipe and feed water into the Drainage System.
The Transition
is the Drainpipe that takes the water to the exit point. It can be a large pipe or small depending on how much water needs to be moved and how fast it needs to drain. More than one Drainage Exit Point. This increases the amount of water that theDrainage System can move.
There are other things to take into account and consider as well.
We also install Surface Drains and Channel Drains Set in concrete in sidewalks and driveways. Wherever you need a Drain to help protect your home or property, we are there to help. Experience Counts, going on 32 years now.
A French Drain Can Handle Surface and Sub-Surface Water
1. Keep water away from foundations–– A French Drain is best because it can move Surface Water and Sub-Surface Water(water moving underground) 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 Drainoften 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.
Appearance
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 Draincan 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 Wateraway 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 pipe that is connected to the drain.
Simply put, a Drainage System is one or a group of underground Drainpipes 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 Drain for the water to enter, a Drainpipe to move the water away from the Drain, and an Exit Point for the water to be released out of the Drainpipe.
Hard Rain
Do you have water standing in your yard after a hard rain? Does your sidewalk become a moat during a thunderstorm? Is standing water causing your foundation to deteriorate and break down? Is water seeping into your home and causing mold?
Stormwater runoff 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.
We Service all of Central Oklahoma including Norman, Moore, Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Oklahoma City, Midwest City, Del City, Blanchard, Newcastle, Purcell and Chickasha. Now we provide service to Lawton and Altus as well.
