DIY French Drain
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair has installed French Drains for Home or Business since 1993.
Click on the Post Title Below to Quickly Get Help or Information on Your Focus Area of French Drain Installation Needed.
What is a French Drain?
Don’t be surprised by the Spaghetti in the first Picture. How in the world does Spaghetti Relate to a French Drain? Hopefully you are curious!
What A French Drain Isn’t, the Surface Drain Mistake.
Parts of A French Drain
Parts and Structure
French Drain Intake, as part of a Simple Drainage System.
Before you begin.
Identify the Problem Area
This is very important. You don’t want to underestimate the size or scope of your problem. Your French Drain Design needs to address everything that it can help with or improve. You want to get things wright the first time if you can.
Identify the water sources to your problem.
Most of the time there is more than one water source to your Water Problem. There can easily be several ways that water is getting to the problem area. Usually, you have a Primary source and one or several Secondary Sources. In Rare occasions two or more primary sources may need to be dealt with.
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Identify water Movement, Speed, and Volume.
Determine if you are dealing with Surface Water or Sub-Surface Water or Both.
Click on the link above and I will Explain How to do this without using advanced Mathematics or Engineering. No Multiple Linear Regression Needed Just Common Sense.
Determine If you want a Flood Prevention System or a Drainage System.
This will have a Profound Effect on the French Drain Design.
Decide if you can physically handle the installation of a French Drain.
If you have never done this before you really need to read this. Oklahoma Drainage has installed French Drains since 1993. I always recommend digging the French Drain by hand. Using a Trencher ( a machine that digs ditches) is a bad idea for many reasons. My Crew and I have literally dug thousands French Drains and Drainage Systems.
If using a digging machine is necessary, we always use a Mini Excavator, never a Trencher. Using a Mini X as I call it takes a tremendous amount of skill and practice. It is far beyond the capability of a Weekend Warrior or a Confident Brother-in-Law.
Determine the Pipe Size needed for the French Drain and other Drainage Intakes.
Decide how large the Transition Pipe needs to be.
Determine the Exit.
Identify the French Drain Location
Make a decision on the Width and Depth of your French Drain.
Decide if other types of Drains should be connected to a French Drain to handle Secondary Water Problems.
Finally Decide What to do with the Displaced Dirt. You will have leftover Dirt. What are you going to do with it?
This means asking yourself where you want to take the unwanted water to.
French Drains solve many types of water problems. A French Drain is more versatile than a Surface Drain or a Channel Drain.
French Drains Handle Large Areas Or Small.
French Drains Move Surface Water Flowing Above Ground.
French Drains Move Sub Surface Water Flowing Below Ground.
French Drains Can Move Larger Amounts Of Water Compared To Channel Drains or Surface Drains
The White Material is the Trench Liner. The black material is the Pipe Filter.
Surface Drains have their place and are needed in many applications but again in many ways they are limited.
The water must be focused to run slowly toward the grate. If the Surface Drain is located in the lowest point of a big pool of water in your yard then it will work well.
Surface Drain Next to a Sidewalk
In the above photo water stands in the area next to the sidewalk every time it rains. This situation is perfect for a Surface Drain.
If the water is not pooled and moving very slowly the Surface Drain doesn’t work so well.
If the goal is to dry out the soil quickly around the Surface Drain, It won’t work at all.
If your goal is to Intercept moving water that is moving quickly under the side door of your garage, A Surface Drain is not for you.
French drain Installation
with trench liner and pipe filter
French Drains can intercept fast moving surface water over a broad or narrow area.
French Drains can dry out the surrounding muddy area after the rain stops. They drain away Sub-Surface water.
French Drains Can take in much more water faster to help prevent potential flooding or damage to your property.
Problems with French Drains are:
They usually can’t be set in concrete such as a driveway or sidewalk. They can protect a driveway or sidewalk, but can’t be placed in the middle of it.
French Drains Don’t look as nice as Surface Drains. You can however dress them up with landscaping and rock work.
Decorative French Drain
French Drain Under River Rock
