Posts Tagged ‘Mustang French Drain Repair’

Mustang Drainage Systems –

Drainage Systems can be made up of one drain or a combination of many drainsDrainage problems can be very complex.   Complex Drainage Problems may require a combination of several different types of drains all 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 drain connected 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 water drain out on to the street.

A simple Drainage System

might consist of a Surface Drain that is connected to a second Surface Drain which 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 the Drainage System.  Determining the Exit Point is very critical.  It is one of the first things we do when diagnosing a Drainage Problem.

French Drain and Surface Drain

French Drain and Surface Drain

Drainage Systems can:

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 Drain often can’t move enough water fast enough and easily becomes overwhelmed during a heavy rain.  A Surface Drain also 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 Drains look 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 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 Drain for 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 a sprinkler 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 Drain or French Drain that needs to be installed.  It also helps to determine the size of Drainpipe 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:

6 inch, 9 inch, and 12 inch Surface Drains

3 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch Drain Pipes

3 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch French Drains

French Drains move more water than Surface Drains —

French Drains move Surface Water and Sub-Surface Water

Surface Drains move 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 Drainpipe 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 the Drainage 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 Drainpipe coming from a French Drain or Surface Drain is connected to the Drainage Curb fitting and then covered with dirt.

The Drainage Pop-Up Emitter

is connected to the end of a Drainpipe.  It is downhill from a French Drain or 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 desirable Drainage Exit Point where there is no curb.

Drainage System installation and design is a big part of our business.  Does your sidewalk turn into a moat after a hard rain?  Does part of your yard look like a pond after a thunderstorm?  Worst of all, are you experiencing concrete deterioration to your foundation, sidewalk, or driveway. 

Oklahoma Drainage can design a Drainage System to solve your Drainage Problems.  Our Drainage Systems can be simple or complex.  We utilize, French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, Basin Drains, Basement Drains, Trench Drains, and Sump Pumps.  Estimates are free!

Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair 405 203 9419 — We provide:

    French Drain Installation, Surface Drain Installation, Drainage System Installation

    Sprinkler Repair for all aspects of Residential Sprinkler Systems

Channel Drain in Oklahoma City

Channel Drain in Oklahoma City

Recently we solved a problem for some folks in Oklahoma City. They had a pond on their sidewalk in front of their home every time it rained.  We installed a Channel Drain in the Sidewalk to solve the Drainage Problem as shown in the Picture above.

 Sprinkler Repair Service  — Drainage SystemsFrench Drains Surface DrainsSump Pumps — Scheduled Sprinkler Repair

Drainage Systems have been a big part of our business for the last 33 years.  Those years have provided us with the necessary expertise to provide solutions for a wide variety of Drainage ProblemsStorm Water Run-Off causes damage to Foundations, Sidewalks, Driveways, Trees, Plants and Grass.  A Drainage System Installed by Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair can help protect your valuable property.

Harsh weather

in Oklahoma seems to becoming more common.  In 2019, 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 runoff can 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.  We 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.”

Large 6 Inch French Drain Installed in Norman
Large 6 Inch French Drain Installed in Norman

One or Many Drains

Drainage Systems can be made up of one drain or a combination of many drainsDrainage problems can be very complex.   Complex Drainage Problems may require a combination of several different types of drains all 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 drain connected together.

Complex Drainage System

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 water drain out on to the street.

A simple Drainage System might consist of a Surface Drain that is connected to a second Surface Drain which 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 the Drainage 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 — A French Drain is 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 Drain also 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 Drains look 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.
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 Drainpipe that is connected to the Drain.

Surface Drain Installation in Norman

French Drain Mustang.  

Recently we installed a 4 inch French Drain with Trench Liner and Pipe Filter just West of Mustang Road.  The Customer had water in his back yard coming in from his Neighbors House.  The grass would not grow because it was under water most of the spring.

Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair 405 203 9419 — We provide:
    French Drain Installation, Surface Drain Installation, Drainage System Installation
    Sprinkler Repair for all aspects of Residential Sprinkler Systems
    Emergency Sprinkler Repair Service, AFTER HOURS AND WEEKENDS.
Servicing all of Central and Western Oklahoma

French Drain with steppingstones

Drainage Systems, French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, Sump Pumps, Sprinkler Repair, with 33 years of experience.

A French Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain.  A basic French Drain consists of a Perforated Drainpipe in the bottom of a trench.  A Trench Liner is sometimes used depending on the Drainage System Design and the type of soil.   The Drainpipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drainpipe.   This is to ensure that the Drainpipe does not become clogged.

A trench is dug that is slightly wider than the French Drainpipe that is being used.

Installing 4 Inch French Drain with trench Liner and pipe filter

The White Material is the Trench Liner. The black material is the Pipe Filter.

There are several sizes of French Drainpipe.   Three Inch, Four Inch, and Six Inch are the most common sizes of French drainpipe. The dirt that is taken out to make the trench is hauled away.  It is replaced by some type of small stone or gravel depending on what is desired or available.  I prefer crushed 1 inch 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 perforated Drainpipe and filled all the way to the surface (ground level).   In some cases where the French Drain needs to be deep or is being placed in sandy soil, a special trench liner must be placed in the trench before the perforated Drainpipe or the Gravel are installed.  This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time.    

When we run solid Drainpipe across yards to an Exit Point, the sod usually can be put back into place and in a few days you can’t tell a French Drain was ever Installed.
A French Drain is designed to handle a large volume of water and cover a large area. The Drain is anyplace the trench goes. It has many applications and can be used in many situations.  It can be installed by itself or incorporated into a Drainage System with Surface Drains or Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it.

The main downfall

of a French Drain is that they, for the most part isn’t very pretty.  They don’t look very nice in a yard once they are completed.
Depending on the area the French Drain is installed and the type of grass around the French Drain, will dictate whether grass grows over the limestone.  Grass can grow up and through the gravel in the French Drain over time eventually covering the gravel.  This is OK.  It won’t have a measurable effect on the performance of the French Drain.
In some cases thick grass growing up through the French Drain will create a natural “Thatch” filter.  This makes the French Drain invisible.  The trick is to allow the grass to grow over the French Drain Gravel without covering it up with dirt.  Grasses such as Bermuda which grow well in the sun will put out runners and new roots and will grow up and through the French Drain.  This will not affect the performance of the French Drain.  The problem is that sometimes depending on the type of soil involved, it may take a long time to completely cover up the French Drain.  Sprinkling grass seed down in the gravel will speed up the process.

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

Installing a Curb Outlet for a French Drain in Oklahoma City

Installing a Curb Outlet for a French Drain in Oklahoma City

If you install a French Drain in a sunny area, you can:

                                         A.  Leave the French Drain as-is and allow grass to grow over it in time.
                                         B.  Add grass seed directly to the French Drain gravel with (Light Hand Watering) to speed the growth process
                                         C.  Leave the French Drain as-is but decorate it with steppingstones and landscaping rocks (leaving large cracks between stones to allow water to get into the French Drain,
2

If you install a French Drain in a shady area you can:

                                        A.  Leave the French Drain as-is, it will work well and look as it did for many years.

                                        B.  Leave the French Drain as-is, but decorate it with steppingstones or landscaping rocks.  Many French Drains are hidden under rock walkways.

French Drain in Oklahoma City

French Drain in Oklahoma City

Recently we had a customer in Oklahoma City who wanted to move his Sprinkler Valves.  They were in a bad place in his flower bed.  He wanted to plant a tree where the valves were located.

We moved 4 Sprinkler Valves about feet out into the yard.  All the Sprinkler Pipes had to be redesigned and installed matching the new location and maintaining full functionality.

 

What Is a Sprinkler Valve?

Think of a Sprinkler Valve as an “Off or on” Switch.    The Sprinkler Controller   turns the valves on or off.

It Sends a signal through a wire which is underground to the sprinkler valve somewhere in your yard.

Once turned on, the valve lets water pass through a sprinkler pipe to a specific group of sprinkler heads called a Sprinkler Zone.  The controller allows water to reach the sprinkler heads for a certain amount of time running through the sprinkler valve.  Once the time is up, it shuts off the sprinkler valve and moves on to the next valve in sequence.

Think of it as walking into every room in your house one at a time.  As you enter you turn on the light.  As you leave you turn off the light and move to the next room. You are the controller.  The light switch represents the sprinkler valve.

Rainbird Sprinkler Valve

Rainbird Sprinkler Valve

The Sprinkler Valve in the picture above was taken out of the ground after the pipe froze and broke on the right side.  You can see the crack in the PVC pipe.  Of course, I had to clean all the mud off the valve before I took the picture.

What causes a Sprinkler Valve to stop working?

Like anything else, a sprinkler valve can wear out.   Sprinkler valves fail in closed position.  It won’t run continuously if it breaks.

Sprinkler Valves get stuck while running sometimes.   The water supply must be then turned off to stop the Sprinkler from running.

Sprinkler Valves can freeze and break in the winter if the sprinkler system has not been properly drained for winter’s cold.

(winterized)

Tree roots can twist or break sprinkler pipes running into sprinkler valves.  Magnolia Trees are really bad about this.  Oak trees can cause damage too.

Driving something heavy across your yard can crush sprinkler valves.  Usually riding lawnmowers don’t cause damage but any truck or car will if you drive over a valve.

Sprinkler Repair Service Provided by Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair

Since 1993 we have Replaced Sprinkler Valves that were sticking or were wore out.

Thousands of Sprinkler Heads have been adjusted.

Countless Sprinkler Controllers have been Reprogramed or Replaced.

We also have fixed a broken Sprinkler Pipe or Two.  Seems like a million.  Ok, not that many.

I wonder how many?  A lot!!!!

Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair provides Service for all of Central Oklahoma Including:  Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Yukon and Mustang.

Emergency Sprinkler Repair

Sometimes things go wrong with sprinkler systems.

 

IF YOU NEED HELP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OR ON A WEEKEND WITH YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM, GIVE US A CALL.

OKLAHOMA DRAINAGE AND SPRINKLER REPAIR.  405 203 9419

IT MAY TAKE A FEW HOURS FOR US TO GET THERE BUT WE WILL COME TO HELP.

 

One Common problem is that they continue to run and won’t shut off.  In most cases this is a problem with a sprinkler valve that has “Stuck” in the on position.

This can be temporarily solved by shutting of the Emergency Shutoff Valve.  The problem is that some sprinkler systems don’t have one to turn off or if they do the homeowner doesn’t know where it is.

It may be on the back-flow valve which may be located on the side of the house under a big plastic fake rock.

Many sprinkler systems in Oklahoma have them. (50 % ?)  Under the plastic rock is a back-flow valve with two shut off handles.  Usually, they have blue or green or tan handles.  Turn one of the handles and it should shut off the water to your sprinkler system.

Other times the Emergency Shutoff Valve is in a box in the ground out by the curb near your water meter.  The valve box will have a green lid.  Sometimes they are difficult to open.  Many times, I had to pry them open with a flat head screwdriver.

Installing Surface Drain System in Edmond Oklahoma

Drainage System Installation