What is a French drain? Basically, a French drain is a trench covered with gravel and rock. It is a system utilized to eliminate excess water from a sloping piece of land to prevent surface water from damaging building foundations and against the framing of basement walls.
French drain is still the most efficient and highly used system of redirecting water though improvements have been made over the years. The classic French drain was just a simple trench with gravel and sand on top. The modern version is installed underground that directs groundwater away through a pipe system.
What is a French Drain Useful For?
The primary advantage of installing what is a French drain is protection from basement flooding. It is a great way to divert groundwater from your basement and keep it dry and mold-free to help you achieve best flooring for basement.
French drain basement installment will also help protect your home from rotted wood, damaged appliances, and water bugs and insects.
What is a French drain: Installing French Drains
First, find out where water is collecting on your property and where you can re-route it. An ideal location would be an area away from your house that is sandy where the water could pass harmlessly. Dig a narrow trench horizontally to hold the pipe and gravel. The width of the trench depends on the amount of water to be disposed. The more water, the bigger your trench should be.
After digging, line the ditch with landscape fabric. Place a layer of gravel on top then pull the fabric over the top, add a layer of coarse gravel on top and cover again with fabric. Finally, add about 4 to 6 inches of topsoil.
To guarantee proper establishment, be sure to water over the sod as you would do to a newly planted lawn. A natural slope of the finished grade of the lawn should be observed to ensure the runoff of the surface water when the drain and soil are frozen.
Over time, French drains have proven to be highly efficient. Now that you know what is a French drain, you can now start waterproofing a basement.
