Drainage and The French Drain

Water Drainage elimination using a French Drain System is a time-honored Drainage Solution for eliminating excess water from low points and other areas prone to saturated soil. The earliest forms of French Drains were simple ditches, pitched from a high area to a lower one and filled with gravel. These were described and popularized by Henry French (1813-1885), a lawyer and Assistant US Treasury Secretary from Concord, Massachusetts, in his book Farm Drainage. French's own drains were made of sections of ordinary roofing tile laid with a ¹?₈ inch gap left in between the sections to admit water. Later, specialized drain tiles were designed with perforations. To prevent clogging, the gravel size varied from coarse at the center to fine at the outside; and was designed based on the gradation of the soil surrounding the drain. The particle sizing was critical to keep the surrounding soil from washing into the voids in the gravel and clogging the drain. The development of geotextiles greatly simplified this procedure. The advantages of the French Drain are low cost and easy installation. In addition, they can be covered over with turf after installation, making them less conspicuous.

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The French Drain has Several Uses:

• to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging building foundations
• to distribute water, such as that which flows from the outlet of a typical septic tank sewage treatment system.
• and used behind retaining walls to relieve ground water pressure.

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When Is Eliminating Excess Drainage Using a French Drain Needed?

If your neighbor’s land stands at a higher elevation than yours, you may be experiencing problems with excessive moisture, such as water puddles, on your property. Water from your neighbor’s property may be running down the slope and spilling onto your property, so you need a better Yard Drainage System. Installing a French Drain to alleviate the excess water Drainage is one option as the French Drain will absorb the surplus moisture. You can include a drain pipe to redirect the additional Drainage through the French Drain to below ground or to a storm drain. Unwanted moisture and puddles on your property will then be eliminated. Keep in mind, in the U.S., municipalities may require permits for building Drainage Systems as federal law requires water sent to storm drains to be free of certain contaminants and sediment.

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