Can I use pea gravel in a French drain?

Do NOT Use Pea Gravel, Pea Pebble, Pea Stone When Building a French Drain. When building a French drain, you want to use a coarse rock that has been screened and washed. The rock that you see in this French Drain is 3/4″ and larger. You end up with large voids that'll move far more water.

What kind of gravel is best for French drain?

For the best drainage, look for coarse washed rock (gravel) that is screened, with a stone size of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Smaller rock with fine particles could clog the holes of the drain pipe. Pea stone works, but the smooth stones settle together and don't move as much water as coarse rock.

Can water drain through pea gravel?

Pea gravel is notoriously bad at providing drainage. Because the individual stones of pea gravel are rounded, pea gravel is prone to packing together to form a solid mass. This prevents water from draining. A trench, driveway, or path where pea gravel has been used is prone to flooding and washouts.

How much pea gravel do I need for a French drain?

How much gravel do I need per foot of French drain? You would need around 0.72 cubic feet of gravel per foot length of French drain for a typical French drain width of 10 inches and a depth of 12 inches if you're using a 4" drain pipe.

What type of rock goes in a French drain?

Hard rocks such as granite or river gravel prove viable options for a French drain because they won't break down over time as much as other rock varieties, such as sandstone and limestone.

Do NOT Use Pea Gravel, Pea Pebble, Pea Stone When Building a French Drain

Is pea gravel best for drainage?

Driveways – pea gravel is very durable with good drainage and is also easy to maintain, making it a solid choice for driveways. Walkways – because of its smooth surfaces and rounded edges, pea gravel can be an attractive and safe walkway material, while providing a satisfying crunch underfoot.

Is pea gravel the same as river rock?

In fact, many people don't realize that pea gravel is actually river rock. It is just a smaller, smoother version of river rock. Pea gravel is widely available throughout the northeast, which makes it one of the most affordable of all decorative stones.

Is pea gravel the same as pea pebbles?

Pea gravel is small, rounded pebbles. Also referred to as pea stone or pea pebbles, each little rock of pea gravel is just a bit bigger than a pea (think green frozen peas). Pea gravel perhaps looks more like really large peas, like edamame or something of that size.

Do you have to put gravel on the bottom of a French drain?

French Drain Gravel

It is important to place the gravel around the pipe because they will filter any sediment that the geotextile is not able to remove.

How much gravel do I need for a 50 foot French drain?

To calculate gravel needed for a 50′ french drain, multiply the length of the trench by the width and depth. If you plan to lay down 4 inches of gravel, multiply 50 feet x 4 inches = 200 cubic feet.

Can you use pea shingle for drainage?

A small shingle, also know as Pea Shingle, is very suitable for many drainage and pipe laying projects.

Does pea gravel get hot?

Garden Beds: Pros

When pea gravel is used in place of mulch it can be quite useful to the plants in a garden bed. The pea gravel reflects heat far better than wood mulch, maintains moisture by trapping it beneath the rocks and limits weed growth.

Will pea gravel compact?

The stone dust will settle and become compact to create a semisolid surface that is smooth. It is important that you know that this type of surface gravel needs to be sloped towards the sides of your driveway for better drainage.

Can you make a French drain with just gravel?

Officially a French drain is a gravel drain with no pipe. The water just collects in and travels through in a gravel or stone filled channel that starts from the surface or just below it. But in modern times, and for practical purposes, we will consider a French drain to include a drainage pipe in the gravel.

How much gravel should be on top of a French drain?

Pour the Gravel Bedding

Pour and compact about 3 inches of gravel or landscaping stone along the bottom of the trench. This will act as bedding for the drainage piping.

Should I use landscape fabric in French drain?

Non-woven geotextile fabric is the best choice for drainage applications where water flow through (permeability) is the main concern. Non-woven landscape fabric is commonly used in French-drains, drain-fields, and erosion control.

Can you cover French drain with dirt?

Can I cover a French drain with dirt? Because a French drain has holes throughout the pipe which allow it collect water, you should not install dirt on top of the drain pipe. Installing dirt will clog the pipe and the holes, rendering it useless.

How deep should a 4 inch French drain be?

French drain depth: About 8 inches to 2 feet deep should be sufficient for many water-diverting projects, though related systems, such as those built around foundations and sub-ground living spaces, as well as the bases of retaining walls, may be deeper.

Can a French drain be too deep?

Gas and water lines, electrical wires, and sewer pipes are some of the things that this digging may encounter. If the drain is dug below the footer, it will cause the home to settle and it's important not to dig too deep.

What size gravel is best for drainage?

In general, you want to aim for ½ inch to 1-inch gravel for drainage. Areas that will see especially heavy flow may need larger gravel. Or, projects without drainage pipes may also need larger gravel. For example, a French drain without perforated pipe needs 1 ½ inch gravel.

What can I use pea gravel for?

Pea gravel is a decorative and useful landscaping material for mulching and making walkways, driveways and even patios. It's one of many types of gravel and is not to be confused with the angled gravel commonly used for drainage and underground structural construction.

How do you stabilize pea gravel?

Lay Pea Gravel On Top of Coarse Gravel

To stop your pea gravel from sliding: Pour a 3-inch base layer of angular gravel before pouring pea gravel. Use #3 or #57 crushed stone as a base for your gravel. Add 2–3 inches of pea gravel on top of the coarse gravel base layer.

How much pea gravel do I need for 12x12?

Divide the cubic feet of gravel by 27 to get the number of cubic yards of pea gravel needed, such as 36 ÷27 = 1.33 yards. For a 12×12 patio, 3 inches deep, you will need approximately 1.33 cubic yards, or 36 cubic feet, or 2 tons, or 72 bags of 50-Pound of pea gravel.

What can I substitute for river rock?

replace river rocks in stages with a variety of low-maintenance perennials: daylillies, catmint, perennial geranium, hosta, and larger shrubs along the neighbour's fence (variegated dogwood or similar).