Where does a French drain drain into?

An interior French drain intercepts water as it enters your basement — it's the surest method of keeping your basement dry and a better option than a footing drain. However, if you have a finished basement, you'll have to remove interior walls in order to install the system.

Where should a French drain drain to?

It is used to direct surface water or groundwater away from a specific area, such as a home's foundation. French drains direct surface level water toward the lowest point and allow it to seep through the surface level gravel into the drain.

Does a French drain go inside or outside?

Exterior French drains are installed around the outside perimeter of a foundation. The drain consists of a flexible perforated drainpipe buried in a trench at the bottom of the foundation footing.

Can French drain empty underground?

A French drain pipe has small holes in the underground pipe surrounded by aggregate rock creating an underground void that can quickly drain pooling water and move it to another area.

How close should a French drain be to the house?

How Close Should a French Drain be to the House? A good rule of thumb is to install french drains 3 feet from the house. Make sure to measure around the porch, patio and deck.

HOW A FRENCH DRAIN WORKS

Where are French drain in a house?

Exterior French drains are installed around the outside perimeter of a foundation. The drain consists of a flexible perforated drainpipe buried in a trench at the bottom of the foundation footing. Landscape fiber and gravel are put around the pipe to filter out dirt and sediments.

Can French drains be covered with grass?

Landscaping French drain

Grass doesn't require as much water as streamside plants. So, you should use a French drain system that leaves only enough moisture for your grass. This type of French drain features a trench that's filled with gravel and then lined with landscape fabric to hold the topsoil.

Can you run downspouts into French drain?

A French drain is actually a network of pipes laid in trenches dug beneath the ground through which water runoff can flow. This structure can be attached to your downspouts and will work seamlessly with your existing gutters.

Should a French drain have standing water?

Look for Standing Water

French drains are designed to collect rainwater and channel it downhill. If surface water is standing in low areas of the yard that are supposed to flow into your French drain, you have a drainage problem.

How long does French drain last?

When enough sand, clay or silt gets past the fabric, the gravel spaces fill and the effectiveness of the french drain ends. This is why most experts state that a French drain is not a long-term solution to a drainage problem: You have to dig it up and reinstall it every eight to 10 years.

How do you clean French drains?

Is an interior French drain worth it?

French drains help prevent flooding and reduce the risk of long-term water damage to your property. They can last between 30 and 40 years. They're cost-effective. French drains can be aesthetically pleasing as they are usually covered with small rocks, plants and sometimes even decorative grates.

How does an interior French drain work?

An interior French drain doesn't prevent water from entering your basement. Rather, it catches water that seeps inside and channels it by gravity to a sump pump that sends the water back outside or into a drain line.

How deep should you bury a French drain?

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.

Which is better trench drain or French drain?

The main difference between the two is that French drains capture and remove groundwater while trench drains quickly remove surface water before it can saturate the ground.

Can french drains cause foundation problems?

They Can Actually Damage Your Foundation!

That's right, homeowners often install French drains to protect their foundation from hydrostatic pressure and water intrusion, but they can actually damage the concrete!

Where does my perimeter drain go?

A perimeter drain, or weeping tile, is a plastic or PVC perforated pipe, which is installed underground, around the perimeter of your house. The perforations consist of thousands of tiny holes or slits that allow water to enter the pipe, and be drained away from the foundation of the home.

Should French drain be next to foundation?

It can be placed inside a basement or outside along the foundation. If water pressure beneath the slab forces water into the basement via the joins of wall and floor or through cracks in the foundation, then a French Drain will be placed inside the basement along the wall and floor joins.

Are french drains expensive?

On average, homeowners can expect to pay between $5,000 and $13,500 to have a French drain installed in the home. The required size of the drain will also play a role in the cost—most basements will need between 100 and 150 feet of installed French drain.

How much does labor cost to install a French drain?

French Drain Cost per Foot

On average, for exterior installation, you can expect to pay anywhere between $10 and $100 with an average price of $25 per linear foot. A French drain for internal installation costs from $40 to $100 per linear foot or an average of $50 per foot.

What kind of gravel to use for French drain?

Use Natural 1-1/2" round rock for best drainage. Washed rock is ideal. Avoid small pea gravel as the spaces in between stone is smaller minimizing flow rates. Avoid Crushed Rock (minus) that compacts and has "fines" that will clog pipe inlets.

Can you use sand in a French drain?

A French drain is also known as a sub-drain, a perforated pipe designed to pull excessive water from soil and away from areas such as house foundations. Installing a French drain prevents ground water saturation. Although sand will work for back-filling a French drain, it is not as good a choice as gravel.