Eliminate Excess Water With a French Drain

Too much water around the foundation of your home can cause serious damage to the foundation and flooding of your basement or crawlspace.  In addition, poorly draining areas of your yard can result in soggy lawns and difficulty growing trees and shrubs due to excessive water around the roots.  Standing water is also a breeding ground for mosquitos and other insects.

Your landscape professional can help solve your drainage problems.  They can identify the source of the problem and suggest solutions such as grading your landscape to redirect water flow or installing drainage ditches or French drains.

A French drain is an effective drainage solution for many drainage problems.  A French drain is a sloping trench filled with gravel surrounding a perforated pipe.  A French drain can be very effective with only a slight slope.  A slope as little as one inch for every eight feet is enough.

French drains rely on the principle that water flows downhill and will always choose the easiest route.  Water flows easily through the gravel into the perforated pipe where it is directed to an appropriate area. By creating a sloping, easy route for water to travel, a French drain can be used to direct water away from your foundation and to drain low areas of your yard.

Shallow French drains can be used to drain low areas in the yard or areas where surface water accumulates.  Deeper French drains around foundations or behind retaining walls protect against water intrusion, erosion and hydraulic pressure.  Your landscaper can design and install a French drain to help solve your drainage problems.