Home Repair forum - French drain questions

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French drain questions

SteveB

2008-02-10, 3:25 am

I'm getting ready to put in French drains in several areas. If I have this
correct, you just dig a ditch to grade away from where you want the water to
drain from. You line the ditch with porous landscaping cloth. Put some
gravel in there. Put a perforated pipe in there. Fill with gravel.

Correct?

Any problems with putting leveling sand on top of that with pavers? Any
need to put those clean out boxes on there?

Looks simple enough, but don't want to make basic mistakes and have to dig
it up. Is the piping necessary? It's cheap, or does the gravel channel do
the same thing? Or does the pipe keep a larger opening?

Steve

Wayne Boatwright

2008-02-10, 3:25 am

On Sun 10 Feb 2008 02:25:39a, SteveB told us...

> I'm getting ready to put in French drains in several areas. If I have
> this correct, you just dig a ditch to grade away from where you want the
> water to drain from. You line the ditch with porous landscaping cloth.
> Put some gravel in there. Put a perforated pipe in there. Fill with
> gravel.
>
> Correct?
>
> Any problems with putting leveling sand on top of that with pavers? Any
> need to put those clean out boxes on there?
>
> Looks simple enough, but don't want to make basic mistakes and have to
> dig it up. Is the piping necessary? It's cheap, or does the gravel
> channel do the same thing? Or does the pipe keep a larger opening?
>
> Steve
>
>
>

Use the pipe. We had several French drains run before isntalling a very
large flagstone patio. In over 20 years we've never had a problem. You
described construction sounds perfect.

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Sunday, 02(II)/10(X)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Faith without works is dead. - James 2:26
*******************************************

tbasc@bellsouth.net

2008-02-10, 9:25 am

On Feb 10, 4:25=A0am, "SteveB" <morpho...@gotcha.com> wrote:
> I'm getting ready to put in French drains in several areas. =A0If I have t=
his
> correct, you just dig a ditch to grade away from where you want the water =
to
> drain from. =A0You line the ditch with porous landscaping cloth. =A0Put so=
me
> gravel in there. =A0Put a perforated pipe in there. =A0Fill with gravel.
>
> Correct?
>
> Any problems with putting leveling sand on top of that with pavers? =A0Any=

> need to put those clean out boxes on there?
>
> Looks simple enough, but don't want to make basic mistakes and have to dig=

> it up. =A0Is the piping necessary? =A0It's cheap, or does the gravel chann=
el do
> the same thing? =A0Or does the pipe keep a larger opening?
>
> Steve

Steve, don't forget to lap the 'landscape cloth' over the top of the
gravel.
That keeps dirt from filtering into it and clogging gravel and pipe.
Contractor friend who does a lot of this places pipe perferations on
bottom of pipe also to keep dirt out.
T

2008-02-10, 9:25 am

SteveB wrote:
> I'm getting ready to put in French drains in several areas. If I have this
> correct, you just dig a ditch to grade away from where you want the water to
> drain from. You line the ditch with porous landscaping cloth. Put some
> gravel in there. Put a perforated pipe in there. Fill with gravel.
>
> Correct?
>
> Any problems with putting leveling sand on top of that with pavers? Any
> need to put those clean out boxes on there?
>
> Looks simple enough, but don't want to make basic mistakes and have to dig
> it up. Is the piping necessary? It's cheap, or does the gravel channel do
> the same thing? Or does the pipe keep a larger opening?
>
> Steve
>
>

http://tinyurl.com/2w4eqt

hallerb@aol.com

2008-02-10, 9:25 am

what are you trying to accomplish? dry a low area of lawn? dry up your
basement? dry up a crawl space?

if your trying to dry up your basement the interior french drains work
better and are more effective.

as I once found out you can re slope the lawn, install new gutters,
downspouts, and drain lines. and STILL have a wet basement.

for french drains to be effective they must be below the level of the
footer.

been there done that

hallerb@aol.com

2008-02-10, 1:25 pm

On Feb 10, 10:12=EF=BF=BDam, "hall...@aol.com" <hall...@aol.com> wrote:
> what are you trying to accomplish? dry a low area of lawn? dry up your
> basement? dry up a crawl space?
>
> if your trying to dry up your basement the interior french drains work
> better and are more effective.
>
> as I once found out you can re slope the lawn, install new gutters,
> downspouts, and drain lines. and STILL have a wet basement.
>
> for french drains to be effective they must be below the level of the
> footer.
>
> been there done that

if your putting down any sort of permanent surface you must backfill
with gravel only, some leveling sand is ok.

dirt takes at least 7 years to settle, so a new pation will be moving
for years

Oren

2008-02-10, 5:25 pm

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:25:39 -0800, "SteveB" <morphonym@gotcha.com>
wrote:

>I'm getting ready to put in French drains in several areas. If I have this
>correct, you just dig a ditch to grade away from where you want the water to
>drain from. You line the ditch with porous landscaping cloth. Put some
>gravel in there. Put a perforated pipe in there. Fill with gravel.
>
>Correct?
>
>Any problems with putting leveling sand on top of that with pavers? Any
>need to put those clean out boxes on there?
>
>Looks simple enough, but don't want to make basic mistakes and have to dig
>it up. Is the piping necessary? It's cheap, or does the gravel channel do
>the same thing? Or does the pipe keep a larger opening?
>
>Steve
>

For the fabric (CHRISTY’S. ™. DRAIN-EEZ. ™. PERFORATED PIPE SLEEVING
SOCK - 3.1 oz. Drain-Eez. ™. encases drain pipe and prevents small
particle/ soil drain system ... 100' long.

Pics from Hendersen, NV basement recently.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/...c19_0002jpg.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/...c19_0001jpg.jpg

Oren
--

hallerb@aol.com

2008-02-10, 5:25 pm

On Feb 10, 5:15 pm, Oren <O...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:25:39 -0800, "SteveB" <morpho...@gotcha.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> For the fabric (CHRISTY'S. (tm). DRAIN-EEZ. (tm). PERFORATED PIPE SLEEVING
> SOCK - 3.1 oz. Drain-Eez. (tm). encases drain pipe and prevents small
> particle/ soil drain system ... 100' long.
>
> Pics from Hendersen, NV basement recently.
>
> http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/...c19_0002jpg.jpg
>
> http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/...c19_0001jpg.jpg
>
> Oren
> --- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

the sleeve sounds great but will clog way faster than a large fabric
filter surrounding a pipe with gravel

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