A French drain is a channel shaped excavation, often containing a perforated drain or network of stone or gravel, that directs surface water away from an affected area and away from the house. Drain pipes are laid underground, but may be sloped towards an existing sump pit to direct the water away from the house. French drains can be installed with a variety of materials. Some drainage systems are made with clay, while others are made with stone, concrete, plastic, or metal. These materials serve for many different types of French drains, so it pays to do some research to find out more about the material that will work best in your situation.

The installation of a French drain depends on a number of factors, including the location of the house, the amount of water that is in the basement, and the amount of space available for excavation. A French drain’s primary function is to prevent ground water from rising to the surface and causing damage to the basement walls. This can be accomplished by excavating around the home, installing a trench, then draining it. If no trench is available, or if the space left behind is small, perforations may be made in the floor of the basement through which the water will exit, preventing further damage.

A French drain doesn’t have to be installed entirely inside of the home. In fact, many French drains are installed on the outside of the house near a tree, pond, garden, or other object that can provide the necessary outlet for excess water. When a French drain is used like this, it is called a Y-pipe, because you’ll dig a hole, place a pipe in it, and then swing it out the other side. You can still use a basic French drain if you don’t want to dig an actual hole, but make sure you install one part of the drain at each corner. A Y-pipe will need a filter fabric with a screen or cover over it to keep dirt and debris out of the pipe.

A French drain system should also have a French drain outlet at each corner, so water from rain or melting snow can be directed away from the foundation. At least two feet below the surface of the soil are required to be able to install French drains without problems. If a French drain gets damaged, you can dig a large hole and place a French drain basket inside. The basket can contain soil and debris so that the French drain will keep water from being channeled around the home and back up into the sewer system again. In most cases, the soil in the basket will need to be replaced, and some landscape companies even add a layer of gravel to the bottom of the basket to keep water from draining into the soil and re-channeling inside the drainage pipe.

There are several benefits to installing a French drain in your basement. Not only can they save you money by reducing the amount of water that is used by helping to eliminate basement humidity, but they can also help prevent mold from forming in the basement. When you install a French drain in your basement you can install it right above grade and then pour a trench in, depending on the depth of the soil. You can then install French drains at each corner and then put the basket underneath the drain, level with the surrounding ground.

Some French drain installation options involve using concrete or other materials. When you use concrete for French drain installation you will find that the French drain system will work very well. Before you begin digging the French drain trench, make sure that the French drain seams are positioned properly. Most of the time, the French drains that are installed using concrete are attached to a steel or concrete foundation. However, when doing a French drain installation using a fabric material such as a mesh, you will need to attach the mesh to a sturdy frame and then place the fabric over the mesh.

Installing the French drain pipe is relatively simple and there are many vendors out there that offer these services. The French drain pipe that is used for underground sewer systems is usually made of a very durable high quality mesh. The mesh is connected to a French drain nipple which is then connected to the main sewer line. The fabric that is used for French drain installation can come in different sizes. The size of the fabric that you choose will depend on the amount of soil that is going to be placed in the basket. You can also choose to get French drains that have an exit point on the exterior side of the French drain pipe.

When installing the French drains, you can either use a concrete pump to install it or you can build up the retaining walls with gravel. If you want the pump option, you should dig the retaining wall a little bit more than the length of the pipe. Then put the gravel down inside the retaining wall until the gravel starts to spill out onto the floor, stopping when the French drain pipe hits the concrete. Then use a pump to push the gravel down and connect the French drain pipe to the main drain.