Guide to French Drains

With the summer thunderstorms swamping the area, your home may be experiencing standing water, saturated ground, and even a flooded basement. If your home is experiencing any of these problems, you could be dealing with a drainage issue that could be fixed with a French drain. French drains are a unique system for the outside of your home to help resolve both standing water and basement flooding. Let’s take a look at French drains.

What are French Drains?

A French drain is composed of a gravel or rock-filled trench that contains a perforated, or slotted, pipe in order to redirect both surface and ground water away from a specific area. These drains are primarily used to redirect water away from homes and building foundations to avoid flooding. As it rains, water runs into the gravel-filled trench and then into the perforated pipe at the bottom of the trench. As the water passes through the pipe, it is directed away from the house and emptied a safe distance away from the property. The ideal French drain should be sloped about one inch for every eight feet. The water will be emptied to a designated area like a low-lying part of your property, a drainage ditch, a dry well, or into the street depending on your property.

When Should You Consider a French Drain?

There are some signs you should consider a French drain for your home. If you notice a lot of surface water around your home, your drainage and grading systems are not working. Surface water can cause problems like a soggy lawn or a driveway wash out. Another problem you could be experiencing is a wet basement. If you notice water seeping into your basement walls, water coming up through the foundation, or flooding, it is definitely time to install a new drainage system around your home. If you notice water in your basement, you will need to install a deep French drain around your property to avoid constant water damage in your home and foundation damage.

Contrary to popular belief, French drains are not named after the country. These drains were designed by Henry French, a judge and farmer from Concord, Massachusetts. In 1859, French wrote a book about farm drainage systems and included the design for French drains. Although these drains were designed more than 150 years ago, they are still an essential part of today’s drainage systems. A French drain will not only keep your landscaping safe, it will also keep your home dry. To keep your home safe and water-free, install a French drain with All Aspects Waterproofing today!

French Drain Installation with All Aspects Waterproofing

For more information on installed a French drain today, contact All Aspects Waterproofing. All Aspects Waterproofing is a Better Business Bureau A+ rated company with over 30 years of experience in the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Contact us online or by calling 1-866-999-3110 or 301-766-4420.  To see what we’re up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Houzz.