Swales or Valleys Swales, also called valleys, are an alternative to French drains that capture and divert rainwater. Swales are shallow ditches that do not contain pipes. You can usually find them along a property’s edge, following the natural grade of the land to direct runoff to ditches or wooded areas.

Aside from what we’ve listed here, the difference between a French drain and a trench drain is that a French drain is used for water that is underground while a trench drain diverts excess water from a surface.

Properly constructed, french drains will work well to transmit water from the pipe to the exit of the pipe; however, they are not very efficient in dewatering poorly drained soils. Adequate fall means at least 2 ft lower per 100 ft of pipe or 0.25 in. per foot of slope.

A French drain can help prevent standing water. A French drain is a pipe with holes throughout its length that is used to assist yard drainage. When the drain becomes clogged, water will back up and not drain out of your yard.

Functionally, a French drain and drain tile are very similar but their placement and output make them different. A French drain is typically installed just below the surface and is used mainly to move water from low spots or other places where it may collect and saturate the soil.

So, when installing a French drain, the holes in PVC piping always face the upward position. The only time holes should be in the downward position is when installing a leaching field. This is when water is poured or pumped into a pipe and we want the water to drain out of the pipe into the surrounding ground.

With the perforations facing down, the primary function is collection and distribution. Even when placed in a ground gutter as described above, the pipe fills with groundwater more quickly. When more water enters one area than another, it flows to another area of the pipe and drains away.

French drains need to have a slope of at least 1 percent, so the force of gravity will work for you. This means that the drain should slope down a total of at least one inch for every 10 feet of pipe.

3 feet

When You Need a French Drain

1. When you have a problem with surface water, such as a soggy lawn or a driveway that washes out.
2. If water is getting into your basement.
3. If you’re building a retaining wall on a hillside.

approximately 30 to 40 years

How to Install a French Drain

1. Call the 811 hotline to have underground utilities marked.
2. Dig the trench system.
3. Line the trench with landscape fabric.
4. Add 2 to 3 inches of gravel to the bottom of the trench.
5. Lay the drain pipe in the trench, with the drain holes facing down.

If your basement is wet or you have soggy patches on your lawn, then a French drain could be ideal for your home or business. These drains are very efficient at removing water which has collected above the ground and delivering it to a well, a street, a drainage ditch or another area on your property.

The slow accumulation of sediment in a French drain cannot be avoided or prevented. When the sediment build up causes failure, the water deteriorates the minerals in poured concrete, which in turn creates air pockets and imperfections. Water eventually seeps into the basement through these imperfections.

If water is collecting in your basement, a french drain is often a great solution to save your property from damage. Properly installed, a french drain can help keep your basement dry and prevent future water damage. Collected water is usually the result of poor drainage.

French drains are cleaned through the snaking process, which requires the use of an electric sewer to remove accumulated debris. You can as well use a pressure washer to unclog the drain. This sends water down the drain at high pressure. When doing this, stand to the side because water comes back when it hits a clog.

About 8 inches to 2 feet

1 1/2 inches

Can I cover a French drain with dirt? Because a French drain has holes throughout the pipe which allow it collect water, you should not install dirt on top of the drain pipe. Installing dirt will clog the pipe and the holes, rendering it useless.

One day that soil has all come together and there are no more air pockets. That’s the number one reason for yard drainage failures. And even if they’re using shovels, don’t let them put the dirt that they’re digging out back in. You have poor soil if you have a drainage problem.

What to do when your Backyard is a Swamp

1. Determine the cause for poor drainage. You need to first determine what is causing water to accumulate in your yard before looking into potential solutions.
2. Till the soil.
3. Install a dry well.
4. Grow trees and shrubs.
5. Use drainage pipe.
6. Slope the yard away from your home.

If clearing the yard drain by hand and flushing with a hose fails to remove a clog, there are some things to try:

1. A rubber drain bladder is a rubber bag that attaches to a garden hose and fits tightly into the drain.
2. A motorized drain auger is effective at cutting through tough clogs or tree roots.

5 Yard Drainage Solutions You Can Do Yourself

1. Reduce Your Watering Schedule.
2. Extend Your Downspout.
3. Dig a Creek Bed or Swale.
4. Construct a Rain Garden.
5. Install a French Drain and/or Dry Well.

How To Divert Water From The Home

1. Clean Your Gutters. This task is both simple and free.
2. Extend Your Downspouts.
3. Create A Rain Garden.
4. Install A Rain Barrel.
5. Seal The Driveway.
6. Install A French Drain.
7. Improve The Grading.
8. Install A Sump Pump.

Standing water is usually caused by two common problems: poorly draining soil and low spots in the yard.

French drain costs $10 to $50 per linear foot or between $500 and $10,000 in exterior and perimeter applications and $40 to $100 per linear foot or $1,000 to $18,000 for internal ones. These systems can benefit your home in a variety of ways.

Conclusion. Both exterior and interior French drains provide effective protection against flooding and water damage in your basement. Yet, due to the costs and difficulty of installing and servicing an exterior drain on existing houses, it may be better to install interior drains.

An exterior French drain is only installed two to three feet deep to help move the water away from your property, making it less labor-intensive to install, costing about $10-$15 per linear foot for parts and labor with an average cost for installation around $1,000 to $1,500.