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Recommended French Drain Installation Distance

We recommend installing the french drains between 2 and 5 feet away from the foundation. There are a few variables that impact the exact distance to dig the new drain lines to carry water away from your home.

• The cost to install french drain is between $15 to $25 per linear foot including each of the parts and work. So the average french drain price is $1000 to $1500. Between these two sorts of french drains, you may ponder which is the best french drain to use for your basement needs.

• 1) Plan the Location. Figure out where the excess water is pooling and where you want it to go. ... 2) Dig a Trench. Dig a trench from the place in your yard that needs drainage to your chosen outlet. Check for underground utility lines and pipes before digging. 3) Line the Trench with Filter Fabric. To keep the French drain free of dirt, silt and tree roots, lay water-permeable filter fabric or a weed barrier over the gravel ... 4) Pour the Gravel Bedding. Pour and compact about 3 inches of gravel or landscaping stone along the bottom of the trench. ... 5) Hook Up the Pipe Connections. Install an inlet grate at the point where the water pools the most. ... 6) Set the Pipe Drain in the Trench. Lay the connected pipe structure in the trench on top of the layer of crushed stone, and make sure the drainage holes ... 7) Cover with Gravel and Filter Fabric. Cover the pipe with about 3 inches of gravel or crushed stone, but not enough to cross above ground level. 8) Backfill with Topsoil. Fill the trench with topsoil and compact to completely cover the entire French drain system. ... 9) Ongoing Maintenance. Reseed the surface if necessary or cover with landscaping stone. Regularly inspect and clean the inlet grate and outlet point. 10) Gravel-Free French Drainage System. To save some steps in the process of French drain installation, consider purchasing an alternative gravel-free drainage pipe system.

• French Drains How They Work. When the French drain is placed in the ground, the water is then disbursed along different paths, and pulls the water away from the areas that it is complicating. A trench is usually dug up in the area that the problem is occurring in. The slope of the trench then pulls the water away and into another location.

• French Drain Waterproofing System. An interior French Drain does not prevent water from entering your basement. Instead, it catches the water that makes its way inside and channels it to a sump pump that sends the water back outside or into a drain line.

How to Install a French Drain. Most commonly, this is done in response to a wet basement or right before performing a basement finishing. To install this kind of drain, the perimeter of the basement floor is jackhammered down to the footing and the cement is removed. A layer of stone is laid down, and a perforated drain pipe is laid on top of it.

Installing a French drain can create better drainage in your yard by keeping water away from your house and foundation. It can also help to prevent standing water, drain puddles that damage your grass and plants, and stop leaks from infiltrating your basement or washroom. These simple systems are often effective and can be a long-lasting solution.

Well plenty of people do call interior foundation drains or perimeter drains a "french drain". We don't. A "French Drain" is an outdoor buried drain line constructed to carry water away from the building, typically to a drywell or catch basin.

Dig out the floor of your basement along the path of the drain. The trench in which you place the drain should be about 8 inches (or 20 cm) wide and 18 inches (or 45 cm) deep. Use a pickaxe or a jackhammer to break through the floor of the basement. Remove the soil beneath with a shovel. Grade the bottom of the trench.