How To Put In A French Drain

A french drain must be sloped to carry the water down to its destination.

How to put in a french drain. To build a french drain choose a spot with a slight downhill slope then dig a trench that is about 6 inches wide and 18 to 24 inches deep. A minimum slope of 1 percent that is a drop of 1 foot for every 100 feet in length is recommended. To keep the french drain free of dirt silt and tree roots lay water permeable filter fabric or weed barrier over the gravel bedding in the trench. Shovel more gravel over the pipe then cover the gravel with the excess fabric and fill in.

Used in low spots in yard or in crawl space and usually will have a couple catch basins attached to t. 200 ft of french drain installed in under 15 minutes. It s fine if your yard creates a natural slope that is steeper. Installing french drains 01 50 install french drains properly and you can eliminate freestanding water.

Line the trench with water permeable landscape fabric leaving at least 10 inches of excess fabric on either side of the trench. Shovel in a layer of gravel along the bottom of the trench then lay the perforated drain pipe into the trench on top of the gravel. In the area where water is to be collected the sides and bottom of the trench are lined with filter fabric to keep dirt from washing in and clogging the drain. A french drain also called a curtain drain is made by placing a perforated pipe in a trench that has been filled with gravel.

Diy instructional video on building a french drain for draining standing water in your yard or property. Leave the filter fabric open with at least 10 inches of excess fabric at the sides. Steps for installing a french drain the steps include digging a trench whose bottom slopes and that is long enough to lead to a discharge point. It is a great option if you want to direct surface water away from your home s foundation to remove surface water or to prevent flooding.

The best practice for installing french drains is to use perforated drainage pipes which allow water to enter or exit through small openings along the pipe. Test the pipe by pouring water at the starting point to make sure the angle of the pvc pipe allows the water to flow easily. Lay the pvc pipe in the trench with the holes facing downward and laying directly on the drainage rock image 1. 4 pour the gravel bedding.

French drain is a perforated pipe surrounded by gravel.