There are a few types of French drains, explained below, but they all serve one purpose. They collect unwanted water and send it to a place that won’t affect your home or yard, such as a drainage ditch, dry well or the street.

Operating under the natural tendency of water to run downhill, French drains are a simple yet effective way to reroute water and ensure your crawl space and belongings stay dry, or your yard and driveway are usable. Water flows into a ditch or trench that contains a perforated pipe, which is covered with gravel. The ditch is gently sloped, by about one inch every eight feet. Water enters the ditch, filters through the gravel, enters the pipe and then flows freely through the pipe to a designated place away from your home.  

DO I NEED FRENCH DRAINS ?

If you’re tired of waiting for your lawn to dry out to enjoy your yard or shoveling your driveway back into place after every rainstorm, you probably want to look into a French drain. Not only will you be better able to enjoy your property, but think of the frustration you’ll be able to avoid in the future! A shallow French drain will intercept the water and direct it around and away from the problem area. The other reason you could be in desperate need of french drains is if you have a retaining wall that is on a hillside or slope. In that case you’ll want to install a French drain behind the first course of the wall to keep water from building up at the bottom or running toward your house.