French drains eliminate standing rainwater
- by Kelly Smith (RSS feed) on Mar 18th 2008 4:00PM
- Filed under backyard science, fix-it, preventative maintenance, weekend projects, landscaping, outdoor, staying green, tools
Standing rainwater in your yard poses a serious problem. It can lead to cracked slabs and basement damage, and it can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This situation happens when the lawn isn't graded properly; it's even worse when your neighbor sits on higher ground. But it doesn't have to be that way: installing French drains solves the problem.
French drains are in the green landscaping realm. There are two systems, one using PVC pipe and one using only gravel; I'm talking about the latter.
Establish a route from the pooling area to a lower area, preferably leading off your property. Make sure trenching won't cut any utility lines. Dig the trench six inches wide. It should be at least one foot deep where the water pools. The grade from there should increase six inches to one foot per one hundred feet of trench.
Line the trench with landscape fabric. Cover it with six inches of coarse gravel, and fold the landscape fabric over the gravel. Finally, cover with a layer of sand, then soil, and finally grass sod. Your drainage problem is solved!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-19-2008 @ 11:24AM
Diane Rixon said...
I so agree that this is a worthy yard project. Too often people try to solve drainage issues by just diverting the rainwater out to the street. What you want is to keep water on your own property, but help it sink down and feed the flora that's all around you. The rest can run off to the street. Example: a lot of people buy those plastic trays to place underneath the a/c drip line. Instead, try digging a hole and filling it with landscaping rocks. Looks a lot more attractive and works better.
We had a French drain installed on one side of our house. We hired people to do it and it was expensive. :( They used both pvc pipe and gravel for maximum impact. But this is definitely a DIY job if you have the motivation and the energy for all that digging.
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