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French Drain Maintenance: Tips to Keep Your Drainage System Effective
  • September 21, 2023
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Maintaining your French drain system is essential to ensure that it continues to effectively manage excess water and prevent water-related issues around your property. After all, nobody wants to experience problems with their drainage and water systems. If you’re ready to maintain French drains, here’s the advice you need!

 

Regular Inspection: Periodically inspect your French drain to identify any signs of clogs, damage, or soil erosion. Check the drain’s surface and surrounding landscape for any visible issues.

Clear Debris: Remove leaves, branches, dirt, and other debris that may accumulate on the drain’s surface. Sadly, debris can block the flow of water into the drain and reduce its effectiveness.

 

Monitor Grading: Ensure that the landscape grading around the drain remains intact. Over time, soil can settle or erode, affecting the drain’s ability to divert water away from your property. So, you’ll want to add soil as needed to maintain the proper slope.

 

Clean the Drainage Pipe: If your French drain includes a perforated pipe, make sure it remains clear of silt, roots, or other obstructions. You can use a plumbing snake or pressure washer to clean the pipe if necessary (or contact experts for assistance, of course!).

 

Inspect and Repair the Outlet: Check the outlet where water exits the drain system and ensure it’s clear and that water flows freely away from your property. Also, repair any damaged or blocked outlets.

 

Control Vegetation: We all love plants and flowers, but avoid planting trees or shrubs with aggressive root systems near the French drain, as they can invade and block the drain pipes. Regularly trim and maintain existing vegetation to prevent root intrusion.

 

Use Gravel or Drainage Fabric: If your French drain system includes a gravel bed, check for sediment buildup and replace the gravel if it becomes clogged. Using drainage fabric can help prevent soil from infiltrating the gravel and clogging the system.

 

Address Sump Pump Issues: If your French drain system is connected to a sump pump, the pump needs to be in good working condition. Therefore, we recommend testing it regularly and replacing it if it malfunctions.

 

Winter Preparation: In areas with cold winters, protect your French drain from freezing. Ensure that water doesn’t pool and freeze within the system, as this could damage pipes and reduce effectiveness. Depending on your location, you might also want to insulate exposed pipes for added protection.

 

Prevent Soil Erosion: Installing erosion control measures like mulch, ground cover, or retaining walls can prevent soil erosion near the drain’s inlet or outlet.

 

Professional Maintenance: Consider hiring a professional drainage contractor to perform periodic maintenance and inspections of your French drain system – they do all the training so you don’t have to. They can diagnose and address more complex issues and ensure the system’s optimal performance.

 

Document Maintenance: Keep records of your maintenance efforts, including inspection dates and any repairs or improvements made. This documentation can help you track the system’s performance and identify recurring issues.

 

Unsurprisingly, regular maintenance is key to keeping your French drain system effective and preventing water damage to your property. By taking proactive steps to keep the drain clear and functioning correctly, you can ensure that it continues to protect your home from excess moisture and water-related problems.

 

Residents in Oklahoma City can rely on Bill’s Custom Concrete for expert French drain system services, ensuring effective water drainage and protection for their properties.

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French Drains – Why Are They Important?
  • June 7, 2022
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Yard Drainage Systems Oklahoma City & Edmond Ok

Despite the name, French drains didn’t actually come from France (unlike great inventions like the parachute, food processor, stethoscope, and aspirin). Instead, it was a creation of Henry Flagg French, who was an assistant US Treasury Secretary. Back in 1859, he released a document called Farm Drainage, and homeowners across the world have relied on French drains ever since.

What’s a French Drain?

As well as ‘French drain’, this design has several other names:

  • Rubble drain
  • Drain tile
  • Blind drain
  • Land drain
  • Rock drain
  • French ditch
  • Perimeter drain

For those who are still confused, the design revolves around a trench to collect all underground moisture. When landscaping, lots of homeowners and builders consider irrigation but don’t pay as much attention to drainage systems. Unfortunately, for locations where rainy seasons are common, this has the potential to cause all sorts of headaches.

When water is allowed to build, it damages the structure of the building, causes diseases in plants, and damages lawn mowing equipment. In many cases, it’s possible to eliminate the risk of these problems with a simple French drain. The size of your French drain depends on how much water needs to be carried, the land grade, and more.

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Why Are French Drains Important?

Why would you want a French drain on your property? Primarily, the land needs a French drain because it relieves water tension around the home. Without a French drain, water has free rein to collect against the walls of the property, and this can seep through to cellars while also damaging the structural integrity of the whole building. Inside the home, you suffer from damp and mould. Outside, the mortar joints crumble while the brickwork starts to decay. The older the property, the more likely the damage is to cause major issues.

When installed correctly, French drains keep water away from the building and carry it to other areas. However, its job doesn’t end there because modern designs also contain this water. Rather than having to deposit it somewhere, the drain contains the water and it gradually absorbs into a location of your choosing. Wherever it reabsorbs back into the landscape, the idea is that it’s kept away from walking areas and important structures.

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Key Tips for Installing French Drains

When installing a French drain, planning is perhaps the most important stage of all. As discussed, it’s important to find a location where the water can sit away from structures and other critical areas. Furthermore, the trench itself needs a strong path without contacting pipes, cables, trees, and other obstructions. Although it sounds simple, most builders will plan a route with tape, string, rope, or even marker spray.

During the planning phase, don’t forget the additional soil you’ll have after digging. What will you do with the waste soil? While some people use it for a feature in the garden, others simply dispose of it or gift it to friends and family. As professionals will tell you, the trench should never go deeper than the home itself. When planning the trench route, keep in mind that a standard width for a French drain is between 20cm and 30cm.

While reading about French drains, we know that some people will be thinking about money. Is a French drain expensive? Ultimately, there’s no universal answer because it all depends on the required size, materials, and whether or not you choose a professional for the job (or perform the work yourself).

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The Benefits of Using French Drains in Oklahoma City OK
  • May 24, 2013
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How French Drains Can Benefit Your Oklahoma City, OK Home

Even with the drought that Oklahoma City, Oklahoma has experienced in the last several years, it is still necessary to have proper yard drainage systems installed for the times when we do receive a downpour of rain. The proper use of French drains can solve a lot of problems that can occur when heavy rainfall occurs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Below is a French drain diagram from Wikipedia that shows a detailed drawing of how a French drain works. (Click on the picture for a larger view.)

French drain diagram

French drain diagram (click image for larger view)

A French drain is an underground water drainage system that is designed to drain unwanted water from houses, yards and other landscapes to the proper place. It is also known as a weeping tile or French ditch. The design of a French drain includes a perforated pipe covered with gravel on all the sides which is used to draw water away from any area of concern. Lately, a properly engineered French drain is more popular because of the use of light weight gravel covered with filter fabric instead of rock and gravel for better performance of such drains. A French drain in Oklahoma City can help save large buildings and houses from foundation failures and water logging problems. With the proper design and installation from a contractor like Bill’s Custom Concrete, a French drain can solve many water problems at your property.

The Benefits of French Drains For Your Oklahoma City Home:

* French drains are specifically designed for drawing unmanageable water under the ground, or subsurface water. It is unlike surface drains that move water accumulated over the ground. This requires a special design to pass the water away from any area through an effective underground drainage system.

* Properly designed French drains are designed with a filter fabric around the ditch to prevent dirt and other unwanted wastes from clogging the drainage system.

* If there is accumulation of standing water on the surface of your landscape that generally does not dry up fast, a French drain will help pull the water under the ground through its system making the area dry and manageable.

* Accumulation of water underneath buildings or houses can make the foundation weak, which may result in complete destruction of the foundation. If there is constant flow of water underneath such structures, it should be eliminated as soon as possible or a French drain system must be constructed to save the building from possible loss. The use of a French drain may help divert the path of water accumulated underneath the ground to a distant drainage system.

* In some houses, the air conditioning vents are situated on the floor. Many times water will start to accumulate in them. The use of a French drain instead of other drainage systems may solve the problem effectively with minimum hassle and stop water from collecting on floor or in the vents and damaging the structure and interior flooring.

* French drains are also used for draining rain water from houses, lawns and landscaped areas during heavy rains. This helps in keeping the ground surface dry and free from water accumulation.

French-Drain-Perforated-PipeWith all these features and benefits a French drain in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, it is many times the best way to drain underground water effectively. The drain can be widened according to the requirement of the drainage system which makes them more efficient to drain maximum amount of water.

Contact Bill’s To Install Your French Drain

To know if a French drain, or some other type of yard drainage system is right for you, it is best to have a professional come to your home or business to give you a complete evaluation. Bill’s Custom Concrete and Yard Drainage has been serving Oklahoma City, Oklahoma since 1976 with yard drainage solutions that work. Call us today at (405)755-3975 for your free evaluation to see if a French drain is the right solution for your Oklahoma City property. You can also contact us through our contact form here.

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The Benefits of Using French Drains in Yukon OK
  • May 24, 2013
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Even with the drought that Yukon, Oklahoma has experienced in the last several years, it is still necessary to have proper yard drainage systems installed for the times when we do receive a downpour of rain. The proper use of French drains can solve a lot of problems that can occur when heavy rainfall occurs in Yukon, Oklahoma.

Below is a French drain diagram from Wikipedia that shows a detailed drawing of how a French drain works. (Click on the picture for a larger view.)

French drain diagram

French drain diagram (click image for larger view)

A French drain is an underground water drainage system that is designed to drain unwanted water from houses, yards and other landscapes to the proper place. It is also known as a weeping tile or French ditch. The design of a French drain includes a perforated pipe covered with gravel on all the sides which is used to draw water away from any area of concern. Lately, a properly engineered French drain is more popular because of the use of light weight gravel covered with filter fabric instead of rock and gravel for better performance of such drains. A French drain in Yukon can help save large buildings and houses from foundation failures and water logging problems. With the proper design and installation from a contractor like Bill’s Custom Concrete, a French drain can solve many water problems at your property.

The Benefits of French Drains:

* French drains are specifically designed for drawing unmanageable water under the ground, or subsurface water. It is unlike surface drains that move water accumulated over the ground. This requires a special design to pass the water away from any area through an effective underground drainage system.

* Properly designed French drains are designed with a filter fabric around the ditch to prevent dirt and other unwanted wastes from clogging the drainage system.

* If there is accumulation of standing water on the surface of your landscape that generally does not dry up fast, a French drain will help pull the water under the ground through its system making the area dry and manageable.

* Accumulation of water underneath buildings or houses can make the foundation weak, which may result in complete destruction of the foundation. If there is constant flow of water underneath such structures, it should be eliminated as soon as possible or a French drain system must be constructed to save the building from possible loss. The use of a French drain may help divert the path of water accumulated underneath the ground to a distant drainage system.

* In some houses, the air conditioning vents are situated on the floor. Many times water will start to accumulate in them. The use of a French drain instead of other drainage systems may solve the problem effectively with minimum hassle and stop water from collecting on floor or in the vents and damaging the structure and interior flooring.

* French drains are also used for draining rain water from houses, lawns and landscaped areas during heavy rains. This helps in keeping the ground surface dry and free from water accumulation.

French-Drain-Perforated-PipeWith all these features and benefits a French drain in Yukon, Oklahoma, it is many times the best way to drain underground water effectively. The drain can be widened according to the requirement of the drainage system which makes them more efficient to drain maximum amount of water.

To know if a French drain, or some other type of yard drainage system is right for you, it is best to have a professional come to your home or business to give you a complete evaluation. Bill’s Custom Concrete and Yard Drainage has been serving Yukon, Oklahoma since 1976 with yard drainage solutions that work. Call us today at (405)755-3975 for your free evaluation to see if a French drain is the right solution for your Yukon property. You can also contact us through our contact form here.

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The Benefits of Using French Drains in Moore OK
  • May 24, 2013
  • No Comments

Even with the drought that Moore, Oklahoma has experienced in the last several years, it is still necessary to have proper yard drainage systems installed for the times when we do receive a downpour of rain. The proper use of French drains can solve a lot of problems that can occur when heavy rainfall occurs in Moore, Oklahoma.

Below is a French drain diagram from Wikipedia that shows a detailed drawing of how a French drain works. (Click on the picture for a larger view.)

French drain diagram

French drain diagram (click image for larger view)

A French drain is an underground water drainage system that is designed to drain unwanted water from houses, yards and other landscapes to the proper place. It is also known as a weeping tile or French ditch. The design of a French drain includes a perforated pipe covered with gravel on all the sides which is used to draw water away from any area of concern. Lately, a properly engineered French drain is more popular because of the use of light weight gravel covered with filter fabric instead of rock and gravel for better performance of such drains. A French drain in Moore can help save large buildings and houses from foundation failures and water logging problems. With the proper design and installation from a contractor like Bill’s Custom Concrete, a French drain can solve many water problems at your property.

The Benefits of French Drains:

* French drains are specifically designed for drawing unmanageable water under the ground, or subsurface water. It is unlike surface drains that move water accumulated over the ground. This requires a special design to pass the water away from any area through an effective underground drainage system.

* Properly designed French drains are designed with a filter fabric around the ditch to prevent dirt and other unwanted wastes from clogging the drainage system.

* If there is accumulation of standing water on the surface of your landscape that generally does not dry up fast, a French drain will help pull the water under the ground through its system making the area dry and manageable.

* Accumulation of water underneath buildings or houses can make the foundation weak, which may result in complete destruction of the foundation. If there is constant flow of water underneath such structures, it should be eliminated as soon as possible or a French drain system must be constructed to save the building from possible loss. The use of a French drain may help divert the path of water accumulated underneath the ground to a distant drainage system.

* In some houses, the air conditioning vents are situated on the floor. Many times water will start to accumulate in them. The use of a French drain instead of other drainage systems may solve the problem effectively with minimum hassle and stop water from collecting on floor or in the vents and damaging the structure and interior flooring.

* French drains are also used for draining rain water from houses, lawns and landscaped areas during heavy rains. This helps in keeping the ground surface dry and free from water accumulation.

French-Drain-Perforated-PipeWith all these features and benefits a French drain in Moore, Oklahoma, it is many times the best way to drain underground water effectively. The drain can be widened according to the requirement of the drainage system which makes them more efficient to drain maximum amount of water.

To know if a French drain, or some other type of yard drainage system is right for you, it is best to have a professional come to your home or business to give you a complete evaluation. Bill’s Custom Concrete and Yard Drainage has been serving Moore, Oklahoma since 1976 with yard drainage solutions that work. Call us today at (405)755-3975 for your free evaluation to see if a French drain is the right solution for your Moore property. You can also contact us through our contact form here.

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