Questions about installing a french drain

5 years ago

I've got a very damp yard (about 18'x18' with a downhill slope) and would like to install a french drain in the spring. I live in Oregon, so the source of the dampness is not runoff from somewhere else, the yard just can't seem to drain the rainwater, despite being on a downslope with a greenspace behind us. I've been trying to watch a lot of videos and read up online, but still have some unanswered questions.

1. Because it is pretty much my whole yard that is damp, and not just a portion, should I install multiple french drains to drain different parts of the yard? If not, is there an ideal spot to put the singular drain?

2. If the source of the water is just rain water, do I need an entry point sticking above the ground, or should there just be a capped end under ground and an exit point into the greenspace?

Here is a picture of the yard, though it is hard to tell that it is sloped and goes to a greenspace.

Thank you

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Comments (3)

PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
5 years ago
If you want this done right, consult with an engineering firm and so they can design a system suitable to your yard and based on your budget that would be your best bet. Some landscaping companies who specialize in french drains can do that also.

If you like leave me a message with your email on my profile page and I can try to do your property drainage evaluation using google map and the software that I have for that.

Good luck
PRO
Arbordale Landscaping
5 years ago
In order to evaluate where to put the french drain, you will need to read the slope of the entire yard. The french drain should be placed in the lowest part of the yard. You don't need to have an exposed grate, but it would help with the surface water and if you ever had to access the drain in future.

The term "french drain" means digging a giant hole and filling it back with clear gravel. This is the old school way to do it. Its effectiveness is not great because you have dug a large pit to create this void that can hold water, and then you are filling that void with gravel creating only a fraction of the space you once made.

We have been (for years now) using a product called Ecoblox. They are basically glorified milk crates that you stack together to keep your void in tact. You excavate a hole, add filtercloth, add in the Ecoblox, and wrap the filtercloth back overtop. The filtercloth is important so that tree roots and neighbouring soil dont infiltrate the system.

http://www.atlanticwatergardens.com/products/categories/pond-free/eco-blox

We will generally leave 6" from grade to the top of the blox so we can put sod back down and a catch basin can be added or not.

Good luck!
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Questions about installing a french drain

Comments (3)

GN Builders L.L.C

Arbordale Landscaping

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