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Subject Author Date
Help With Simple French Drain Dwight 12-17-2007
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Posted by Dwight on December 17, 2007, 12:49 pm
We have surface water from uphill which collects in a 40 foot long
puddle ten feet uphill from our house during large storms.

After it saturates the soil, water comes into our basement at a depth of
eight feet.

We have lived here 35 years and the pattern is quite clear - with
flooding only two times in that period, and so I hope we might use a
shallow French drain to move the water sideways to an open slope.

(I know that the ideal French drain goes all the way to the bottom of
the problem, but that would cost many thousands of dollars in our case.)

I would start at a depth of one foot and run 100 feet to a two foot
depth at the exit.

I would use rock and landscaping fabric around the pipe.

Your opinions about this approach?

Can I get away with a 1/8" per foot slope?

Should I use 2, 3, or 4 inch drain pipe?

Should I use landscaping fabric aroound the rock as well?

Thank you for your ideas.

Sincerely,

Dwight Gibb

Posted by Speedy Jim on December 17, 2007, 4:43 pm
Dwight wrote:
> We have surface water from uphill which collects in a 40 foot long
> puddle ten feet uphill from our house during large storms.
>
> After it saturates the soil, water comes into our basement at a depth of
> eight feet.
>
> We have lived here 35 years and the pattern is quite clear - with
> flooding only two times in that period, and so I hope we might use a
> shallow French drain to move the water sideways to an open slope.
>
> (I know that the ideal French drain goes all the way to the bottom of
> the problem, but that would cost many thousands of dollars in our case.)
>
> I would start at a depth of one foot and run 100 feet to a two foot
> depth at the exit.
>
> I would use rock and landscaping fabric around the pipe.
>
> Your opinions about this approach?
>
> Can I get away with a 1/8" per foot slope?
>
> Should I use 2, 3, or 4 inch drain pipe?
>
> Should I use landscaping fabric aroound the rock as well?
>
> Thank you for your ideas.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Dwight Gibb


1/8" slope will work OK, esp since you won't
be dealing with any solids.

Use 4" pipe (you can use the thinwall sch 35).

Not sure about the fabric, but we'll bump
your mssg to the top for more replies. <g>

Jim

Posted by SteveB on December 17, 2007, 8:40 pm

> We have surface water from uphill which collects in a 40 foot long puddle
> ten feet uphill from our house during large storms.
>
> After it saturates the soil, water comes into our basement at a depth of
> eight feet.
>
> We have lived here 35 years and the pattern is quite clear - with flooding
> only two times in that period, and so I hope we might use a shallow French
> drain to move the water sideways to an open slope.
>
> (I know that the ideal French drain goes all the way to the bottom of the
> problem, but that would cost many thousands of dollars in our case.)
>
> I would start at a depth of one foot and run 100 feet to a two foot depth
> at the exit.
>
> I would use rock and landscaping fabric around the pipe.
>
> Your opinions about this approach?
>
> Can I get away with a 1/8" per foot slope?
>
> Should I use 2, 3, or 4 inch drain pipe?
>
> Should I use landscaping fabric aroound the rock as well?
>
> Thank you for your ideas.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Dwight Gibb

French drains aren't rocket science, and one as simple as a foot deep can
give relief to a very large area if it is sloped correctly. Be sure to
include a clean out so that if the pipe does become obstructed with silt or
sand, you can send a hose down there and clean it out. I am contemplating
one, too, and think I may just go with a 4" perforated pipe, but wrap it
with landscape cloth so the water can get through, and encase it in gravel.
We have a lot of sand here, thus, the cleanout.

Steve



Posted by Oren on December 17, 2007, 8:05 pm
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:40:09 -0800, "SteveB"

>
>> We have surface water from uphill which collects in a 40 foot long puddle
>> ten feet uphill from our house during large storms.
>>
>> After it saturates the soil, water comes into our basement at a depth of
>> eight feet.
>>
>> We have lived here 35 years and the pattern is quite clear - with flooding
>> only two times in that period, and so I hope we might use a shallow French
>> drain to move the water sideways to an open slope.
>>
>> (I know that the ideal French drain goes all the way to the bottom of the
>> problem, but that would cost many thousands of dollars in our case.)
>>
>> I would start at a depth of one foot and run 100 feet to a two foot depth
>> at the exit.
>>
>> I would use rock and landscaping fabric around the pipe.
>>
>> Your opinions about this approach?
>>
>> Can I get away with a 1/8" per foot slope?
>>
>> Should I use 2, 3, or 4 inch drain pipe?
>>
>> Should I use landscaping fabric aroound the rock as well?
>>
>> Thank you for your ideas.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Dwight Gibb
>
>French drains aren't rocket science, and one as simple as a foot deep can
>give relief to a very large area if it is sloped correctly. Be sure to
>include a clean out so that if the pipe does become obstructed with silt or
>sand, you can send a hose down there and clean it out. I am contemplating
>one, too, and think I may just go with a 4" perforated pipe, but wrap it
>with landscape cloth so the water can get through, and encase it in gravel.
>We have a lot of sand here, thus, the cleanout.
>
>Steve
>

Forget where I saw it. They lined the bottom and sides (U shape) of
the trench with fabric before rock and pipe. Then a layer of fabric on
top before cover up. This kept the soil away from the rock and pipe.

I've never built such a drain, but think the cloth is better on the
outer edges, than just wrapped around the pipe.


Posted by Oren on December 17, 2007, 8:19 pm

Like this, but fabric the bottom and sides....

http://www.ideal-inspect.com/includepage/french%20drain.jpg


>On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:40:09 -0800, "SteveB"
>
>>
>>> We have surface water from uphill which collects in a 40 foot long puddle
>>> ten feet uphill from our house during large storms.
>>>
>>> After it saturates the soil, water comes into our basement at a depth of
>>> eight feet.
>>>
>>> We have lived here 35 years and the pattern is quite clear - with flooding
>>> only two times in that period, and so I hope we might use a shallow French
>>> drain to move the water sideways to an open slope.
>>>
>>> (I know that the ideal French drain goes all the way to the bottom of the
>>> problem, but that would cost many thousands of dollars in our case.)
>>>
>>> I would start at a depth of one foot and run 100 feet to a two foot depth
>>> at the exit.
>>>
>>> I would use rock and landscaping fabric around the pipe.
>>>
>>> Your opinions about this approach?
>>>
>>> Can I get away with a 1/8" per foot slope?
>>>
>>> Should I use 2, 3, or 4 inch drain pipe?
>>>
>>> Should I use landscaping fabric aroound the rock as well?
>>>
>>> Thank you for your ideas.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Dwight Gibb
>>
>>French drains aren't rocket science, and one as simple as a foot deep can
>>give relief to a very large area if it is sloped correctly. Be sure to
>>include a clean out so that if the pipe does become obstructed with silt or
>>sand, you can send a hose down there and clean it out. I am contemplating
>>one, too, and think I may just go with a 4" perforated pipe, but wrap it
>>with landscape cloth so the water can get through, and encase it in gravel.
>>We have a lot of sand here, thus, the cleanout.
>>
>>Steve
>>
>
>Forget where I saw it. They lined the bottom and sides (U shape) of
>the trench with fabric before rock and pipe. Then a layer of fabric on
>top before cover up. This kept the soil away from the rock and pipe.
>
>I've never built such a drain, but think the cloth is better on the
>outer edges, than just wrapped around the pipe.

Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >>
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