What You Need to Know About French Drains: Our Guide

Are you frustrated about the area in your lawn that seems to be perpetually damp? Perhaps, you’re more worried that you’ll end up with a flood in your basement after a continuous downpour. However, you need not worry about these situations happening because there’s a simple backyard drainage solution that Michigan’s landscape and garden experts can provide you: a French drain!

You need good drainage to make sure that your home is protected from water damage and that you won’t have to deal with mold growth. A French drain is an excellent option, and to know exactly what can be expected from one, here’s everything you need to know about it:

french drain installation to prevent basement flooding

What Is a French Drain?

A French drain is basically a trench that is covered in rocks. It connects to pipes that drive water away from the house. Typically, the drain field where the excess water collects and enters the drainpipes is elevated, while the lowest point of the drain is the exit point for the water.

If you are dealing with water in the basement, even if you already have outdoor drainage, it’s likely an indication that you need a French drain. What you’d need to do is create a trench in the basement slab along the perimeter of the foundation, then lay a pipe in that trench and a sump pump that will push water from your basement to the outdoor space.

How Does a French Drain Work?

As you should know, water will always find its way to the lowest point in the surface and will go through loose soil. This is what a French drain aims to solve. What it offers is a ready path for the water to drain out of the ground without causing damage to the home’s foundation in any way.

French drains utilize gravity as it pulls water down from the elevated drain field. That’s what’s going to draw water downward into the sloping pipe all the way to the exit point. Then, depending on your property and specific circumstances, the water could be diverted to the street, a drainage ditch, or a low spot within your property.

Typically, seasoned drainage contractors in Belleville can determine where it is best to install the French drain on your property in the first place.

What Are the Advantages of Having a French Drain?

There are many advantages to having a French drain system for your home. For one, you get efficient drainage that takes water away from your property to wherever you want it to go. In fact, it saves your lawn from being damp all the time so that your grass can grow healthy and the family can enjoy playing outdoors again.

French drains are also relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to other basement waterproofing solutions. Likewise, depending on the complexity of the system, the installation can be finished in a matter of hours or a couple of days.

Conclusion

There’s no reason you should endure a lawn that’s spongy and damp all the time, not when there’s a simple solution for it. French drains are an excellent and inexpensive backyard drainage solution that could solve the problem you are having with your lawn or your basement. Note, however, that if you’re going to do one for your basement, it could be more costly because of how complex the work would be. This is why you should only depend on expert assistance!

If you are looking for reliable drainage contractors in Belleville, Van Buren Township, and Sumpter, you can trust Sir Williams Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions. We have been providing expert services for more than 40 years, and you could be our next satisfied client. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

What Is Drain Tile And Do You Need It

[Updated April 2022]

Homeowners who live in an area where it usually rains heavily are often worried about one thing the most: that it might flood and water might get into their basement or crawl space. This is a legitimate concern, too, because water damage repairs can be quite expensive, and some belongings that can be destroyed are irreplaceable.

This is why many homeowners ensure that they have drain tiles. Now, if you are wondering what it is and how it works, our reliable and expert drainage contractors from Michigan will answer your questions about it:

What Is a Drain Tile?

It may be confusing for some that drain tiles are called as such because it isn’t a tile but more like a system of perforated pipes installed beneath or alongside the home’s foundation. What the pipes do is collect water before it reaches the foundation and gets it into the pipe network that will lead the water to a sump pump or a drain system.

Drain tile systems are an excellent way to drive water away from the home’s foundation, so there won’t be any risk of water seeping through cracks in the foundation!

How Does a Drain Tile Work?

Modern drain tile systems are usually made of PVC or other crush-resistant plastic pipes that are perforated to let water in. The best time to install drain tile is when a new home is being constructed and the foundation footer has already been laid. Often, the pipe is laid in a trench running alongside the footer itself.

It is then covered with washed gravel that is too large for the pipe’s perforations and loose enough to let filtered water in. Then, it is covered with a fabric that is porous enough to allow water in while keeping soil out of the pipes simultaneously. Soil is then poured on top of the pipe system.

The way the drain tile system works is actually quite simple. It merely makes a path that encourages water to follow around the house and down to the drain tile. Once in the pipes, water can just flow downward through the system and out to the drainage outlet, ensuring that the house’s foundation remains dry!

Do I Need a Drain Tile System?

If the house is still being built, you should definitely install a drain tile system to give you peace of mind knowing that you have secured your home’s foundation and won’t be dealing with water damage. But what if your existing home is already showing signs of potential water issues?

Well, you can still have drain tile retrofitted to address the problem. However, as this requires excavation in your basement and out in your yard, it can be quite costly, and the project can take days or even weeks.

Conclusion

A drain tile system is an excellent solution to prevent water from damaging your home’s foundation and seeping into your basement and crawl space. Typically, it is best to do a drain tile installation in the early stages of the home construction, but if that’s not possible, it can still be retrofitted around an already existing home. If your home needs protection from water damage, make sure that the contractors who will handle the installation are experienced and dependable!

Sir Williams Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions has been providing reliable backyard drainage solutions in Michigan for over four decades now. No matter what drainage or waterproofing problems you may be facing, you can trust that seasoned experts can handle them efficiently. Contact our team today to set an appointment!