How Do French Drains Work?
French drains provide an easy channel for water to flow through in your yard. Water runs into a gravel-filled trench, then into a perforated drain pipe at the bottom of the trench.
Water travels freely through the pipe, which empties a safe distance away from your house and home foundation. Depending on the situation, it usually diverts into a lower area of your property, a drainage ditch, dry well, or street.
When Do You Need a French Drain?
Though French drains are popular, they should never be used as a cure-all drainage solution. It’s just as important to make sure your landscape is properly graded, your gutter system accurately installed, and your basement sufficiently waterproofed.
When it’s not possible to grade your landscape in a way that directs water away from your structure, French drains can be installed to keep water from pooling in low spots and around your foundation. DryMaster Basement Waterproofing can help install a high-quality french drain for your New Jersey home to help direct water away from your foundation, protecting it against water damage and foundation problems.
You may be a good candidate for a French drain system if any of the following statements are true for you:
Despite having an existing drainage system, my basement still floods or leaks.
I don’t have a drainage system, and my basement is prone to flooding.
I live in a region with heavy rainfall.
I have earth near my structure that is eroding.
It takes a long time for my property to dry after a rainfall.
I’m interested in building a retaining wall located on a hill.
Are French Drains Effective?
French drains are incredibly effective because unlike typical surface drains, they collect water over the entire length of the drain as opposed to one small, dedicated area. The force of gravity helps to guide water along a reliably smooth path in the french drain to the desired discharge point.
Since there is a direct relationship between the diameter of a drainpipe and its relative effectiveness, we strongly advise your french drain to be no smaller than 12 inches wide. Having your french drain installed by a local drainage professional in New Jersey can dramatically improve its effectiveness as well, especially when compared to a DIY attempt.
Hire A Contractor Or Do-It-Yourself?
A drain tile project is pretty simple to plan, however, it requires a lot of manual effort. Experience really matters in producing a result that is going to work. Often the do-it-yourselfer may encounter some problems along the way, for example; tree roots, driveways, sidewalks, large rocks or underground utilities.
Installing the French drain yourself can not only be more time consuming, but also more costly than hiring a professional. Many times we have had customers work for weeks on their yard drainage only to call us and have the problem fixed in just a day with our experienced crews.
Steps We Take and the Materials We Use:
- Materials used include drain tile pipe, rock, sand, shovels, rakes, backhoe, trenchers, and strong backs.
- Starting from where the water will enter the drain and ending where the water will flow out, we dig a ditch that is about 10 inches deep x 6 inches wide.
- We lay about 2-4 inches of rock into the trench before placing the pipe lengthwise into the ditch.
- Cover the pipe with another layer of rocks, again about 2 inches.
- Fill in the remaining space with soil and then plant some grass seed or sod.
Call DryMaster Basement Waterproofing Today for Drainage System Solutions
French drain systems could make a huge difference in managing excess water and preventing drainage issues from damaging your home’s foundation or compromising the structural stability of your home. Good drainage is vital to preventing water issues, and the installation of a French drain could solve your water management problems.
Collected water and drainage problems can destroy your home, so it’s important to make an informed decision about what your water management solutions are. If you are noticing water on your basement floor, a soggy yard, or cracks in your home’s foundation, it may be time for the installation of a proper drainage solution.
Drainage pipes come in different forms, and a water management professional can help you choose the right option for your home. We can help you deal with your water problem and save your home using a trench drain or other solution. Looking for French drain installation in New Jersey? DryMaster Basement Waterproofing can provide reliable solutions for water management.
Four Types of French Drains
Fast Track ™ Hybrid Basement Waterproofing System:
DryMaster Basement Waterproofing offers a unique and innovative hybrid design that protects your basement from water seepage due to leaking walls, weeping cracks and high water tables regardless of weather conditions.
This innovative waterproofing system diverts water away from the seam between your basement footing and walls, as well as the walls themselves, into the Fast Track which then carries the water around quickly and quietly to your sump pump system.
Fast Track’s Rapid Flow Design can handle the most severe water problems. The world-class performance of the Fast Track hybrid system keeps your basement fresh and dry, giving you the assurance that your wet basement days are over.
Everything is covered with this top-notch basement waterproofing system.
Water X-Tract ™ Basement Waterproofing System:
This home-friendly waterproofing system relieves hydrostatic water pressure without requiring the need for jackhammers digging and trenching through your home’s basement.
There’s no hauling of mud or gravel in-and-out of your home. It’s a simple, non-invasive solution to your wet basement problem, and it’s perfect for basements that leak water at the joint where the floor and walls meet.
The Water X-Tract basement waterproofing system works night and day, quietly collecting any water seepage that forms where your basement’s walls and floors come together.
The end result is a comfortable and dry basement that’s ideal for you to use for additional living space in your home, or for clean, dry, worry-free storage.
Drain Main ™ Rugged Stand-Alone Basement Protection System:
This system protects your basement from all major leak sources including hydrostatic water pressure, giving you a bone-dry basement and protecting your basement and possessions with long-lasting durability.
It keeps water from building up under your floor and directs any seepage away from your walls and into a channel that flows directly to your sump pump.
- Collects water from all major sources
- No trenching required
- Minimal concrete removal
- Traps and eliminates hydrostatic pressure
- Sends seepage straight to your sump pump
- Open back design
- Bone Dry Cement Seams
The Drain Main basement waterproofing system will transform your wet basement into a clean, dry, healthy environment for your family and your possessions.
DryMaster Basement Waterproofing’s Subfloor pressure relief system:
An approximate 12“wide by 10” deep trench will be excavated in the floor along the cove base. The trench will be lined with a filter paper and a 4” perforated subsoil drainpipe will be installed in the trench encased in “drain stone”. The best drainpipe used is from Advanced Drainage Corporation. ADS has been successfully manufacturing this engineered drainpipe for over forty years. The drainpipe is flexible and bends around corners offering maximum drainage effectiveness.
It can be buried twenty-six feet underground without damage. In the event of cinder block foundation walls only, weep holes will be drilled into every core and seam of the first course of block to aide in drainage. At this time a mold inhibiter will be power sprayed into the core holes and trench.
The weep holes will be covered by a drain core panel which will extend above and below the floor. The drainpipe is attached to a sump pump system which will discharge the water into a PVC pipe which goes through the foundation wall to the outside.
This system has proven to be 100% effective in hundreds of installations.
DryMaster Basement Waterproofing has performed over 1500 installations and we’ve never had to return because the system wasn’t working. Schedule your Free Basement Inspection from DryMaster Basement Waterproofing today.