French Drain Info and Design, Oklahoma City, Yukon, Mustang

The term, "French Drain" gets thrown around a lot.  Many times people say they need a "French Drain," when they mean Surface Drain, or Channel Drain.  It is becoming a Catch-All Phrase that may refer to any type of drain.  French Drains provide specific benefits that are different from Surface Drains.

Just what is a "French Drain?" Many times people incorrectly

A French Drain can protect your foundation!

use the phrase, "French Drain," when they mean "Surface Drain" or "Channel Drain."

Surface Drian

 

Channel Drain

 

A basic French Drain consists of a Perforated Drain Pipe in the bottom of a trench. The French Drain Trench runs through a Problem Drainage Area that needs to be drained.   The French Drain Pipe is perforated (Full of Small Holes) and has Neo-Prene Soc around the pipe.  This soc helps prevent debris from clogging the French Drain Pipe.

Perforated French Drain Pipe

 

The dirt that was taken out to make the trench is hauled away. It is replaced by some type of small stone or gravel depending on what is desired or available. I prefer crushed 1 inch lime stone. It is the most economical option in my area. Pea Gravel or some other type of small stone can work just as well. The lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drain Pipe and filled all the way to the surface (ground level). In some cases where the French Drain needs to be deep or is being placed in sandy soil, a special trench liner must be placed in the trench before the perforated Drain Pipe or the Gravel are installed. This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time. It also increases the cost of the French Drain and the amount of time to install it. I install a trench liner in a French Drain about 20% of the time. Most of the time a liner in not needed.

French Drain March 2011

A French Drain is designed to handle a large volume of water and cover a large area. The Drain is anyplace the trench goes. It has many applications and can be used in many situations. It can be installed by itself or incorporated into a Drainage System with Surface Drains or Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it.

 

 

 

The main downfall of a French Drain is that they, for the most part aren't very pretty. They don't look very nice in a yard once they are completed.

Depending on the area the French Drain is installed and the type of grass around the French Drain, will dictate whether grass grows over the lime stone. Grass can grow up and through the gravel in the French Drain over time eventually covering the gravel. This is Ok. It won't have a measurable effect on the performance of the drain.

French Drain

 

DONT COVER THE GRAVEL IN THE FRENCH DRAIN WITH DIRT. THE FRENCH DRAIN WON'T WORK IF THE TRENCH IS CLOGGED WITH DIRT. DON'T EVEN INSTALL IT IF YOU ARE GOING TO COVER IT UP WITH DIRT.

DECORATIVE STONE CAN BE USED TO COVER A FRENCH DRAIN AND THEY LOOK GREAT AND LAST A LIFETIME.

 The French Drain Installation we did this week was a little more difficult than normal.  Many times the route that a Perforated French Drain Pipe must travel to its exit point is not very easy from an installation point of view.  French Drains may have to travel through tree roots, (big ones) under sidewalks, through retaining walls, around swing sets or dog kennels or Mom's Prize Rose Bush.  The 4 inch French Drain we installed this week was in Oklahoma City south of 23rd in an old part of town where all the houses were old 2 or 3 story homes with lots of huge Elm Trees.  The Elm Tree in Question actually was just an old stump that had been topped out but not completely removed.  They left the roots just for us!  The roots were growing into the homes foundation and were right in the way of the path of the French Drain.  Forty feet of solid Elm Roots and 4 chain-saw blades later CMG was successful in running a new French Drain through a tree stump.  Yuck! "Well you gotta  do what you gotta do!"

French Drain with colored river rock

A little info about French Drain Pipe and Tree Roots.  Normally tree roots don't seek out and penetrate French Drain Pipe.  Tree roots seek moisture and residual water that may stay inside Solid Drain Pipe.  French Drain Pipe is perforated.  Water that does not reach the exit point of the French Drain will seep out of the Pipe into the surrounding dirt.  Solid Drain Pipe that is used with Surface Drains can be penetrated and eventually clogged by roots if the pipe does not have good slope or "Fall".  If the solid pipe does not drain well and has residual water, tree roots will seek it out.
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Drain Pipe running from French Drain to the street in Oklahoma City

Drainage Systems are designed to protect your home or business from standing water.  Storm-Water Runoff can cause damage in many ways.  Water from your gutters can seep down into your home's foundation if it has no good way to drain off.  If the temperature then drops below freezing, the water around your foundation can freeze and cause serious damage to the home's foundation.  Foundation repair can cost more than a Drainage System.
Drainage Systems typically make use of , French Drains, Surface Drains, or Channel Drains.  Depending on the Drainage Problem, A Drainage System may utilize one or several types of Drains.  CMG might install, for example, A Surface Drain in the middle of a driveway that runs to a gutter that is connected into the drain pipe.  The Drain Pipe might continue to a French Drain running parallel to a homes foundation.  Next the drain pipe might continue to a channel drain cutting across a sidewalk.  The Drain pipe might then reach its exit point running out through a curb fitting installed and cemented through the curb.
A Surface Drain basically is a basin that has a grate on the top.  A drain pipe is connected to the basin below ground.  The water flows in through the grate and down into the basin.  The water then exits the Basin through the Drain Pipe and move toward the exit point of  the Drainage System.  Surface Drains are designed to handle water that accumulates in a low areas.   These areas should not be too large or broad, and the water that drains into a surface drain should not be moving very fast.  Surface Drains can become overwhelmed if they are placed in an area that must move a large volume of water, quickly.  Selecting the correct drain for the specific drainage problem is a benefit that CMG provides through twenty years of experience.

Oklahoma City French Drain Contractor, Yukon, Norman, Edmond,

Angie's List Customer Service Award Winner        Activerain Member

Six Inch French Drain Installed along Foundation in Edmond

 CMG installs all types of French Drains and Drainage Systems, Sprinkler Systems and provides expert Sprinkler Repair.

FRENCH DRAIN IN EDMOND OKLAHOMA, DRAINAGE CONTRACTOR

Recently CMG installed a large 6 inch French Drain in Edmond.  The customer had water running under his back porch step and into his basement.  We did a Free Drainage Diagnostic and Estimate.  The French Drain design that we proposed would intercept the surface water and subsurface water that was flowing under the steps.  The French Drain design called for a 6 inch French Drain to be installed above and several feet away from the steps.  It would run around the house parallel to the foundation and about 5 feet to the East.  The French Drain would run past the steps to a point where water must cross the French Drain or run up hill to the steps which in this case was not possible.  Once past the steps, the French Drain would transition to Solid 6 inch Drain Pipe and continue on around the house to the Pop-Up Emitter down hill in the side yard.  Along the way we attached several Gutter Down Spouts into the French Drain.

 

A  French Drain is completely different from a Surface Drain.  A basic French Drain consists of a Perforated Drain Pipe in the bottom of a trench.  A  Trench Liner is sometimes used depending on the Drainage System Design and the type of soil.   The Drain Pipe should have a neoprene sock around the Perforated Drain Pipe.   This is to ensure that the Drain Pipe does not become clogged. A trench is dug that is slightly wider than the French Drain Pipe that is being used.  There are several sizes of French Drain Pipe.   Three Inch, Four Inch, and Six Inch are the most common sizes of French drain Pipe. The dirt that is taken out to make the trench is hauled away.  It is replaced by some type of small stone or gravel depending on what is desired or available.  I prefer crushed 1 inch lime stone.  It is the most economical option in my area.  Pea Gravel or some other type of small stone can work just as well.    The lime-stone or gravel is placed in the trench on top of the perforated Drain Pipe and filled all the way to the surface (ground level).   In some cases where the French Drain needs to be deep or is being placed in sandy soil, a special trench liner must be placed in the trench before the perforated Drain Pipe or the Gravel are installed.  This helps maintain the integrity of the trench over time.  It also increases the cost of the French Drain and the amount of time to install it.  I install a trench liner in a French Drain about 20% of the time.  Most of the time a liner in not needed.

 

A French Drain is designed to handle a large volume of water and cover a large area. The Drain is anyplace the trench goes. It has many applications and can be used in many situations.  It can be installed by itself or incorporated into a Drainage System with Surface Drains or Gutter Down-Spouts connected to it.

Curb Outlet for French Drain in Edmond

Running French Drain Pipe Under Sidewalk

 

The main downfall of a French Drain is that they, for the most part aren't very pretty.  They don't look very nice in a yard once they are completed.

Depending on the area the French Drain is installed and the type of grass around the French Drain, will dictate whether grass grows over the lime stone.  Grass can grow up and through the gravel in the French Drain over time eventually covering the gravel.  This is OK.  It won't have a measurable effect on the performance of the French Drain.  In some cases thick grass growing up through the French Drain will create a natural "Thatch" filter.  This makes the French Drain invisible.  The trick is to allow the grass to grow over the French Drain Gravel without covering it up with dirt.  Grasses such as Bermuda which grow well in the sun will put out runners and new roots and will grow up and through the French Drain.  This will not affect the performance of the French Drain.  The problem is that some times depending on the type of soil involved, it may take a long time to completely cover up the French Drain.  Sprinkling grass seed down in the gravel will speed up the process.

 

 

DON'T COVER THE GRAVEL IN THE FRENCH DRAIN WITH DIRT.  THE FRENCH DRAIN WON'T WORK IF THE TRENCH IS CLOGGED WITH DIRT.  DON'T EVEN INSTALL IT IF YOU ARE GOING TO COVER IT UP WITH DIRT.    

 

If you install a French Drain in a sunny area, you can:

                                         A.  Leave the  French Drain as-is and allow grass to grow over it in time.

                                         B.  Add grass seed directly to the French Drain gravel with (Light Hand Watering) to speed the growth process

                                         C.  Leave the French Drain as-is but decorate it with stepping stones and landscaping rocks ( leaving large cracks between stones to allow water to get into the French Drain,

2

If you install a French Drain in a shady area you can:

                                        A.  Leave the French Drain as-is, it will work well and look as it did for many years.

B.  Leave the French Drain as-is, but decorate it with stepping stones or landscaping rocks.  Many French Drains are hidden under rock walk ways.

 

IF YOU NEED WATER DRAINED AWAY FROM YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS CALL CMG.  405-226-0629  CMG Sprinklers and Drains installs all types of Drainage Systems and French Drains.

French Drain Installation is a primary focus for CMG Sprinklers and Drains.  Angie's List has awarded us their Customer Service Award for the State of Oklahoma for top quality French Drain Installation.  Along with the French Drain Customer Service Award, Angie's List has given CMG their top A+ Rating and placed us at the top of their website for Oklahoma French Drain Installation.  CMG also installs a variety of other types of Drains.  Our Drainage Systems may utilize: French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, Trench Drains, Basin Drains, and Sump Pumps.  In the past 21 years, we have installed French Drains to keep water away from home and business foundations, Surface Drains to keep water away from sidewalks and driveways,  Trench Drains, and French Drains to keep standing water out of flowerbeds and yards, and Sump Pumps to remove water from basements and outdoor low lying areas.

French Drain Running Through Low Areas in Yukon

 

For 21 years, CMG has solved Drainage Problems for people in Central Oklahoma.  Experience is key in diagnosing Drainage Problems.  Some Drainage Problems are Simple and straight forward others are complex and difficult.  CMG utilizes a wide variety of Drains and Drain Pipes when designing a Drainage System.  A Simple Drainage System may use one type of Drain running through a Drain Pipe to an Exit Point.  A Complex Drainage System may use several types of Drains and Drain Pipes running to many exit points.  CMG Utilizes:  French Drains, Surface Drains, Channel Drains, Trench Drains and Sump Pumps.  The Drain Pipe we use may be  ADS, PVC, or Sewer and Drain Pipe.  Which Drain and Pipe used depends on the particular Drainage Problem.

Installing a Drain Pipe For a French Drain that Releases water through a Pop-Up Emitter at the Street

Angie's List rates us A+ and now has awarded CMG Sprinklers and Drains for our exceptional customer service in french drain

Channel Drain in Oklahoma City

 

 

French Drain Design in Oklahoma City

French Drain Design in Oklahoma City-  Angies's List Award Winner

French Drain Installation --   French Drains are designed to do a lot of things.  If you have an area that has unwanted water standing in it or running across it, a French Drain can be the answer.  A French Drain is a trench that runs across the Drainage Problem Area.  A French Drain Pipe is placed in the bottom of the trench.  The French Drain Pipe is perforated with thousands of small holes.  In most cases the Drain Pipe has a nylon soc around the pipe to act as a filter for the French Drain.  The French Drain trench is then filled with some type of small rock or stone.  CMG typically uses crushed 1 inch Lime Stone to cover the French Drain Pipe.  The dirt that was dug out of the trench is taken away or spread out around the French Drain.  The Lime Stone replaces the dirt and fills the French Drain Trench all the way to the surface.

 

Drainage System Installation in Yukon

Large 6 Inch French Drain Installed in Norman

When water come in contact with the French Drain, it seeps down through the stones and into the French Drain Pipe.  It then flows through the Drain Pipe to the exit point.  Typically a French Drain will have two possible exit points.   The First is called a "Pop-Up Emitter."  It is a Green Lid on top of a release basin for the French Drain.

Popup Emitter to release water from a Drainage System in Yukon.

The second type of Exit Point for a French Drain is a "Curb Fitting."  The Curb Fitting is installed through the curb going out into the street.  The French Drain Pipe runs to the Curb.  The curb is cut out and the Curb Fitting is cemented through the Curb.

Installing a Curb Fitting for a French Drain in Edmond

French Drains are designed to move large amounts of water.  A French Drain moves water away from the Drainage Problem area from the Surface like a large Surface Drain, But also below ground, or sub surface.  Most people don't take into account the water that flows to a problem area underground.  Sub surface water flow is not eliminated by a Surface Drain.  A French Drain can move away water that is below the surface of the ground and drain away water that is on the surface.

We just finished a 4 inch Drainage System in Yukon.  It was a complicated system to install.  It utilized 4 inch French Drain in the flower beds,  12 inch Surface Drains on the side of the house,  6 inch French Drain along the garage foundation with 2 Pop - Up Emitters in the back yard and 3 Curb Fittings in the front.    First we installed 4 inch French Drain in the flowerbeds on both sides of the front door.  We connected 4 inch solid Drain Pipe into the French Drain and ran them underside walk to the curb.  Next we cut the curb with a concrete saw and installed 3 curb outlets for 3 separate French Drains.

Installing a Curb Outlet for a French Drain in Oklahoma City

Next we installed 4 12 Inch Drain Basins with grates along both sides of the house continuing with Solid Drain Pipe to the Pop-Up Emitters on the back fence. Finally we completed the Drainage System by installing a long run of 6 inch French Drain down the side of the garage foundation.   Installing the French Drains in the flower beds was the most difficult and took the most time.  Each French Drain took over a ton of crushed limestone to fill the French Drain trench.  The Six inch French Drain took even more limestone.

Angie's List rates us A+ and now has awarded CMG Sprinklers and Drains for our exceptional customer service in french drains, surface drains, sprinkler installations and repair!  Our french drains and sprinkler systems come with a TWO YEAR WARRANTY on all parts and labor.  In business now for over 20 years, CMG is a local company that takes great pride in delivering the best in customer service and quality work you can trust.  CMG services what we install and we are always a phone call away for all your drainage and irrigation needs.  405-226-0629.  We service all of Central Oklahoma including Edmond, Oklahoma City, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Purcell, Blanchard, Newcastle, Mustang, Yukon

Drainage System Installation in Norman