French Drain Installation That Works: Trenches For Better Drainage!

Yards are precious to us. It creates an opportunity for us to live close to nature. Maybe you sit there in the evening, sipping a hot tea, or kids play together while connecting to nature.

But imagine your yard looking like a pool after a heavy downpour! You end up putting all your effort into taking the water out. But you fail to realize that you may require a proper drainage solution.

Stagnant water can be a living ground for pests. On top of that, it can also harm your grass as well as the foundation of your home. But there is nothing to worry about. I can give you the perfect solution, the French drain installation.

This French drain installation can be an easy and doable solution to solve your water logging worries. In this article, I will help you understand how to install it all by yourself.

Moreover, I will also help you understand the associated cost and timeline that you need to complete the project by yourself.

The Concept Of French Drain

The term French drain is a specific drainage system that helps to remove all the excess water from one area. It can be your yard or you’re building.

The French drain is made of a trench. This trench is filled with gravel or rocks. Sometimes, you can also find perforated pipes.

The purpose of using a French drain is straightforward. It helps prevent all kinds of drainage issues and water damage. Moreover, it helps you to avoid soil erosion or basement flooding.

The French Drain Diagram And Components

If you take a close look at the French drain diagram, it will be helpful for you to understand all the components that are incorporated with the French Drain.

Firstly, we have a perforated drainpipe, which is the central component of the drain diagram. This runs through the trench to collect water. The perforated drainpipe also lets the water pass through it.

It is necessary to ensure that the pipe has a slope of 1%. This helps to ensure smooth water flow.

The next component that comes is gravel. This gravel is used to create a porous bed just around the pipeline. When the water keeps flowing, the gravel lets the water seep through. The size of the rock should be around ¾ to 1 ½ inches in diameter.

The last component that we have is the landscaping fabric. This filter fabric helps separate the soil from the gravel. It also helps to prevent clogging.

French Drain Installation: Steps That You Must Follow

The drainage issues in your yard can lead to pooling, molding, and water damage. However, we can easily solve the problem with the help of a French drain installation. In this section, I will discuss how we can easily install the French pipes. Read on…

1. Decide on The Location

Once you decide to get a French durian installation, you must determine where the waterlogging is. After that, you must choose where you want it to go.

Now, when choosing a proper outlet to let the water out, you can look for retention ponds or any other kind of water body. You can also keep the outlet towards the curbside of the road if you feel like that is the easiest part.

You must ensure that you are not diverting the run of water into your neighbor’s property. You can spray paint or use flags to mark the length of the trench. Moreover, you must try to remove the water from your house.

2. Dig A Trench

Now that you have determined the area for the French drain, the next thing that you must do is dig a trench from your chosen place to the outlet. However, before you start digging, you must ensure that there is no underground utility or pipeline.

The trench needs to be 18 inches and almost 9-12 inches wide. The French drains need to have a 1% slope. This way, you can make gravity work.

But you won’t have to do everything manually. Based on the size of your trench, you can either do it manually or get the project done by trencher rentals. 

3. Trench Lining with Filter Fabric

So, by far, you are done digging your trench as per your requirement. However, to keep it free of dirt or tree roots, you can lay filter fabric over the gravel of your trench.

You must leave the filter fabric open while leaving almost 10 inches on all the sides of the sheets.

4. Pour The Gravel Bedding

Next, you can pour and compact about 3 inches of landscaping stones at the bottom of your trench. This way, you create bedding for the drainage piping.

5. Connect The Pipes

The main and crucial step is to connect the pipes. You must install a late grate in the place where waterlogging is the most common. Here, you can secure as many fittings as possible to extend your inlet grate properly.

You can go for inexpensive and flexible drainage if you want a curved drain. However, if you want a more durable drainage system, you can use PVC pipes.

Suppose you are choosing PVC pipes. The drill holes must be around 6 inches apart from the overall length of the pipe.

6. Set The Pipe Properly in the Trench

Once you are done connecting pipes, you can lay down the pipe right above the trench or on top of the stones.

Moreover, one thing that you must ensure is that your outlet pipes are pointed downside. You can also test the pipe’s flow if you pour water through the inlet grate. 

7. Make Sure to Cover the Gravel with Filter Fabric

You must put the stones on the gravel. Make the level up to 3 inches thick. However, you must ensure that it does not exceed ground level. Next, you can use excess filter fabrics to cover the entire trench. 

8. Pack The Trench with Topsoil

Lastly, you can fill the trench with topsoil. Always make sure that you have covered the French Drain system.

When you are filling the entire area, you can temporarily cover the inlet and outlet to prevent any stones from falling in.

How Long Does It Take For French Drain Installation

The timeline of French Drain installation depends on who is doing the work. If you are getting it done by a professional, it might take 6 hours. However, if you are planning to do it by yourself, you might spend your entire weekend. 

French Drain Installation: The Overall Cost For The DIY 

Firstly, if you want to DIY your French Drain installation, 25-foot drainage would cost you around $528. This entire cost includes:

• Tools and all necessary supplies
• Trencher rentals.

So, if we talk about the linear foot, the overall cost is $21.12. In the following, I will provide a complete breakdown of the overall cost:

As for the professional French Drain installation, the average cost comes between $10 to $15 if we measure it per linear foot.

Many homeowners prefer saving a lot of money through DIY installation. However, you can also find some professional installation services that can provide a cheaper rate.

There can be instances where you may have to pay extra for professional work due to their expertise and to save time.

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