Good use of french drains is important in that it ensures that a home stays dry and free of mold. If groundwater collects in the basement, it is not only an inconvenient eyesore for the homeowner, it can also lead to wood rot and mold. Thebest way to eliminate free-standing water is to install french drains with slotted pipes, filter fabric and gravel.

The best practice for installing french drains is to use perforated drainage pipes, which allow water to enter or exit through small openings along the pipe. The perforations can be circles or slots. But slotted pipes are better than pipes with small round holes because they tend to reduce the amount of fine soil particles that get into the pipe.

We at French Drain Guys also teach our customers on the best ways to install french drains; Dig a trench along the outside of your footing. The trench should be at least 2 feet wide, and can be as deep as 6 feet for a basement or as shallow as two feet for a slab-on-grade home.

Lay the pipe on the virgin soil. It is very important that the pipe always be sloped from a higher starting point to an ending point of lower elevation, so gravity can force the water out. The grade should always slope away from the home to ensure that the water is directed away from the walls of the home.

Cover the pipe with at least 12 inches of washed gravel. Lay filter fabric over the gravel to prevent any soil from clogging the pipe. And finally back-fill the foundation with top soil back to its original grade height.

Customers can learn this and more about french drains when they visit us or call us on 888-526-0077.