Anyone no anything about French Drains?

[Zachary McCollum]

Thanks I'll check it out!

Zachary McCollum

[Zachary McCollum]

Thanks Sprinkus!

Zachary McCollum

[fireman1173005]

I use NDS ez flow

http://www.ndspro.com/drainage-syste...-french-drain/

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by Zachary McCollum

I have a customer needing help with flooding in her back yard and she wants some french drains put in. Any advice on how to do that would be much appreciated! And how to price. Thanks.

Zachary McCollum

About 75% of landscapers are rookies when it comes to whether French drains should be installed. Note that I'm not even saying "rookies" about the installation, but the emphasis is on the "whether" part.

I continually tweak a Portland drainage page that tries to convey a few aspects about this stuff in case home owners plan to tackle some on their own, but its surprising how many consultation calls come my way.

And in many cases, promises can't be made 100%. Because so many things can be hidden from view under the ground. I'd say that compacted surface soil, including sod soil compaction, ranks among the most frequent problem.

...

[Duekster]

I have never done a true french drain. I put in collection boxes and run them to the low area where they will drain.

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by mdvaden

About 75% of landscapers are rookies when it comes to whether French drains should be installed. Note that I'm not even saying "rookies" about the installation, but the emphasis is on the "whether" part.

I continually tweak a Portland drainage page that tries to convey a few aspects about this stuff in case home owners plan to tackle some on their own, but its surprising how many consultation calls come my way.

And in many cases, promises can't be made 100%. Because so many things can be hidden from view under the ground. I'd say that compacted surface soil, including sod soil compaction, ranks among the most frequent problem.

...

I agree subsoil compaction (and surface compaction) is generally the most likely cause for problems related to standing water and soggy type soils, assuming there isn't a high or perched water table or mismanaged irrigation.

I read through your page, and I am in general agreement with most of what you said, with one notable exception .... your micro drainage of lawns. While this might work to some extent, it changes the soil conditions drastically in these channels. This will have a major impact on irrigation management, and IMO what you effectively have done is created a new problem with water logging.

You also might want to add a section on bioswales.

[1idejim]

Originally Posted by Kiril

If you can't identify and quantify why the area is flooding, then you have nowhere to start.

This is what i have been saying for years Chief.

Saturated lawns are often miss-diagnosed and mitigated by reducing system run times.

French drains and other methods of water conveyance are a waste of time and resources until the source has been identified.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by Kiril

I agree subsoil compaction (and surface compaction) is generally the most likely cause for problems related to standing water and soggy type soils, assuming there isn't a high or perched water table or mismanaged irrigation.

I read through your page, and I am in general agreement with most of what you said, with one notable exception .... your micro drainage of lawns. While this might work to some extent, it changes the soil conditions drastically in these channels. This will have a major impact on irrigation management, and IMO what you effectively have done is created a new problem with water logging.

You also might want to add a section on bioswales.

Being a low spot in the summer with the typical irrigation, like that yard, I could hardly even see them three years later, even though they were there. That was during a warm season pruning.

But they still worked good from what I heard.

And that solution does not fit every yard.

That tip may get culled from the page at some point, because the average person may not implement the idea in the right yard in the right fashion.

...

[txgrassguy]

All depends upon why the area is flooding in the first place.
Without site specific data there is no conceivable answer available.
Personally I would recommend you contact a Civil Engineer to inspect the site then determine how comfortable you are following their advice.
The link provided discussing drain tips is generally accurate however I disagree with any sort of filter device/fabric covering the drain pipe. Proper backfill material and the provision for access points along the drain pathway allow for routine maintenance which eliminate drain blinding common to filter/wrapped piping.
Same with intake basin location/necessity. Site condition(s) dictate specific recommendations with resultant design criteria.