Is your property subject to excessive moisture problems? This can happen when your property is surrounded by neighboring yards that stand higher than your own. Water from their yard runs downhill and ends up in yours, settling and causing issues from stagnant puddles to a saturated lawn that will not thrive.

Your home can also become vulnerable to termites and water seepage as a result of the constant dampness against the external walls. This is where French drain design comes into play and it’s what you need to rescue your yard from its watery grave. Basically a trench that is laid with a drainpipe, it can be filled with gravel or left unfilled. French drain design is a must if you find yourself needing to put on your gumboots to walk outside.

Who do you turn to for French drain design?

Basically, you can work out the size, positioning and grading of your French drain yourself if you think you understand the principles well enough. If, however, you want to do the job right, first time, without a doubt, you can hire a surveyor who will help you to determine the correct grading before you even pick up a shovel. What good is building a trench that won’t do the job adequately? Consider paying for the information and then you can get on with the task, confident in the knowledge that your hard work will bring the desired results.

What if I can’t do this kind of work?

Being physically fit is a requirement before you shovel the first chunk of earth. You also need to have plenty of time – and a corresponding measure of dry weather – to be able to get the job finished. Also, if you think you might start the task and not be able to complete it due to weather or your own body’s limitations, you might want to get some estimates from a backhoe operator.

He will follow your French drain design to the letter and have the job done in a single day. Sure, it’ll cost more but you’ll have satisfying results and you’ll still be able to walk upright when it’s done! Or you could hire a trencher from a rental shop and meet the project half way.

Important considerations before you dig

You can go ahead and organize your French drain design plans but before you dig up any section of your property, do some homework first! Consult your city codes for any important information that may indicate a need for a permit. Contact your local utilities companies about any underground cabling or pipes that you may damage during the dig. Also make sure that constructing your French drain won’t be problematic for your neighbors’ properties.

You should also apply some forethought and consider any future plans you may have for your yard before you employ French drain design.

-Are you planning to install a swimming pool?
- Will you be adding an extension to the house?
- Will the location of the French drain be inconvenient during your normal usage of your yard?

The ingenuity of Henry French, a Massachusetts farmer who in 1859 developed the system to drain excess water from his farm without defying the laws of Nature has meant that today, home owners across the country can protect their property from the damage and inconvenience of saturation. French drain design has nothing to do with Gallic inventions and everything to do with an American pioneer of effective drainage.