French Drains

I always wondered why they’re called French drains.  Why aren’t they called Italian drains or Spanish drains?  I checked it out; according to Google it’s because a guy named Henry French invented them.  But I digress!

Basically, French drains are way too direct water to a planned location so that it’s not a nuisance.  For example, drainpipes can be connected to roof gutters/downspouts enabling the water to be directed to a dry well or down a hill.

French drains can also deal with water in a basement.  Trenches are dug around the perimeter of the foundation wall and pipes are installed to drain foundation water to a sump pump which collects and then pumps the water to a harmless location.  After the trenches are dug and the pipe is installed, new concrete is applied over the piping to match the rest of the floor.  Often, there is a slight opening between the new concrete and the foundation wall to enable water to drain off the foundation wall into the pipes.

French drains do work!  They can make a wet basement dry and solve the water problem on a long-term basis.  But they only work if they have electrical power.  And when do you need a French drain, mostly?  During a storm, and when does the power go out?  During a storm.  So, battery backup systems are a great idea, as is a generator.

Pricing goes by the linear foot.  Figure about $60 to $70 dollars per linear foot.  So if you have a basement 50’ x 30’ it calculates to about $10,000.

Anyway, we hope this information is helpful to you in the future.  For more related information click on this link: https://safeharborinspections.com/