French Drain information and answers

French Drains can utilize  several types and sizes of French Drain Pipe.  An older type that is not commonly used any more is 4 inch PVC Pipe with large half inch holes drilled in the Pipe.  This doesn't work very well,   Because the holes are too large and the number of holes in the French Drain Pipe are too few.  Also there is no filter or "Soc" around this particular French Drain Pipe.  If it is used in sandy or loose soil the holes will clog and the pipe will fill up with sand.  PVC French Drain Pipe should be avoided.

ADS French Drain Pipe is much better, the holes are smaller and much more numerous.  It also comes inside a soc that acts as a filter and helps keep sand and debris out of the French Drain Pipe.  It works very well.

For Small business and Residential French Drains, Four inch ADS Perf/Soc French Drain pipe is adequate and the most common.  It is used for the majority of all French Drains installed.  French Drains can be installed using 3 inch ADS Perf/Soc but many times it is too small and can be overwhelmed by a heavy rain or from a bad design.  (Too many gutter down spouts connected directly into the French Drain, For Example)  Three Inch French Drain Pipe should be avoided if possible.

Six inch  ADS Perf/Soc French Drain Pipe is usually a good idea when possible.  It carries a much larger volume of water.  Six Inch French Drains are rarely overwhelmed.

Installing Gravel on top of a 6 inch French Drain

The Drawbacks to 6 inch French Drain installation are:  1.  The Materials Cost is higher for six-inch French Drain Compared to Four Inch Pipe.

                                                                                                                    2.  Many times 6 Inch French Drain Pipe is too large for many applications, Such as going under a fence or sidewalk.  

                                                                                                                   3.  The trench for a 6 inch French Drain must be much larger than a 4 Inch

                                                                                                                   4.  The amount of gravel or limestone or River Rock used to Cover the 6 inch French Drain is Much larger

 

All things being considered, the performance and longevity of a 6 inch French Drain is well worth it if you are trying to protect something of value to you!  If the higher cost and the additional labor and materials are not a problem and 6 inch French Drain pipe is not too big for what you want to do then a 6 inch French Drain would be the best.  

French Drain Installation can prevent water from getting into your air conditioner floor ducts.

French Drain in Flower Bed in Edmond

A common Drainage Problem for people in Central Oklahoma is ground water seeping into floor air conditioner  ducts.  This can cause very costly damage to a home or business.  Water-proofing Ducts, or even worse, trying to remove mold from duct work can cost big bucks.   Structural Engineers typically recommend  French Drain Installation  to keep water out of ducts.   French Drains catch and remove sub-surface water that is traveling underground toward a foundation. It is intercepted by the French Drain before it can seep under the building in question.   Because this water is not usually seen, it may not be taken into consideration when diagnosing drainage problems.  Surface Water traveling to a problem area is obvious as it flows on the surface in plain sight.

Gutter connected straight into 6 inch French Drain System in Oklahoma City

CMG has 21 years of experience Diagnosing Drainage Problems.  We always check for sub-surface water flow into any Problem Drainage Area.  Again, French Drains are intended to handle water moving both underground and above ground.

Installing Channel Drain Across Sidewalk in Norman

French Drains can also be used to remove water that is standing in a large area such as up against a foundation or along a fence.  French Drains don't do so well in tight small areas.  These areas are best suited for a Surface Drain with a grate.  Many times we install French Drains along foundations after a home owner has spent large amounts of money on foundation repair.

Surface Drain Installation in Edmond

Several Foundation Repair companies and Duct waterproofing companies recommend CMG for French Drain Installation.    Typically we install a French Drain by itself or as part of a Drainage System  after they have completed their repairs to the foundation or duct work.

Curb Outlet for French Drain in Edmond Oklahoma

Drainage Problems occur in all types of places.  Water can stand along fences or driveways, or in yards and flowerbeds.   Damage can be done to sidewalks and in yards.  Finding a good Drainage Solution usually involves a French Drain.

French Drain Running Through Low Areas in Yukon

CMG provides quality service for central Oklahoma.  If you live in Norman and need a French Drain, or if you live in Oklahoma City and want a Channel Drain installed across your driveway, give us a call.  We have installed Drainage Systems and French Drains in:  Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Norman, Yukon, Mustang, Del City, Blanchard, Newcastle and all surrounding areas.

Installing Curb Outlet for French Drain in Oklahoma City

Recently we installed a French Drain in Norman.  Our customer had water running down the hill from his neighbor's Sprinkler System into the North wall of his house.  Over time the ground became saturated and water seeped under the wall and into his floor air conditioning vents.  We installed a 4 inch French Drain along the North wall of his house to provide a barrier to the continuous water flow.  In a few days the moss that was growing on the side of his house began to die from lack of water.  A Duct company came in and cleaned out is vents.  The French Drain removed the surface and sub surface water that was flowing into his home.   Problem solved.

French Drain Installation in Downtown Oklahoma City

French Drain Installation In Downtown Oklahoma City

French Drain

A little bit North of Downtown Oklahoma City,  CMG installed a 6 inch French Drain between two businesses which were less than three feet apart.  The French Drain went between a Law Firm and a Tire shop.  Water was leaking through the walls of both businesses.  Gutters between the two establishments were dumping a huge amount of water.  CMG installed a 6 inch French Drain between the two.

French Drain connected to gutter

It took a long time to get the dirt out of the trench for the French Drain.  It was a very tight fit.  We had to use a little red wagon to haul out the dirt for the French Drain and haul back in the crushed limestone for the French Drain.  It looked a little silly, but it was the only thing we could find that was narrow enough to fit between the buildings.  A French Drain that normally would take 1 day to install took three.

Curb Outlet for French Drain

The French Drain had a Double Exit Point.  This means that once water entered the French Drain Pipe, it could run South to the street or it could run North to the alley.  To exit points greatly increases the water capacity for any French Drain.

Along the course of the French Drain, we connected two large gutters directly into the Drain Pipe.

Once in place, the French Drain eliminated all the water that was leaking into the two buildings.

Drainage Problem Solved!

French Drain as part of a Drainage System

FRENCH DRAIN AS PART OF A DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Angie's List Customer Service Award Winner        Activerain Member

A Drainage System has 3 basic parts.  They are the:  1.  Intake Point,  2.  Transition Stage,  3.  The Exit Point

French Drain

 

The, " Intake' part of a Drainage System is usually located in the ,"Problem Drainage Area" at it lowest point.  This is where water is taken into the Drainage System through some type of Drain or Gutter.  A French Drain or a Surface Drain are the two most common intake Drains.  A French Drain is a trench that runs through the Problem Drainage Area.  The French Drain Trench usually runs one or two feet deep but can be deeper or more shallow depending on the need.  In most cases a trench liner is placed in the trench.  This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the French Drain Trench.  A perforated French Drain Pipe is placed on top of  the liner and runs to the, "Transitions Stage."

Installing Gravel on top of a 6 inch French Drain

A Surface Drain is also used as an Intake point.  A Surface Drain is a basin with a square or round grate on top.  The Drain Pipe that is connected to the Surface Drain or French Drain begins the Transition stage.  Simply put, for water to get into a Drainage System, it must pass through either a French Drain or a Surface Drain.

A French Drain is designed to handle large amounts of water over a large area.  A Surface Drain is designed to handle smaller amounts or water that is more centralized in a smaller area.

A French Drain takes in Surface Water and Sub-Surface Water(water flowing underground).  A Surface Drain can only take in Surface Water on top of the ground.

Surface Drain Installation in Edmond

The Transition Stage is where water travels out of the French Drain or Surface Drain and into a Solid Drain Pipe.  The Solid Drain Pipe takes the water to an Exit point or another Problem Drainage Area.  Several French Drains or Surface Drains can be connected in any combination.  This is determined by the needs of the next Problem Drainage Area that is farther down the hill.  The limiting factor is the size of the Drain Pipe between Drains.  The greater the number of Drains that are connected together, the larger the Solid Drain Pipe must be between them.  Surface Drains induct small amounts of water into the Drainage System.  If you have a large 6 inch Drain Pipe, many Surface Drains can be connected together on their way to the exit point.  French Drains Take In larger amounts of water faster.  As a result, only a Few French Drains can be connected together on their way to the exit point.  French Drains and Surface Drains can also be connected together by one Drain Pipe.

 

Installing Cement around Curb Fitting for French Drain

Once water leaves the French Drain or Surface Drain, it runs through the solid Drain Pipe (The Transitions) to the Exit Point.  Water  is released through two types of Exit Points.  They are the Pop-Up Emitter and the Curb Fitting.  A Pop-Up Emitter can be in any good open area.  A Curb Fitting is installed through the curb and requires Wet Cement to install it.

Popup Emitter to release water from a French Drain in Yukon

 

Oklahoma City French Drain, Drainage System, Edmond,Norman, Moore.

Angie's List Customer Service Award Winner for French Drain Installation.

Drainage Systems have several basic parts.

Water Entry

Water Transition

Water Exit

 

Water entry is the process where water enters the Drainage System.  This done with water entering drain pipe through a French Drain.  Water flows to a low area with a trench.  In the bottom of the trench is a Perforated French Drain Pipe with a liner or a soc.  Gravel or crushed limestone fills the trench on top of the French Drain Pipe.

French Drain connected into Drainage System

Water can also enter a Drainage System through a Surface Drain.  Water flows to a Drainage Basin, falls through the grate and enters the Drainage Pipe below.

Drainage Basin with grate

A third way for water to enter is to connect Gutter Down Spouts Directly into a Drainage System.

Connecting Gutter into French Drain System

Water Transition is moving water through Drain Pipe to the Exit Point.

Installation of a Drainage System, French Drain, In Norman Oklahoma

Exit points are either Pop-Up Emitters or Curb outlets.

Curb outlet for a French Drain

CMG installs French Drains and all types of Drainage Systems in Oklahoma City, Yukon, Edmond, Norman, Moore and Mustang.

French Drain as Part of A Drainage System or by themselves

A French Drain can be a part of a Drainage System or can stand alone.  A Drainage System is made up of one or several types of Drains connected in sequence moving down hill toward an exit or release point.  What makes up or determines the recipe of a Drainage System depends on the "Drainage Diagnosis."  Every Drainage System is unique to some degree.

French Drain Trench Going Under Sidewalk

For Example, A four inch French Drain may run across a hillside, transition to solid 4 inch Solid Drain Pipe while running under a sidewalk, then connecting into a 12 inch Surface Drain in a low spot,  Solid Drain Pipe then could continue to a garage foundation where the Solid Drain Pipe changes back to 4 inch French Drain again and runs along the foundation for say 60 feet.  Next the French Drain changes again to 4 inch Solid Drain Pipe and continues under a fence to a Pop-Up Emitter which is the exit point.  This again is just one example of a Drainage System with 2 French Drains and one Surface Drain being the main parts.  This would be considered a "Complex Drainage System."

Surface Drain in Edmond Oklahoma

A simple Drainage System might be a 6 inch French Drain running along a driveway, turning slightly and changing to 6 inch Solid Drain Pipe and continuing to a Curb Fitting as an Exit Point.

Curb Fitting with Acrylic Cement For French Drain

CHECK OUT OUR PHOTO LIBRARY!

Photos of French Drains

Photos of Surface Drains

Photos of Channel Drains

Photos of Sprinkler System Installation

Photos of Sprinkler Repair

French Drain Contractor Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman

French Drain Installation has been an area of focus for CMG for the past 21 years.  During that time we have installed over 2000 French Drains in the Oklahoma City area. A French Drain is one of several types of Drains that can make - up a Drainage System.   French Drains are intended to move large amounts of water away from a Problem Drainage Area.  Water may be standing in that area, flowing across the area on the surface, or flowing across the area below ground or "Sub Surface."  A French Drain can remove Standing Water, Water Flow at ground level, or water flow below ground level. (Surface Drains can't do this!)

A French Drain many is  used to move water away from or protect foundations.  A French Drain will move both Surface Water and Sub Surface water away from a buildings foundation to an Exit Point where the water can be released without doing damage.

 

Large 6 Inch French Drain Installed in Norman

Cutting The Curb and Installing Curb Fitting for French Drain

Drains Installed in Concrete in Driveway

Drain Installation in the middle of a driveway

CMG installs Surface Drains in Sidewalks and Driveways as shown above.  We also install French Drains and Channel Drains.  This particular Surface Drain was installed to keep water from running down the driveway into the garage.  Problem solved!

If you have questions about French Drains or Drainage Systems, E-mail us at cmgsprinklers@gmail.com

 

Check out our Photo Library.  We have Pictures of French Drains and Pictures of Surface Drains.

Surface Drain installed in Driveway

French Drain Installation with Colored River Rock in Edmond

French Drain Installation is a primary focus for CMG.  We have 21 years of experience installing all types of Drainage Systems.  French Drains and Surface Drains are the most common.  French Drains when installed correctly, move water faster and in greater volume than Surface Drains. A French Drain is designed to drain and protect a large area such as along a foundation or across a hillside or through a large low spot in your yard. French Drain installation requires experience and attention to detail for best performance.  CMG provides both.

French Drain With Colored Gravel

 

If you have a question about French Drain Installation contact us.  We will respond ASAP!   Send question to Blane at cmgsprinklers@gmail.com

Cutting the curb to install a Curb Fitting for a French Drain

French Drain Installation

French Drain Pipe Installation