I live in Sweden. We have a moisture problem with an old filled in cellar stairwell and cellar door which has been compromised, i guess you csn say. We have very competent craftsmen who are dealing with the problem for us. I am very curious of the whole process and water and ground moisture and so on. This was exactly the kind of content i was looking for. I can't love RUclips enough. Grest stuff, than you!
That first one ,man was that a slope running to the house! You did a great job to divert the water from the house. All the jobs were awesome as usual! Keep up the work 💪
I'm in northern Alabama where the clay can be as bad as where you are. I've watched a bunch of your videos and I want to thank you plenty. I've learned enough now to realize when a contractor has no clue about water removal / yard drainage. I need a couple hundred feet of french drain on the side property that has standing water after a rain. A recommended contractor came out and gave me an estimate of $7,800. They told be they use PVC pipe with two rows of holes that face up! Nothing but solid pipe facing the bottom of the trench. There's more but you get the idea. So I'm gonna do this myself --- probably take a full year, but it beats throwing away money on a know-nothing contractor. Listen - you guys are doing a magnificent job educating folks. I can't thank you enough. I'll be ordering my pipe and fabric on your site. Keep the vids coming!
For a couple hundred feet, the most I would expect is $4k, and that would be high. Even in Metropolitan Ohio, the most expensive rate is a $20 per foot linear charge, including all services and supplies.
@@ThisPartIsAndrew That's good to know. Yep, this guy from Athens, AL was gonna take me for a ride. Shocking, huh? Thanks for making me smarter on this, Andrew.
After seeing this video, I am wanting to do an open system for the dog rescue. When we get heavy rains in we always get 5 kennels flooded out, and it’s all from the yard and one major garage roof
I just love watching your guys work. Top notch. Another selling point on your systems you catch the water before it hits the foundation. Ground has 100 RH and the homeowner pays to dehumidify that. Let’s not even talk about soils gases including radon. Do you do perimeter drains, if so do you something like the Tremco or Dorken simple mat? I believe they are both covered in non woven geo1-Tex fabric. That and some xps and the basement and entire house are more comfortable and healthy.
This is similar to what I had installed in my house. We used pond stone along a 150 foot driveway where a massive amount of water would rush down during large rain storms. We also did a secondary on the other side of the driveway to keep water away from the house. Beforehand I could get put to 10” of water into my crawl space.
I thank goodness someone who makes sense! Just an open pit full of varying types of large agregate. I'm doing riprap, round river rock, and lava rock just sitting open-nothing growing over it. I hear crushed rock moves water faster than round-BUT-for buried percolation goes. That's why I'm mixing aggregates-I'm hearing too many different things! 🤣 really cool with the step-stone and paver drainage-looks great-awesome deal!
Yes, we do. Here are some more videos that can help you with open French drain concepts. ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=Nmuw7pbnyHWCu-Ca
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN can I just use big round stone (1inch plus) in an open French drain without the geo fabric? About a fifty foot run with a good 10 inch drop. On a Marsh, lawn has been very wet this year.
I think if you put in drainage you should add a surge tank or you are just speeding the movement of water which both dries out the soil; overloads the sewers and leads to downstream flooding.
At the top of retaining walls need a swale before you get to the retaining wall, and you want to route the water around the retaining wall if possible.
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN Thanks so much for your reply. My neighbor is in need of stone behind his slate wall as water is pouring through from the hill. We thought we would dig below the wall and put two 3” pipes in a combination French Drain - Retaining Wall Drainage Solution. We can dig a swale up the bank a bit I suppose. On the other side of the wall is concrete, so we can’t excavate there.
So you put the fabric in the trench, then the pipe directly down on fabric then dump in the stone and pin the fabric with no more than 2 inch overlap, correct?
So I don’t need a grate or anything covering? I want to put an open drain along my stone foundation under my roof which has no gutters. My house sits below the road. Any suggestions/warnings? O
If the walls are made with real stones (and lime joints) then we are not supposed to lie a french drain right against the walls but a little further away (about 1 metre) so that those walls can keep a minimum of humidity. Otherwise the joints dry out and crack over time, and the stones would move. (comment from France !)
We have it custom made. We do have a online store. We ship it all over the US and it can be order for pick up at our Michigan Headquarters. Store | French Drain Systems | Curtain Drains | Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, St. Clair County frenchdrainman.com/store/
I’m at the bottom of a hill and all the water from the road, a large amount suddenly, runs down hill to a 60 foot trench I dug and the water brings a lot of road silt into the trench and deposits it there, would an open drain work in that situation? It’s a 16 deep trench and during a heavy rain the water fills the trench and is 12 inches deep above the trench. Thank you for any help you can provide.
Great video! I need this as my current 2 inch trench drain on the side of my driveway doesn't provide enough inlet and the water backs up and pools on my driveway. But can an open french drain get clogged though? My neighbors giant oak tree drops very small round acorns which all get washed with the rainwater to my existing trench drain and get into my sump pit and clog my pump. Considering an open french drain design to replace my 2 inch trench drain but will all these acorns over time clog my open french drain? Or is it better to get a larger trench drain (4 or 5 inch) and put some type of screen material to help keep all this tree debris from clogging my system? In addition to the acorns, there is other bark/mulch/tree debris that gets washed down my driveway where I'm collecting all this water. Please help!
A screen that keeps anything big enough to plug your sump pump would be ideal as long as you do not slack on maintenance and keep it clean. A plugged screen on a drain is the same as no drain at all.
Love your work! I have a slab house and am looking to install an open french drain around it. I noticed that you don't take out the dirt that touches the concrete slab (which makes sense). How much dirt should I leave between the concrete slab and where the trench starts? Any alternatives to dirt in that space? Thanks!
I imagine its like this: if you have rock, wrapped or not, against the foundation, water will more easily flow towards the concrete than if you leave say 6in of soil. Essentially you don't want to use your foundation as side walls to you drain
Yeah (assuming you're talking about the first house) it seems silly. Put a swale/other drainage system above the retaining wall to take the water away. Then add an appropriately sized drain system in your yard. Unless their property doesn't include above the retaining wall...
Is there any maintenance required on open french drains? I would imagine dirt, leaves and organic matter would eventually filter in between stone and turn an open french drain into a closed or covered.
They run pretty good for 15 years then you pull the fabric back and scoop up the stone mix with organic material. Just put the fabric back in place with new screened clean stone back on top. Pretty easy.
It would be super hard to catch videos of these systems in action. You'd have to wait around for a heavy rain storm. Recording that is probably something the home owner would have to do.
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN Thank you so much am getting ready to order. one more question. So is there a cap where I would start the open drain on the pipe? Also I have about a 35 ft run. Do I start with the solid pipe, the go to the cut pipe and put a basing between to clean out or can I just attact the 2 and do a pop up at the end? Thank you so much for your generosity with your knowledge of the product and your craft.
I happen to see another channel (in NC or SC I believe) doing a open french drain in someones backyard.. Wow it was done horribly. it was done with 4" PVC's with holes in the bottom and 1" clean lime no wrap at all.. And, when done his trenches looked like Frankenstine his trenches were dug all over the place. The yard was chopped up, there was so many ways he could have done a much cleaner job than what he did.
Best Pop Up Emitter FDM's V2.0 for Downspout Drainage
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9am of 99
I live in Sweden. We have a moisture problem with an old filled in cellar stairwell and cellar door which has been compromised, i guess you csn say. We have very competent craftsmen who are dealing with the problem for us. I am very curious of the whole process and water and ground moisture and so on. This was exactly the kind of content i was looking for. I can't love RUclips enough. Grest stuff, than you!
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BWSyew4JyZuxDpBvULztf91&si=_Ri44vMxqoHoNs9q
Excellent video love the fact you were able to show how clean the stone was after a 10 year install.
Thank you
You might like this video
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BVyusRT3qfGPooNnHpHaoJg&si=m3CHxGHvi_IlFDWU
That first one ,man was that a slope running to the house! You did a great job to divert the water from the house. All the jobs were awesome as usual! Keep up the work 💪
Would like to see the drains in action. Do you ever show the problem during rain event then the finished drain during a rain event ?
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BUpFHCLJ_sUFTqw1WoXu1Vz&si=E4UzD8vypZqr9hOb
I'm in northern Alabama where the clay can be as bad as where you are. I've watched a bunch of your videos and I want to thank you plenty. I've learned enough now to realize when a contractor has no clue about water removal / yard drainage. I need a couple hundred feet of french drain on the side property that has standing water after a rain. A recommended contractor came out and gave me an estimate of $7,800. They told be they use PVC pipe with two rows of holes that face up! Nothing but solid pipe facing the bottom of the trench. There's more but you get the idea. So I'm gonna do this myself --- probably take a full year, but it beats throwing away money on a know-nothing contractor. Listen - you guys are doing a magnificent job educating folks. I can't thank you enough. I'll be ordering my pipe and fabric on your site. Keep the vids coming!
For a couple hundred feet, the most I would expect is $4k, and that would be high. Even in Metropolitan Ohio, the most expensive rate is a $20 per foot linear charge, including all services and supplies.
@@ThisPartIsAndrew That's good to know. Yep, this guy from Athens, AL was gonna take me for a ride. Shocking, huh? Thanks for making me smarter on this, Andrew.
@@yongcastillo1993 And will probably need to be redone in 5-7 years.
Best French Drain and Yard Drainage Contractor
frenchdrainman.com/
After seeing this video, I am wanting to do an open system for the dog rescue. When we get heavy rains in we always get 5 kennels flooded out, and it’s all from the yard and one major garage roof
I just love watching your guys work.
Top notch.
Another selling point on your systems you catch the water before it hits the foundation. Ground has 100 RH and the homeowner pays to dehumidify that. Let’s not even talk about soils gases including radon.
Do you do perimeter drains, if so do you something like the Tremco or Dorken simple mat? I believe they are both covered in non woven geo1-Tex fabric. That and some xps and the basement and entire house are more comfortable and healthy.
This is similar to what I had installed in my house. We used pond stone along a 150 foot driveway where a massive amount of water would rush down during large rain storms. We also did a secondary on the other side of the driveway to keep water away from the house. Beforehand I could get put to 10” of water into my crawl space.
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXWZPUFUNw6SMI64dtHlhzl&si=cIQqAIpyl0CRC8Im
you the man french drain main!
ruclips.net/video/kb5HVaMZVYg/видео.html
Another open French Drain
Such excellent process & crew
Thank you
Great clean work there...👍👍
I thank goodness someone who makes sense! Just an open pit full of varying types of large agregate. I'm doing riprap, round river rock, and lava rock just sitting open-nothing growing over it. I hear crushed rock moves water faster than round-BUT-for buried percolation goes. That's why I'm mixing aggregates-I'm hearing too many different things! 🤣 really cool with the step-stone and paver drainage-looks great-awesome deal!
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BU26ZMN69M_VON68JU01FZ5&si=KWDz4iCOtSso9ye4
If there are no surrounding plants or grass, do you still need the geo-textile fabric on an open French drain?
Yes, we do. Here are some more videos that can help you with open French drain concepts.
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=Nmuw7pbnyHWCu-Ca
Like clockwork guys!
If you had a good elevation change would you do a French drain or a swale?
Both
ruclips.net/video/Gbkqxq5zd7A/видео.htmlsi=NJaSm3EnurBcyMHE
Could you just do a big round stone (1in plus) wrapped with geo textile fabric and not use a pipe?
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN can I just use big round stone (1inch plus) in an open French drain without the geo fabric? About a fifty foot run with a good 10 inch drop. On a Marsh, lawn has been very wet this year.
I think if you put in drainage you should add a surge tank or you are just speeding the movement of water which both dries out the soil; overloads the sewers and leads to downstream flooding.
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXXbPw3Vf7e86DbKj7qOnLn&si=bbRvahEJRonrSsTN
Do you use catch basins and where do you put the cash basins at the beginning and end or where
ruclips.net/video/bsSJpziHduk/видео.html
Great work!
you onow what moves water better , an open tunnel, with grates on top, never clogs easy to clean
👍
Robert, Would it be better to put the open French Drain behind the wooden wall (First Installation). Nice job!!!
At the top of retaining walls need a swale before you get to the retaining wall, and you want to route the water around the retaining wall if possible.
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN Thanks so much for your reply. My neighbor is in need of stone behind his slate wall as water is pouring through from the hill. We thought we would dig below the wall and put two 3” pipes in a combination French Drain - Retaining Wall Drainage Solution. We can dig a swale up the bank a bit I suppose. On the other side of the wall is concrete, so we can’t excavate there.
Glorious! Are those river gravel 57s or 4s?
It's Michigan Cobblestone 1 3/4"
So you put the fabric in the trench, then the pipe directly down on fabric then dump in the stone and pin the fabric with no more than 2 inch overlap, correct?
ruclips.net/video/VFYj7sbmXGg/видео.html
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN so the open french drain gets wrapped the same
So I don’t need a grate or anything covering? I want to put an open drain along my stone foundation under my roof which has no gutters. My house sits below the road. Any suggestions/warnings? O
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=Irgz1u5XHr5Hsxc8
Can you put lech feld under garden
ruclips.net/video/RHDUQGS1TA8/видео.html
What kind of outlet is that on the brick house, just standard pop up? I’ve got a similar issue 20 minutes south of where High Octane is made.
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXt8vDpjMmvJXxMn8Tgw0wA&si=jfm4yUNxNAzLJu1Q
Where does the mud go? Just curious? Into the rocks? Or covers the rocks?
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BVX2cpGD7wJqH37RSS1JAOz&si=J0qQz0GU6Vy33a0D
If the walls are made with real stones (and lime joints) then we are not supposed to lie a french drain right against the walls but a little further away (about 1 metre) so that those walls can keep a minimum of humidity. Otherwise the joints dry out and crack over time, and the stones would move. (comment from France !)
French drains don't clog with silt and leaf pieces after a few years?
ruclips.net/video/KiehdvVTu-8/видео.html
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN Won't clay clog the non woven geotextile fabric?
Where do ya get that high octane pipe?
We have it custom made. We do have a online store. We ship it all over the US and it can be order for pick up at our Michigan Headquarters.
Store | French Drain Systems | Curtain Drains | Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, St. Clair County
frenchdrainman.com/store/
Any insight on maintaining the exposed portion of gravel on the open French drain?
I just use the blower and keep leaves out of it but in a big monsoon rain it all flows off the property
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=VZDmPkNHDHFat4eb
I’m at the bottom of a hill and all the water from the road, a large amount suddenly, runs down hill to a 60 foot trench I dug and the water brings a lot of road silt into the trench and deposits it there, would an open drain work in that situation? It’s a 16 deep trench and during a heavy rain the water fills the trench and is 12 inches deep above the trench. Thank you for any help you can provide.
You need a large catch basin for all that debris
Is there absolutely anyone doing this system in Nashville?
Best French Drain and Yard Drainage Contractor
frenchdrainman.com/
Great video! I need this as my current 2 inch trench drain on the side of my driveway doesn't provide enough inlet and the water backs up and pools on my driveway. But can an open french drain get clogged though? My neighbors giant oak tree drops very small round acorns which all get washed with the rainwater to my existing trench drain and get into my sump pit and clog my pump.
Considering an open french drain design to replace my 2 inch trench drain but will all these acorns over time clog my open french drain? Or is it better to get a larger trench drain (4 or 5 inch) and put some type of screen material to help keep all this tree debris from clogging my system? In addition to the acorns, there is other bark/mulch/tree debris that gets washed down my driveway where I'm collecting all this water. Please help!
A screen that keeps anything big enough to plug your sump pump would be ideal as long as you do not slack on maintenance and keep it clean. A plugged screen on a drain is the same as no drain at all.
Build a yard drain in your French Drain
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BVX2cpGD7wJqH37RSS1JAOz&si=3k1Hw_UwMz6I6aPX
How close can you do an open french drain system to your foundation?
Basement stay 4 ft off so water doesn't run down the basement wall.
Love your work! I have a slab house and am looking to install an open french drain around it. I noticed that you don't take out the dirt that touches the concrete slab (which makes sense). How much dirt should I leave between the concrete slab and where the trench starts? Any alternatives to dirt in that space? Thanks!
Did you ever find an answer for this?
I imagine its like this: if you have rock, wrapped or not, against the foundation, water will more easily flow towards the concrete than if you leave say 6in of soil. Essentially you don't want to use your foundation as side walls to you drain
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BWSyew4JyZuxDpBvULztf91&si=Ws2FhGN2yJnDWCrX
Why "in front" of the retaining wall instead of a curtain of rock "behind"? Is it just about lowest point?
Yeah (assuming you're talking about the first house) it seems silly. Put a swale/other drainage system above the retaining wall to take the water away. Then add an appropriately sized drain system in your yard.
Unless their property doesn't include above the retaining wall...
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=eXEHmHQiYxGOpJNQ
Is there any maintenance required on open french drains? I would imagine dirt, leaves and organic matter would eventually filter in between stone and turn an open french drain into a closed or covered.
They run pretty good for 15 years then you pull the fabric back and scoop up the stone mix with organic material. Just put the fabric back in place with new screened clean stone back on top. Pretty easy.
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN excellent honest answer, thank you
Do you have to use the fabric?
Watch "Unearthed 10-year-Old FRENCH DRAIN Wrapped in Fabric" on RUclips
ruclips.net/video/OeMdMhRA_Mg/видео.html
I heard him say yes to that question but I’m not sure if you have to burrito wrap the open one. They burrito wrapped the one closer to the house.
Do you need to burrito wrap an open French Drain?
No but most the time we do to keep it clean
Can I do half of it covered and the other half open? I’m doing a 60ft long drain in front of my house.
That's fine just make sure you use the same burrito wrap technique.
Please start doing videos of your systems working!!
I'm not part time and we are booked into 2023. I have to move forward not backwards. Our service area is huge. Thank you in advance for understanding.
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN I wasn't doubtful of your ability just fascinated by your projects.
It would be super hard to catch videos of these systems in action. You'd have to wait around for a heavy rain storm. Recording that is probably something the home owner would have to do.
What would you recommend for a drainage of a BMX track with lots of sandy clay/silt, where water pools on the track and in between?
If water is pooling you may just want to use a yard drain (solid pipe with catch basins).
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BWj4e7QYbTv9mtDYFzKpb7Q&si=fe2eeTkddYXXo-lj
doesn't the water just run through the fabric back into the ground?
ruclips.net/video/kb5HVaMZVYg/видео.htmlsi=XN2RYfZK6ihBZ4j_
What’s the average price per foot open drain versus a regular French drain ?
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=q1SFOst_7pU89Oav
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXWZPUFUNw6SMI64dtHlhzl&si=7YELFx6Rubw6XixX
Where do I get the wrap that you use?
Store | French Drain Systems | Curtain Drains | Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, St. Clair County
frenchdrainman.com/store/
I can not believe that anyone thought building any type of building on a hill with the uphill side so close to grade was a good idea in any way.
Brick veneer is not intended to be installed below grade, no exterior cladding is designed to be used below grade.
Yet landscapers and homeowners just pile dirt up against the structures. We see it all the time. They trash beautiful homes.
how deep is your trench?
16 inch
@@FRENCHDRAINMAN Thank you so much am getting ready to order. one more question. So is there a cap where I would start the open drain on the pipe? Also I have about a 35 ft run. Do I start with the solid pipe, the go to the cut pipe and put a basing between to clean out or can I just attact the 2 and do a pop up at the end? Thank you so much for your generosity with your knowledge of the product and your craft.
Or is the entire thing cut pipe?
I happen to see another channel (in NC or SC I believe) doing a open french drain in someones backyard.. Wow it was done horribly. it was done with 4" PVC's with holes in the bottom and 1" clean lime no wrap at all.. And, when done his trenches looked like Frankenstine his trenches were dug all over the place. The yard was chopped up, there was so many ways he could have done a much cleaner job than what he did.
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BUpFHCLJ_sUFTqw1WoXu1Vz&si=E4UzD8vypZqr9hOb
Of course you have to keep the trench clean because the weed will grow happily in five grains of dirt lol
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BXFJKxV1EfanZ1Q-lZ1SODD&si=bsNOvXXJGzD4CJJd
Couple years it will be full with dirt and sand
It's more like 10-15 years. If the flow slows down, you can replace the top dressing. Wrap drain last a lifetime.
look ma, a ditch.
ruclips.net/p/PLjFCqaZ4v1BUqichor2QH1X_p9bBPor8D&si=elTn1NbZ5V709dhe