The usual purpose of a curtain drain is to divert (under)groundwater away from a structure. The only reason to not cover it with fabric and a few inches of soil is to capture surface drainage as well.
What do I cover French drain with?
Since a French drain can be covered with turf or mulch after installation, it’s also virtually invisible. Though the traditional design simply was a gravel-filled trench, you’ll obtain far better results by employing a drainage pipe, landscaping fabric and a few high-tech tweaks.
How do you install curtain drains?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Just. Imagine a gutter on your roof the gutters at the bottom of the roof at the bottom of the slope. You wouldn't cover that gutter and then expect it to catch any water that would run off the roof.
What’s the purpose of a curtain drain?
Curtain drains, and french drains are both gravity-fed systems for pulling water away from your home, yard, or building. Both involve a trench filled with gravel and sometimes lined with a perforated PVC pipe.
Can you cover French drain with dirt?
Can I cover a French drain with dirt? Because a French drain has holes throughout the pipe which allow it collect water, you should not install dirt on top of the drain pipe. Installing dirt will clog the pipe and the holes, rendering it useless.
Is a curtain drain the same as a French drain?
Curtain drains essentially do the same thing that french drains do- get rid of the water. The main difference is that french drains deal more with groundwater while curtain drains have more to do with surface water. Curtain drains are built in a very similar way to french drains but are dug to a shallow depth.
How deep does a curtain drain need to be?
The top of the drain pipe in the perimeter/curtain drain must be at least 2 feet lower than the bottom of the septic trench. For example, if the bottom of the septic system is 36 inches below the surface, the perimeter/curtain drain trench bottom must be at least 64 inches below the surface.
Do you cover up a French drain?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So what we do is we basically cover the stone with a filter fabric.
Can you put topsoil over French drain?
The simplest drain is a classic French drain, which is nothing more than a trench filled with coarse stone or gravel. A 2–4% slope is adequate to quickly move water away from trouble areas. The drain can be left open or, if aesthetics are a concern, can be covered with a couple of inches of topsoil and sod.
Can you cover a French drain with gravel?
Cover with Gravel and Filter Fabric
Cover the pipe with about 3 inches of gravel or crushed stone, but not enough to cross above ground level. Wrap the excess filter fabric over it for another layer of protection.
Why do French drains fail?
Over time, a French drain may become clogged. Tiny soil and clay granules slip through the pores of the landscape fabric and gradually build up inside the pipe. Another common cause of French drain clogs is root intrusion from grass, shrubs, and trees.
What is the difference between a French drain and a trench drain?
Aside from what we’ve listed here, the difference between a French drain and a trench drain is that a French drain is used for water that is underground while a trench drain diverts excess water from a surface.
How much gravel do I need for a 50 foot French drain?
To calculate gravel needed for a 50′ french drain, multiply the length of the trench by the width and depth. If you plan to lay down 4 inches of gravel, multiply 50 feet x 4 inches = 200 cubic feet.
How far apart should French drains be?
In general, though, a French drain should drop at least 1 percent in depth for every 100 feet of length.
How deep should French drain be?
between 18 and 24 inches
DIGGING A TRENCH FOR A FRENCH DRAIN
Because there is a direct relationship between the diameter of a drain pipe and its relative effectiveness, make your trench no smaller than 12 inches wide, and aim for a depth between 18 and 24 inches.
Is Limestone good for French drain?
The stone should be no less than ¾” and dense (we suggest Granite, or River Gravel) so it will allow good water flow. Lime Rock, although inexpensive, is a poor choice for a French Drain because it will begin to deteriorate over time and eventually begin to pack down and restrict flow.
Is pea gravel good for French drain?
Do NOT Use Pea Gravel, Pea Pebble, Pea Stone When Building a French Drain. When building a French drain, you want to use a coarse rock that has been screened and washed. The rock that you see in this French Drain is 3/4″ and larger. You end up with large voids that’ll move far more water.
What size gravel is best for French drain?
1-1/2″
Use Natural 1-1/2″ round rock for best drainage. Washed rock is ideal. Avoid small pea gravel as the spaces in between stone is smaller minimizing flow rates. Avoid Crushed Rock (minus) that compacts and has “fines” that will clog pipe inlets.
