Can you cover a French drain with top soil?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So what we do is we basically cover the stone. With a filter fabric.

Will a French drain stop erosion?





A French drain always involves a sloped ditch that excess surface water can run into. The gravel prevents erosion. The ditch for your French drain is lined with a layer of landscape fabric and gravel, which prevents the runoff from eroding your soil. The pipe reroutes the water away from your building foundation.

Should drainage pipe holes up or down?

If you’re installing a half-perforated pipe, such as half perforated twinwall, this is where the problem comes into question; whether the perforations are best facing upwards or downwards? Contrary to popular opinion, the most effective method is to have the holes facing down.

Does a French drain pipe have holes in it?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So make sure you're using a perforated pipe with holes in it that the holes point down. This is slotted pipe and you can see the slots the holes they go all the way around the pipe.

How much dirt should be in the top of a French drain?

In order to keep your French drain free of dirt, tree roots or silt, line it with weed barrier or filter fabric. You will want to leave at least 10 inches, depending on the size of your drain pipe, of excess fabric on either side of the trench.

How much topsoil is on top of a French drain?





Before installing any drain lines, coarse stone or gravel should always be put in the bottom of the trench to a depth of approximately two inches. Once the drain line is installed, coarse stone or gravel should then be put on top of the drain line leaving approximately 3–4 inches for topsoil for the lawn to grow in.

Can you cover a French drain with grass?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: System.

How do you stop a ditch from eroding?

Prevention Techniques for Ditch Erosion

  1. Gently Sloped Sides. Steep sides in a ditch channel more water through less space, which leads to erosion. …
  2. Check Dams. Rushing water in ditches increases erosion. …
  3. Vegetation. …
  4. Erosion Mats, Blankets and Netting. …
  5. Graded Rock.


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.

Why does drain pipe have holes?

With the perforations facing down, the primary function is collection and distribution. Even when placed in a ground gutter as described above, the pipe fills with groundwater more quickly. When more water enters one area than another, it flows to another area of the pipe and drains away.

Why do some drain pipes have holes?

It’s worth noting that the overflow holes on a sink serve two purposes. One is to prevent the sink from overflowing, and the other is to admit air into the drain, which helps the sink to drain more quickly. That doesn’t necessarily mean a metal sink without overflow holes will drain more slowly.

Should I use perforated drain pipe?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: One. If you had if you wanted to drain an area into a dry well the water would come down the pipe.

How long do French drains last?

When enough sand, clay or silt gets past the fabric, the gravel spaces fill and the effectiveness of the french drain ends. This is why most experts state that a French drain is not a long-term solution to a drainage problem: You have to dig it up and reinstall it every eight to 10 years.

How do you bury a perforated drain pipe?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So we've got our trench we're going to put some gravel at the bottom a good base next go ahead and spread that gravel. So the pipe can set level in the trench.

How big are the holes in a French drain?

A 4-inch diameter perforated French drain pipe is likely adequate for most residential applications, but areas expected to experience a good amount of water collection and heavy soil saturation may require a larger-diameter pipe.

Do French drains work in clay soil?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: If we put a catch basin on the surface. And allowed it to drain into the french drain. This system will work great french drain in clay soil wrapped in fabric it takes a long time for it to drain. Yes

Can a French drain be too deep?

Gas and water lines, electrical wires, and sewer pipes are some of the things that this digging may encounter. If the drain is dug below the footer, it will cause the home to settle and it’s important not to dig too deep.

How far down should a French drain go?

Dig a Trench



The trench should be about 18 inches deep and 9 to 12 inches wide. French drains need to have a slope of at least 1 percent, so the force of gravity will work for you. This means that the drain should slope down a total of at least one inch for every 10 feet of pipe.

Does a French drain need an exit?

Short answer to the title of “Where should french drain terminate?” is that, ideally, the french drain will terminate to an above-ground exit on the side of a hill or at least a downwards slope, so that the water that was in the drain can escape to get into the place that normal surface runoff goes from the property.

Does French drain need an outlet?



A properly designed French drain system does not require an outlet. The water will simply soak into the soil as it flows along the perforated pipe. In fact, a French drain doesn’t require an inlet on just one end either.