A french drain is a trench filled with a perforated pipe and gravel that allows water to drain naturally from your yard.
French drain along retaining wall.
If you re building a retaining wall on a hillside if you re building a retaining wall add a french drain behind the first course of stones or blocks.
Some of these drains are vented through the front of the retaining wall while others may run the length of the wall and drain out to the sides.
Depending on the size of your yard and the scale of your drainage issue you can purchase the pipes and equipment to create a french drain yourself.
The size of the gravel used can vary from pea gravel to larger pieces of river rock.
A properly designed french drain reduces the pressure exerted upon retaining walls and subgrade walls that with time can induce moisture inside basements and crawl spaces.
You may have to submit plans for your wall and schedule a property inspection to ensure that building a retaining wall won t create drainage problems.
You can also use a french drain to keep water from pooling in low areas of your yard.
Pipe drains also known as toe drains are perforated pipes that collect water along the length of the wall and drain it to the outside.
If aggregate of different sizes is used smaller pieces usually go closer to the pipe while larger pieces sit closer to and on the.
Otherwise water moving down the hill will build up behind the wall and undermine it.
A locking flange along.
The pipe should rest on the same compacted gravel base or concrete footing that supports the wall.
About 8 inches to 2 feet deep should be sufficient for many water diverting projects though related systems such as those built around foundations and sub ground living spaces as well as the bases of retaining walls may be deeper.
French drains can also help divert water when you re building a retaining wall on a steep slope.
Where to install a french drain.
A french drain is a virtual necessity when building a retaining wall on a hill.