Top Benefits of a French Drain

​We all know the incredible damage that excess water and moisture can cause to our homes and yards. So when thinking about how to keep our property in great shape, it’s important to not overlook water management.
 
French drains have long been used as a simple and effective way to manage water flow. If you aren’t familiar with them, french drains are pipes laid in a trench that’s typically filled with gravel or rocks. As water collects in your yard or near your home’s foundation, it seeps between the gravel or rock and enters the pipe through small perforations in the wall. The french drain then channels the water in a safe direction, ensuring that it does not pool in one place and cause damage. 

Do I Need a French Drain?

​When first learning about french drains, people sometimes wonder whether it’s an improvement they really need. Here are some of the top benefits of installing a french drain on your property. 

1.   Eliminate Water Pooling
If you’re seeing puddles of water in your yard after a good rain, then you have a problem with water pooling. This occurs when excess water is not diverted from ‘dip-points’ in your property. Not only does water pooling damage your lawn and soil, the excess water can also seep into the ground and collect around your home’s foundation.
 
A strategically placed french drain will fix this problem by collecting the excess water and diverting it to a safer place. So even after a really hard rain, you won’t see any more puddles in your yard.

2. Prevent Soil Erosion
​Soil erosion occurs when water and wind wear away your yard’s topsoil. Not only will this make your yard look bad, it also deprives the ground of nutrients and minerals that are needed for plants and grass to grow.
 
Just like with water pooling, a properly placed french drain will keep your soil intact by preventing this excess build up. So if you’re noticing that your plants and grass don’t look as healthy as they should, you might have a problem with soil erosion that a french drain will fix.

3. Keep Your Retaining Wall Safe
If you have a retaining wall on your property then a french drain is a must. A retaining wall is a structure designed to restrain soil from eroding into a lower elevation on your property. When it rains water will collect against the inner-side of the retaining wall, exerting additional pressure on the structure.
 
A french drain will relieve this pressure and ensure that your retaining wall stays strong. Anything you can do to prevent a retaining wall from collapsing is definitely worth looking into.

4. Waterproof Your Basement
If it’s happened to you, then you probably never want it to happen again: basement flooding. This happens when excess water collects around your home’s foundation and seeps into your basement.
 
Needless to say, this is one of the most important benefits of a french drain. By installing one along your home’s foundation, you make it a lot less likely that a big storm will deposit a pool of water in your basement. As a bonus, you also make it less likely that your home’s foundation will need a major overhaul in the future. That’s an expense to avoid!

5. Improve Air Quality
French drains have a lot of obvious practical benefits. But this one is often a surprise. Rain water can be quite dirty, containing harmful toxic substances. If this water seeps into your home’s foundation then not only will it leave behind dirt and debris, it will also decrease your home’s air quality.
 
So if you and your kids are looking to spend quality time your home’s rec room, you definitely want to consider installing a french drain to keep the air safe and clean for everyone.
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It’s Worth a Look
These are just a few of the top benefits of installing a french drain on your property. If you suspect that bad water management is causing problems at your home, then it’s definitely worth considering a french drain.
 
Contact us today to learn more about how the experts at Outdoor Perfection can help.