Need French Drain Advice

LarryRB · May 17, 2006

We do French drains all the time in New England. Most everyone uses fabric or better yet a sock. The reason for the drain and to stop surface water pooling is, insects. Mosquito's love a puddle like that, especially next to a building. As in the picture that you posted, sock, perforated pipe, ( I just bought 200 ft a Lowes with sock and it isn't expensive at all) Dig down three feet, install 6" stone, sock covered pipe, fill remainder with stone. You can even go to final grade surface, and make it look like another parking spot for extra equipment.

LarryRB · May 17, 2006

We do French drains all the time in New England. Most everyone uses fabric or better yet a sock. The reason for the drain and to stop surface water pooling is, insects. Mosquito's love a puddle like that, especially next to a building. As in the picture that you posted, sock, perforated pipe, ( I just bought 200 ft a Lowes with sock and it isn't expensive at all) Dig down three feet, install 6" stone, sock covered pipe, fill remainder with stone. You can even go to final grade surface, and make it look like another parking spot for extra equipment.

PineRidge · May 17, 2006

Eddie I like your way of doing things. Less work sounds much better anyhow. The water to the garden and the wiring for the driveway proximity alarm pass just this side of the wooded area so I can't open a trench without exposing the utilities. I can however dig a collection box in and run plastic pipe to the wooded area, then cover the pipe and utilities back up. All I'll need to do then is gradually contour the ground so the water finds the collection box. The water in that area is presently about 6 to 8 inches deep.

Bob I need to get that water out of the spot its in before the beavers decide to build another dam, this one behind the pole barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW: The neighbor was trapping them and someone turned him in. Guess he got a visit from an unhappy game control cop. Don't know what the final outcome on that one will be. I was hoping that he would take care of all of the beavers myself but he only got 4 before he was busted. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

PineRidge · May 17, 2006

Eddie I like your way of doing things. Less work sounds much better anyhow. The water to the garden and the wiring for the driveway proximity alarm pass just this side of the wooded area so I can't open a trench without exposing the utilities. I can however dig a collection box in and run plastic pipe to the wooded area, then cover the pipe and utilities back up. All I'll need to do then is gradually contour the ground so the water finds the collection box. The water in that area is presently about 6 to 8 inches deep.

Bob I need to get that water out of the spot its in before the beavers decide to build another dam, this one behind the pole barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW: The neighbor was trapping them and someone turned him in. Guess he got a visit from an unhappy game control cop. Don't know what the final outcome on that one will be. I was hoping that he would take care of all of the beavers myself but he only got 4 before he was busted. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Doc_Bob · May 17, 2006

( Eddie I like your way of doing things. Less work sounds much better anyhow. The water to the garden and the wiring for the driveway proximity alarm pass just this side of the wooded area so I can't open a trench without exposing the utilities. I can however dig a collection box in and run plastic pipe to the wooded area, then cover the pipe and utilities back up. All I'll need to do then is gradually contour the ground so the water finds the collection box. The water in that area is presently about 6 to 8 inches deep.

Bob I need to get that water out of the spot its in before the beavers decide to build another dam, this one behind the pole barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW: The neighbor was trapping them and someone turned him in. Guess he got a visit from an unhappy game control cop. Don't know what the final outcome on that one will be. I was hoping that he would take care of all of the beavers myself but he only got 4 before he was busted. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Sorry to hear about the beaver lovers. Use the same hose and slowly darin the beaver pond. They will go elsewhere. Talk to your neighbor. Tell him about the power of the siphon.
Bob

Doc_Bob · May 17, 2006

( Eddie I like your way of doing things. Less work sounds much better anyhow. The water to the garden and the wiring for the driveway proximity alarm pass just this side of the wooded area so I can't open a trench without exposing the utilities. I can however dig a collection box in and run plastic pipe to the wooded area, then cover the pipe and utilities back up. All I'll need to do then is gradually contour the ground so the water finds the collection box. The water in that area is presently about 6 to 8 inches deep.

Bob I need to get that water out of the spot its in before the beavers decide to build another dam, this one behind the pole barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW: The neighbor was trapping them and someone turned him in. Guess he got a visit from an unhappy game control cop. Don't know what the final outcome on that one will be. I was hoping that he would take care of all of the beavers myself but he only got 4 before he was busted. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Sorry to hear about the beaver lovers. Use the same hose and slowly darin the beaver pond. They will go elsewhere. Talk to your neighbor. Tell him about the power of the siphon.
Bob

Cottonhawk · May 18, 2006

Mike,
We are in the process of finishing our French drain jobs....about two thousand feet all together. We use 4" or 6" perforated pipes with sock which is easier and better than cloth. The drain pipes were bought in 100' rolls. The construction is the same as your posted attachment and we use 3/4" ballast to fill the entire drain ditch. Some of the longer drains or corners we did put in water collection boxes or buckets.
Looking at your attached pics, I'd suggest you drain the water to the wooded area.

Cottonhawk · May 18, 2006

Mike,
We are in the process of finishing our French drain jobs....about two thousand feet all together. We use 4" or 6" perforated pipes with sock which is easier and better than cloth. The drain pipes were bought in 100' rolls. The construction is the same as your posted attachment and we use 3/4" ballast to fill the entire drain ditch. Some of the longer drains or corners we did put in water collection boxes or buckets.
Looking at your attached pics, I'd suggest you drain the water to the wooded area.

PineRidge · Jun 16, 2006

Well it's finally dried up around here enough to finish this headache. I took the route of running the drain pipe through the wooded area. Here's a picture standing beside the pole barn and facing the area where the pipe was run.

Naturally I have seeded the area since the pipe was backfilled. Once the grass is established it will keep the silt out of the pipe. I also installed a clean out so the garden hose could be used in the case of a back up.

PineRidge · Jun 16, 2006

And here's the route through the wooded area that the drain runs. While the trench was open I also put in an air line that aerates the pond (the fish love it)