Cincinnati French Drain
What is a Cincinnati French Drain and why do I need one? A French Drain is needed in a variety of different cases. It is mainly used to move surface and subsurface water away from problem areas. It can be used in the middle of a field, in the middle of a lawn, a garden, or even around your foundation. How it works is equally as simple. A trench is excavated to a desired depth, this trench can be anywhere from 4 inches wide to three or 4 feet wide. Once the trench is complete gravel is added to the bottom of the trench to provide a thin layer for the French drain pipe to rest on top of. Once that thin layer or "bed" is been applied then a piece of pipe is laid on top of it. This is no ordinary pipe, this pipe has a series of holes and/or slits cut into the radial edge of the pipe. It is through these holes or slits that water ultimately flows into the pipe once the water has found the trench. The pipe is then filled nearly to the top with gravel or other crushed aggregate. The very top of the trench is been covered in a course sand. If the French Drain is located in a lawn area then the trench is seeded with grass seed, if the drain is in the garden bed that it is covered with the appropriate type mulch. We are experts in Cincinnati French Drain installation.
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The French drain is either lined with filter cloth or as shown below, the use of sock pipe, which has a filter wrap around it is employed. The use of this type of filter material is crucial and will be identified by the project manager as to which is best in your case. |
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Cincinnati French Drains are extremely effective in removing subsurface water from completely saturated soil. this type of drain will be proscribed when there is a long-term saturation problem with the soil. This would certainly include areas that stay wet year-round. These types of drains are not particularly good in catching surface water that's moving quickly. Think of the Cincinnati French drain as a slow moving drain. for example, when a French drain is installed in a completely saturated area, it may take as long as 30 days for the area to completely dry out. The reason this is that the water that is suspended in the soil takes a long time to migrate to the trench. But the fact is, once the water his move there the soil was forever normally dry, it will be able to absorb water normally once the French drain his achieved its job.
A French Drain is extremely useful in correcting long-term drainage problems. It is an extremely valuable tool that can be used cost-effectively in many different applications. Areas of the yard that have low spots in them that collect water without relief are perfect application for this type of drain. As a rule of thumb, if the area in your yard is staying wet in spots longer than the rest then this type of drain would certainly be an option.
Occasionally when installing a Cincinnati French drain, it becomes necessary to excavate and re-grade the area immediately adjacent to where the drain will be installed to ensure that the water actually migrates to the center of the trench. In contouring the soil, we ensure that the water that is moving toward the drain is going to completely be relieved, and not create standing water or a puddle any longer.
As a part of our free proposal, our project manager that visits with you, will be able to identify whether or not this is needed.
If you have water in your yard, call us today! We can help you resolve the water problem that you're having.
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The finished project approximately 2 months after installation. Soil is dry and healthy. No more standing water or overly saturated soil.
Establishing the area that is best for the installation of a Cincinnati French drain is crucial to its ability to remove water from the affected area. Elevation, depth and pitch will all be considered by our staff during the free evaluation. Call us today to schedule an appointment to resolve your water issues. 513-479-7575