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November 26, 2019 by Chuck Green

How to Maintain a French Drain During Winter

drainsUnderstanding the flow and possible danger of excess water on your property is crucial in protecting the foundation of critical structures like your home.

A French drain or trench drainage system is an important in-ground channel that redirects surface water away from the foundation of your home. This style of water redistribution is a popular feature in Texas, especially given the volume of rain that falls during storms.

Installing a French drain involves digging a small ditch and laying a pipe along the bottom. The ditch is then filled with rocks or gravel to filter the water that seeps through. That said, as the season’s change and temperatures begin to drop, French drains can be affected by winter thaw and freeze cycles.

These drainage pipes can quickly harden and solidify during sub-freezing temperatures. Understanding how to prevent potential blockages can save you time and money spent on repairing water damage to the foundation of your home after the fact.

The following tips will help you maintain a functional and efficient French drainage system during cold winter months.

Install the French drain below the frost line. First and foremost, when installing a French drain, ensure enough slope and depth are accounted for and measured by a professional. French drains installed below the depth of the base of the perimeter beam of your home assure year-round performance, notably during the colder winter months. The best way to ensure your French drain is installed correctly is to contract a trusted professional to handle your installation. C Greens Landscaping has installed effective draining control systems in homes throughout Dallas, Plano, Highland Park, Frisco and the whole of North DFW for over 30 years.

Clean your Gutters. Cleaning gutters is an important step in maintaining the flow of rainwater exiting the roof. Clean gutters are essential in protecting and preserving the landscape, foundation, walls, and roof of your home.

Avoid channeling gutters directly into the French drain. A French drain is intended to redirect groundwater away from your home and eliminate excess water from the soil. Placing a French drain directly under a gutter will cause blockages created by debris exiting the roof. Again, a professional landscaper designer in Dallas worth their salt will know the proper location to install your French drain.

Install piping at a slope. Installing a drainage pipe, even at a minimal slope, will greatly enhance the continuous flow of water and prevent freezing during low-temperature months.

Monitor any piping above the frost line. Usually, French drains are reasonably low maintenance. That said, If you happen to notice a possible blockage or drop in the flow at the exit point, we encourage you to get in touch with an expert immediately. At CGreens Landscape Management, our professional team specializes in drainage and erosion control, serving the greater Dallas, Texas area. For more information about our landscape services, contact us today.

Filed Under: Lawn Drainage, Lawn Tips & Troubleshooting

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erosion control

Erosion Control

CGreens uses a variety of ways to hold soil and keep it from washing away. Installing a retaining wall is an option that would be appropriate. There are many types of materials we use for the wall, from railroad ties, landscape timbers, concrete stones that look reasonably natural to many varieties and colors of native stone, which would be a beautiful addition to a landscape.

Of course, plant material such as ground cover or grass is excellent as an erosion control mechanism if you have the correct amount of sun and water. You may have a temporary need during construction that we can help with by utilizing special cloths explicitly designed for erosion control.

Re-grading your landscape to create a proper slope for runoff water and installing foundation protections such as wall sealant.

Adding a root barrier is also an option to help keep trees and large plant life from drawing moisture away from the soil which leads to erosion near the foundation of your home.

sump pump

Sump Pumps

An Installation of a Sump Pump or Pits would be done by CGreens in situations where there is not enough slope to discharge to a Surface Drain. Also, French Drains are typically deeper and will need a pump to discharge water up and out to an area away from the collection points.

The pumps that we install are commercial grade and can pump debris up to 1 ½” in diameter. We install check valves, unions, and alarms when necessary.

french drains

Surface & French Drains

Installation of surface drains, which are catch basin with a grate over the top of them at ground level, allows surface water to flow into them. When installing this system, CGreens makes sure to use a solid pipe that runs to a lower area to discharge, such as the street or storm drains.

CGreens installs French Drains to collect subsurface water, not surface water! French Drains are a trench in the ground, lined with a GeoTech cloth that allows water but not soil to penetrate. A solid PVC pipe that has holes is placed at 5 & 7 O’Clock positions, then the trench is filled with gravel, and the cloth is folded over at ground level.

Creating this hole creates a barrier to stop water and serve as protection and a sponge to draw water away from an area that needs to be kept dry. When we install a French Drain to prevent water from penetrating under a pier and beam foundation, the drain will be at least 6 inches below the perimeter beam.

Special note* CGreens uses only SDR 35 solid, smooth bore PVC pipe. It is the same thickness as Schedule 40 pipe but is not used for pressure. Heck, you can almost drive over it! We do NOT use the black, flexible ADS rolls of pipe as it will crush very easy even when backfilling the trench!

french-drain surface-drain
subsurface drainage

Surface and Subsurface Landscape and Hardscape Drainage

You need an effective system for removing stormwater and draining water before it can cause further damage. We are experts at all kinds of yard drainage systems that can move water from your property quickly and effectively.

At CGreens we can customize water drainage systems for every landscape and situation that are designed specifically to fit your landscape. We offer systems for surface water drainage, subsurface water drainage, and water retention/holding containers.

grate and drain

Grates and Drain Water Catch Basins

CGreens uses grates to catch water, and our filter systems can minimize the quantity of debris entering the system. For some grating projects, A foundation engineer may be the unbiased professional that you need. We have worked with many engineers since 1980 and can be your guide for a strong voice & properly graded yard and foundation.