French Drain

[Hometown]

I'm looking for someone to put in a French drain.  We get what they call "seepage" into our basement that I hope to eliminate.  I would appreciate any recommendations anyone can share with me.

[midtownnewbie]

We have the same problem.  We have french drains around our house but we still have the "seepage" problem after a very heavy rain.  Any advice would be appreciated by me too!

[safetyguy]

Lawnovations from Jenks did a good job on our french drain in our backyard. Our issue was related to poor grading in our backyard. The drain has been great so that our yard isn't a swamp anymore.

Josh Eberth is the owner and was on the jobsite performing the technical work (i.e. using laser level to ensure proper flow, etc.).

The number is 361-5296. The pricing was very fair compared to other bids that I received.

[tulsapoolplyr88]

Thanks for the info.  I also have the same issue with my back yard.

[waterboy]

You might not need a french drain. Often times it is the result of poor guttering design or blocked guttering. Check that first by direct observation during a rain storm or water hose applied to the roof. Moving a downspout could do the trick.

If it is indeed seepage and you can't direct the water away, you might do what my neighbor did. He bought a water repellent "paint" and applied it on the inside of his basement as the mortar had become porous. At some spots he dug around the outside perimeter of the basement and applied the paint from that side as well. It worked and cost less than the french drain.

Also don't forget to install some sort of ventilation in your basement even if its just small fans in the windows. It will keep your basement from being musty.

[Wilbur]

We had french drains put in at our last house.  Wish I had the money back.  We didn't have a basement, but our duct work would fill up with water when it rained.  French drains didn't stop the problem.  They just helped get water out of there quicker.

[cmanson13]

I put in a french drain last year when my ducts started filling with water.  The drain was also to help my side yard drain since it is mostly clay and my neighbor has mostly concrete for a yard.  I tried to use Mullin Pumping, but had to fire them.  I would recommend the plumbing side still though.

I did get a quote from Circle Services in Owasso.  Very professional, but I just couldn't afford the quote.  Worth talking to at least, 918-274-WALL.

[Steve]

Can someone explain definitively what a "french drain" is?  I have asked this question to several folks and received as many answers.  I assume it is an underground drain pipe to channel water away from a man-made structure.

[safetyguy]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

Can someone explain definitively what a "french drain" is?  I have asked this question to several folks and received as many answers.  I assume it is an underground drain pipe to channel water away from a man-made structure.

Doesn't always have to channel water away from a man-made structure, but basically what you said before that is correct. They dig a ditch/trench put a pipe down with holes in the pipe and then cover the pipe with sand and rocks so that the water filters down to the pipe. Our pipe was actually sodded back over as well. The pipe has to be properly elevated so that it drains away from the structure or wherever water stands.
Hope that makes sense.

[waterboy]

My neighbor downward to my West and I rented a trencher, bought some perforated pipe and crushed rock and built our own french drain. We were attempting to drain off water that was cascading from our roofs between the houses that couldn't find the street. It was eroding his foundation and seeping into my basement. We connected our gutter downspouts into it and a grate about halfway to the street for cleanout. The hardest part was handling the trencher. Allow about an inch drop for each 6ft of travel. Works great.