What is a French Drain and what does it have to do with France?

The phrase French Drain is heard quite often … on your favorite how-to TV show, in your local home improvement store, and in conversations in the yard with your neighbor. But I regularly hear the phrase “French Drain” used incorrectly. A French Drain is not to be confused with an underground gutter extension or a simple solid pipe used for relocating water from one location to another.

So, what is a French Drain?

French Drain install in progress

A French Drain can vary in size and materials used, but the essence of a French Drain contains these components: a trench, a perforated pipe (as opposed to a solid pipe), drainage rock, and a sediment filter. A french drain is commonly used to solve water related issues both on the interior and the exterior of a home, office, barn, shed, or other structure.

Interior applications

A French Drain is used primarily in two interior environments: basements and crawl spaces. These internal applications are methods of water control, not to be confused with waterproofing. Read this article to learn more about the differences between water control and water proofing.

Exterior applications

A French Drain is also used primarily in two external environments: yard drainage and foundation drains. A French Drain in your yard gives water an underground path to follow to get to where you want it to go, therefore controlling flooding, washout, erosion, or standing water problems. A French drain at the foundation of a structure will catch water near your building’s foundation and move it away without giving it an opportunity to enter your basement or crawlspace. A footer drain is usually installed along with adequate waterproofing of the foundation wall.

Was does a French Drain have to do with France?

Well, nothing really! The term French Drain was coined by an American named Henry French. French was an agriculturalist, inventor, lawyer, and author in Massachusetts in the 1800’s.

Do I need a French Drain?

If you have standing water or erosion under, in, or around your house, a French Drain could be a good solution for you. But a French Drain is not the answer to every water problem. Our Moisture Intrusion Specialists at Green Frog Waterproofing would be happy to inspect your property for free and give you a custom solution to resolving your water problem. Click here to request an inspection.

If you would like to learn more about French Drains, click here to view some informative articles on our website.

Waterproofing vs. Water Control

Let us begin by discussing what waterproofing is not. A waterproofing solution is very different from a 'water control' solution. Many approaches focus on simply controlling the flow of water. For example, a water control solution will continue to allow water into the crawl space or basement only to route the water back out again through a series of pipes and pumps. This approach is not always bad, but it is not waterproofing. This is a water control solution and is typically less desirable than a waterproofing solution. Waterproofing always involves keeping the water out of the crawl space and basement.

If a homeowner or business owners wants to waterproof a structure then it is necessary that a trained waterproofing professional dig, external to the structure, down to the footer and treat the external foundation walls with an impenetrable waterproofing product. In addition you will want to install a drain at the footer to route excess water away from the foundation. It is therefore highly preferred that the water never penetrate the building envelope to begin with. The homeowner should be aware that many companies sell water control solutions but label it as a waterproofing solution.

If as a homeowner you are interested in developing your home into a more healthy place to live and continue protecting your investment we recommend you consider one of the following:

1. Insure your crawl space has adequate waterproofing.
2. Insure a high quality thick plastic vapor barrier is covering your crawl space floor.
3. Consider investing in your home by installing a sealed crawl space.
4. If you have a sump pump or dehumidifier, check to insure they are working properly.

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