Exterior French Drain Installation
Exterior French drains collect and redirect water moving through saturated soil before it can continue pooling beside a foundation, across a yard or around other vulnerable areas of the property.
Give Subsurface Water a Controlled Path Away
Water moving through soil follows elevation and available drainage paths.
Where water repeatedly collects beside a foundation or in low areas of a property, an exterior French drain may be used to intercept that water and route it toward an appropriate discharge location.
The location, depth, slope and discharge method should be based on the actual property rather than using the same trench design for every home.
What We Evaluate
- Where water collects after rainfall
- Yard and foundation elevations
- Surface and subsurface flow patterns
- Soil conditions
- Existing drainage systems
- Downspout discharge locations
- Available gravity discharge
- Foundation waterproofing conditions
Why Water Keeps Collecting Around a Property
An exterior drainage system should be designed around the source and movement of the water.
Low Yard Areas
Water naturally collects in low areas where grading does not provide an effective path away from the property.
Saturated Foundation Soil
Soil beside a foundation can remain wet after rainfall, increasing moisture exposure around crawl-space or basement walls.
Hillside Runoff
Properties receiving water from higher surrounding ground may need drainage positioned to intercept that flow.
Poor Soil Drainage
Dense or slow-draining soil can remain saturated and hold water around the structure longer than expected.
Existing Drain Failure
Older drains may become clogged, crushed, disconnected or lose an effective discharge route.
Roof Water Nearby
Improper downspout discharge can add large amounts of concentrated water to already wet soil beside the home.
What Goes Into an Exterior French Drain
A French drain is a collection system, not simply a buried piece of pipe.
Excavated Trench
The trench is positioned and excavated according to the water path, required depth, slope and accessible site conditions.
Filter Fabric
Geotextile fabric may be used around the drainage assembly to help separate surrounding soil from the aggregate and pipe.
Perforated Drain Pipe
Perforated pipe allows water within the drainage trench to enter the system and move toward the discharge point.
Drainage Stone
Clean drainage aggregate creates void space around the pipe so subsurface water can move into the system.
Controlled Slope
Where gravity discharge is used, the system must maintain an appropriate fall toward the intended outlet.
Discharge Location
Collected water must terminate at an appropriate location based on property elevation, drainage conditions and the project design.
From Water Path to Finished Drain
Evaluate
Identify the water source, low areas, available elevation and potential discharge location.
Excavate
Excavate the drainage route according to the dimensions and layout specified for the property.
Build the Drain
Install the specified fabric, drainage stone, perforated pipe and related components.
Discharge & Finish
Connect the system to the designated outlet and complete the specified surface restoration.
The Scope Depends on the Water Problem
Instead of selling fixed Bronze, Silver or Premium drainage tiers, we design the scope around the property.
Targeted Drainage
A shorter drain may be appropriate where water collects in one defined low area or along a limited section of the property.
Foundation Drainage
Drainage installed near a foundation can help intercept subsurface water before it continues accumulating against the wall.
Larger Water-Management System
Properties with multiple water sources may require French drainage combined with grading, downspout drainage, waterproofing or pumped discharge.
French Drain Pipe and Downspout Pipe Do Different Jobs
Mixing the two without considering their function can create a poorly performing drainage system.
French Drain
A French drain typically uses perforated pipe surrounded by drainage aggregate to collect water moving through surrounding soil.
Learn About French Drainage →Downspout Drain
A downspout drainage system typically uses solid pipe because its purpose is to carry concentrated roof water away without intentionally collecting surrounding soil water.
Learn About Downspout Drainage →Drainage May Be Only One Part of the Solution
When a foundation wall is repeatedly exposed to saturated soil or water is entering directly through the wall, an exterior French drain may need to be combined with foundation waterproofing.
Waterproofing addresses the wall surface. Drainage provides a path for water moving through the surrounding soil. The two systems perform different functions and may be used together where site conditions warrant it.
No Exterior Drainage System Should Be Sold as a Guarantee That a Property Will Never Get Wet.
Exterior drainage is designed around the conditions that can reasonably be identified at the time of evaluation. Rainfall intensity, changing grades, neighboring runoff, soil movement, clogged outlets, landscaping changes and other property conditions can alter how water moves over time.
Drainage systems also require a functioning discharge path. An outlet that becomes blocked, damaged or submerged can reduce system performance.
For those reasons, our scope defines the drainage work being installed rather than promising that every future source of water on the property has been permanently eliminated.
Written Coverage Based on the Drainage System Installed
Qualifying exterior drainage projects may include written workmanship coverage when identified in the project documents. Coverage duration, eligible work, maintenance requirements, conditions, limitations and exclusions depend on the specific installation.
Exterior French drain installation does not automatically receive the 40-Year Transferable Limited System Warranty. That warranty is reserved for qualifying premium encapsulation systems and applies only when specifically identified in the written warranty documents.
Exterior French Drain Service Area
Encapsulation Professionals serves homeowners throughout Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Greenwood and surrounding Upstate South Carolina communities.
Water Pooling Around Your Yard or Foundation?
We can evaluate the water path, elevations and available discharge options and determine whether an exterior French drain, downspout drainage, foundation waterproofing or a combination of systems is appropriate.