Water travels downhill and always at the path of least resistance- it is one of the fundamental laws of nature. This is the basic concept behind a French Drain, which is a slightly sloped trench that is lined and then filled with gravel and stone, design to help direct water away from your home. As a fun side note, the name is not from the European country but rather from Henry French, a judge and farmer in Concord, Massachusetts, who pushed this idea in a 1859 book about farming. Today, homeowners rely on this system to protect their basements from water intrusion and call on French Drain contractors in Staten Island to assist with their basement waterproofing needs.
How a French Drain Works
French Drains offer a basic channel for water to pass through. Water enters the trench and flows own though the rocks and collects in a perforated piped at the end of the trench. From there the water is leached into the ground and absorbed away from the home where it cannot damage the basement or foundation. The trench bottom should be sloped about 1 inch for every 8 feet in the direction you want water to flow.
Depending on the specifics of your individual situation and factors such as property and soil conditions, the water can be diverted to:
• A lower-lying area on your property below the basement level
• A drainage ditch that allows it to continue to drain away from your home
• A dry well or other similar area that can collect the water
• The street or other natural draining area
There are several types of French Drains available and French Drain contractors in Staten Island can help you find the one that is right for you, but there are two basic types, depending on the type of water issues you are having.
If Your Problem is Surface Water
When surface water from sudden downpours or draining off of your home or other neighbouring structures are causing a problem, you can install a shallow French drain. Also known as a curtain drain, it spreads horizontally across your property, directly uphill of your target draining area. It works by intercepting the water as it naturally flows and channels it around the soggy spot and to a better suited draining area in your yard. This type of drain doesn’t have to be very deep — a common size is 2 feet deep and 1.5 feet across.
Cost varies on a number of factors but a general guideline is that the piping used for this type of drain costs around $10 to $16 per linear foot for materials and installations.
If Water is Getting Into Your Basement
Also called a footing drain system by some French Drain contractors in Staten Island, it runs around the perimeter of the house at the footing level and works by intercepting water as it travels through the soil and moves it away from your basement area. It’s easy to install during house construction, but much more difficult and expensive to add later. This is because the amount of digging that has to be done can be difficult with existing landscapes and basement structures already in place. If there’s not enough slope for this set up to work, you may need to send the water to a collection area, where a sump pump can pump it the rest of the way and send it away from the basement area.
Cost varied but for an installation done during the time of home construction can average $12,000 for a 1,500-square-foot basement 6 feet deep.
To learn more about these drains and what one is right for your home, contact us today and let us show you why we are the name more people trust for French Drain contractors in Staten Island.
