French drains are drainage systems that channel water underground from one area to another. These drain systems have been used for a very long time and have changed little in their design. Most of today's french drain systems are composed of a ditch, drainage rock, perforated pipe, and filter fabric. The french drain then is usually covered back up with dirt so the system is underground and not visible.
There are many different applications that can utilize a french drain. There are also many different ways a french drain can be built. The 2 most common french drain systems our company builds are for the purpose of draining standing water out of a lawn and for building a sump pump system.
Call Trey to set up an appointment
703 919 5291
Using a French Drain System to Quickly Drain Standing Water
French drain systems can be used to help quickly absorb standing water from a lawn. Standing water prevents grass from growing, produces mud and can invite mosquitoes. Installing a french drain system underneath this wet spot will absorb this standing water and dry out the yard much quicker than before.
Our company builds a french drain system by first digging a wide enough ditch underneath the problem area. Most of the time the wet problem area is the low part of your yard that surface water drains to on a regular rain cycle. We dig a ditch from the problem area to a more suitable exit point where the water will ultimately drain to. As we dig the ditch we make sure that the ditch is angled (aka pitched or has fall) so that the water will be taken from the high side of the ditch (the problem area) to the low side of the ditch (the exit area).
Once the ditch is completely dug out and pitched correctly, we then add a layer of drainage rock to the bottom of the ditch. Next we add perforated drain tile on top of the layer of rock and then more drainage rock on the sides and top of the perforated drain pipe. This whole combination of drainage rock and perforated drain tile is wrapped in landscape fabric to separate the dirt around the ditch with the french drain. Any downspout or sump pump pipe near the french drain system should be extended, buried underground and tied into the french drain system. This prevents the water from your roof and sump pump from adding to the soggy yard conditions of your yard.
The french drain system is now built but there is about 4 inch open space between the top of the french drain and ground level. Our customers then choose between placing the excavated soil back in the hole with seed on top, excavated soil back in the hole with sod on top, or new top soil brought in with seed on top. We recommend bringing in top soil and placing it above the french drain because top soil allows water to drain quicker than the clay soils that were removed from the ditch in the first place. This completes the construction of the french drain and it is installed completely underground so it can not be seen from ground level.
The newly installed french drain functions like this: It starts raining and surface water starts to collect in the low spot problem area in your yard. This standing water starts to drain through the 4 inches of top soil, through the landscape fabric, through the drainage rock and in to the perforated drain pipe where this water flows to the exit point where the water is drained to a suitable place where it will not disturb your yard.
Call Trey to get started
703 919 5291
French Drains
E&S Enterprise
Manassas, Virginia 20109
703 919 5291
esenterprisellc@gmail.com
For payment, we accept cash, check or credit card
E&S Enterprise offers french drain services and sump pump services to all areas of Northern Virginia and the counties of Prince William, Fairfax, Stafford, Fauqier, Culpeper, and Potomac Maryland. Here is a list of some of the cities we serve: Marshall, Midland, The Plains, Upperville, Warrenton, Aldie, Arcola, Ashburn, Leesburg, Lovettsville,Merrifield, Newington, Oak Hill, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Vienna, Bealton, Catlett, Delaplane, Middleburg, Purcellville, Round Hill, Sterling, Bristow, Catharpin, Dale City, Dumfries, Gainesville, Haymarket, Manassas Park, Montclair, Nokesville, Triangle, Woodbridge, Amissville, Brandy Station, Locust Grove, Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax Station, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lorton and Mclean.
