Foundations are the backbone of your home. Keeping your foundation healthy and secure is a priority that many homeowners aren’t even aware of. One of the number one causes of escalated degradation of a foundation is water damage. When you do start looking into foundations and damage prevention, there is one surefire way to improve and prevent water damage from occurring and that’s with proper drainage.
What Is A French Drain?
Have you ever been outside, looking around a property and noticed a line of rocks or gravel running along the foundation of a home and then away? French drains are drainage pipes angled to carry water away from a foundation, usually covered in gravel.
Many people take the opportunity of a french drain to decorate and create a warm hardscaping element to their yard. By using landscaping rocks or a prettier material than gravel, you can turn this much needed drain into a feature.
The point of using gravel or rocks is to allow water to easily pass through and into a perforated pipe. This way excess water that begins to pool quickly finds its way away from your home and into a drainage ditch or other reservoir.
How A French Drain Prevents Damage
As you see with your rain gutters for your roof, French drains collect runoff water that pools near your foundation and sends it downhill. This prevents water from pooling and pressing down on the foundation of your home. Water is one of the strongest forces of nature, and as anyone who has lived through a few days of heavy rain will attest, that can quickly turn into an unstoppable torrent.
The pressure of water on your foundation will begin to seep into the concrete or stone, saturating and penetrating into your crawl space or basement. This can cause weakening of the foundation material, perfect conditions for fungus and other dangerous growth, as well as attract bugs and animals.
Can French Drains Be Used With Both Foundation Types?
The long and short of it is: Yes, French drains can be used with both slab and pier and beam foundations.
Pier and Beam Foundations: French drain will be placed in the crawl space and utilizes a sump pump to remove the water the drain collects. This is usually placed at a lower level than the crawl space itself to have the best chance of collecting runoff.
Slab Foundations: French drains are placed along foundation on the outside, using a slope to move the water along to a proper sewer or water collection device.
French Drain Repair and Correction In Fort Worth
French drains have been the tried and true method of preventing water damage to a foundation for many years. If you are trying to decide if a French drain is the right call for your home, give Discount Foundation Repair a call. We provide a free Homeowners Evaluation and work with you to find the right solutions for your foundation concerns. With over 25 years of experience to bring to the table, we would be proud to serve you and your family.
