DIY French Drain - Cheap & Easy #backyard #home #shorts

Keep water out of your basement and use it to water your flower beds!

#spring #diyprojects #backyard #landscape #diy

Let me start with a DISCLAIMER, because I know a lot of people are going to watch this video and get angry. If your property has large amounts of water that you're trying to get away from the foundation, spend the money and hire a professional to do it right. This is not a solution for major drainage issues.

For this project, all that I wanted to do was run my downspouts under my flowerbeds to keep the mulch from getting washed away. I would not attempt this type of French drain if I had to drive a mower over the yard where the PVC pipe was buried. Overtime that will destroy the pipe which could give you bigger issues in the long run.

However, I think it's important to state that a lot of homes that were built with cinderblock foundations will benefit from simple and easy hacks like this. The first step would be to make sure the grading of your lawn slopes away from your house. That will handle 75% of your issues . You don't want water dripping down your siding and puddling around the foundation. Your cinder blocks are porous and will allow that water to seep in to your basement, which will potentially enable mold growth if not taken care of with a dehumidifier or sump pump.

This project really only cost me $3.67 at Home Depot. There were two large pieces of PVC pipe left at this house when we moved in. The prior homeowner was using that pipe at the bottom of the downspout, to divert water away from the foundation. My landscaper was getting annoyed that he had to mow around these two pieces of PVC pipe every week. Since I was designing some flowerbeds anyway, I chose to use this pipe to divert water away from the house using a French drain method.

It was simple, anyone could do it, and it was budget friendly.

[CS-qcnp]

Thanks for explaining how you assessed their problems. It good to see what goes into determining the cause of the water issues and how to dry out the area. Great video!

[cy]

I have the same problem you seem to have solved in the video. I don't mind trying things at home this looks like something I could do. I have questions though. How did you know your pipe was on downward slope? Did you eyeball it or measure it? How do you get that accordion piece to fit snuggly enough into the down spout so that it doesn't leak. I use those to try to carry water away from the house and they just leak profusely where to the down spout.

[monarchfarm]

Great!!! So simple!!! I agree there’s no need crazy overpriced tubs and tubes

[dogg]

I need some filter fabric round pipe and drainage rock to keep the small particles out

[alejandrovelez]

All looks well but where does the water escape? You covered the end.

[happysunshine]

Worms will fill the tube with soil in no time. (Through the drilled holes).

[TL-grtn]

DON'T DO THIS FOLKS! Straight pipe no holes. Send the water far away

[ptg]

That's a french drain ? Not sure what the holes are for in this application.. If the objective is to make sure that downspout water goes as far away from the house as possible. I use corrugated pipe attached to the downspout on one end and to a pop up emitter on the other end, 15 to 20 feet away... Haven't had issues for over 20 years !

[JwMatrix]

That is a gutter drain not a French drain. French drain collects ground water rising.

[FRENCHDRAINMAN]

Having moisture that close to the home's foundation is a terrible idea. I wish you luck, but nothing will help. You simply have to pipe the water out farther before you go to a leech line.

[ss_whole]

You know that little trough is only going to hold a small amount of water.

[Missmartini]

Would of love to see that out further away from the foundation

[dubmasterz]

Actually, that’s incomplete . You need to cover up the pipe with weed barrier that allows water to come through the holes but no grass and weeds to grow into the pipe. If not, you’ll have mud and weeds growing into the pipe and the pipe will be clogged in a short while and you’ll have to remove it.

[albertoguerra]

Do gou have to ask permission from the city to do something like this?

[SpencerHunt-uf]

This is not a french drain. A french drain is designed to pull subsurface water (underground water) and move it along a pipe somewhere else.

This is taking above ground water from the gutter and directing it underground next to the foundation where it will cause foundation damage.

You want downspouts to push water at least 10' from the foundation. Although I have mine in a pipe to 30' from the house.

I recommend removing the video and the pipe.

[skyhighactiondrones]

Need to cover it in fabric surrounded by stone and walla

[patburton]

He should have wrapped the drill holes of the pipe with geotextile fabric with rocks. These holes will have dirt eventually in the pipe. Not good.

[patrickspahn]

$5 bag of rock and a $40 length of PVC.

[nathanallsup]

Technically that's not a French drain.

[CS-qcnp]

1. Not a French drain, 2. Dumping water next to foundation