French drain, or curtain drain, removes excess surface water so you won’t need hip boots to cut the grass. A curtain drain, also known as a French drain, is a simple system with no moving parts. Excess water can be removed from problem areas in your home.
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What is the difference between a curtain drain and a French drain?
The same thing that french drains do is to get rid of the water. The main difference is that french drains deal more with groundwater while curtain drains have more to do with surface water. A curtain drain is dug to a depth of 1-2 feet below the surface, similar to a french drain.
Curtains can be constructed of a variety of materials such as concrete, brick, stone, wood, metal, and even plastic. They can also be installed in the ground or on top of existing buildings. Curtains are usually installed on the outside of buildings to prevent water from seeping into the building. In some cases, they are also used to keep water out of basements and crawl spaces.
Where do you put curtain drains?
A curtain drain is an underground trench. It starts around two feet below ground level and is a half foot wide. Perforated pipes are sometimes installed for extra protection. The drainage system is usually located in the basement of a house or apartment building, but it can also be installed in a crawl space, garage, or other space that is not accessible from the street.
How long does a curtain drain last?
The gravel spaces fill and the french drain ends work when enough sand, clay or silt gets past the fabric. French drain is not a long-term solution to a drainage problem because you have to dig it up and install it every couple of years, according to most experts.
How much does it cost to install a curtain drain?
The ground is usually 2 feet against the foundation. French drain slopes away from the foundation. These drain only divert surface water like rain and roof water. If you’re looking for a deep drain, you’ll want to look for one that’s at least 3 feet deep. If you have a basement, this is a good place to start.
You’ll need to drill a hole about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in diameter and 3 to 4 inches deep, depending on the depth of the drain. The hole should be about 6 to 8 inches above the top of your basement floor.
It’s important to make sure that the hole is deep enough so that water doesn’t seep into the basement from above, but not so deep that you can’t drain the water out with a hand-held pump.
What is a curtain drain basement?
Curtain drains are essentially trenches filled with gravel covering perforated pipe acting like a gutter system to remove unwanted water away from your home. The trench is lined with fabric to keep the pipe free of debris and dirt. If you are looking to install a curtain drain, you will need to make sure that you have the right type of fabric for the job.
How do you know if you have a French drain?
You can identify a French drain on your property by finding the exposed end of pipe on the downward slope. French drain has elements that allow water to pass through easily and prevent it from pooling in the bottom of the drain.
If you have a drain that is leaking, you may be able to fix it by replacing the pipe with a new one. However, if the leak is large enough, it may not be possible to replace the entire pipe.
In that case, the best course of action is to remove the old pipe and replace it with one that has a larger diameter.
Where do French drains drain to?
These drains are used to direct surface water or groundwater away from a specific area, such as a home’s foundation. French drain surface level water toward the lowest point and allow it to trickle through the surface level gravel into the ground.
French drains can also be used in conjunction with other types of drainage systems. For example, a French drain can be placed on top of an existing drainage system to provide additional drainage capacity.
