French, a judge and farmer in Concord, Massachusetts, promoted the idea in an 1859 book about farm drainage. French drains provide an easy channel for water to flow through. Water runs into a gravel-filled trench, then into a pipe at the bottom of the trench. French’s idea has been around for more than a century, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that it gained traction in the U.S. and other countries.
States, farmers have been using French drainage systems for decades, and they’ve been credited with saving millions of acres of farmland from erosion and flooding. But the system has also been criticized for being too expensive for farmers to install and maintain, as well as for not providing enough water for the crops it irrigates.
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What is the difference between a French drain and a trench drain?
The difference between a French drain and a trench drain is that a French drain is used for water that is underground, while a trench drain diverts water from the surface to the ground.
What does the term French drain mean?
a drain consisting of an underground passage made by filling a trench with loose stones and covering with earth. — called also drain. (Spens.) to fill with water; drain, n. the act or process of emptying a vessel or container: to drain the contents of a bottle or other receptacle. L.
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.
Can a French drain go straight down?
Yes, traditional french drains are installed horizontally but they can also be installed vertically. A vertical drain is a drain that is installed in the same direction as the water flow. A horizontal drainage is one that drains water in a different direction than the flow of water.
For example, if you have a water main that goes down the middle of your house, and you want to drain into the basement, then you would have to go through the main and then drain down into your basement. In this case, it would be called a “vertical” drain. On the other hand, you could also have an “horizontal” drainage system.
If you had a house that was built on a hill and had an underground water pipe that went up the hill, this would not be a good idea because the pipe would get blocked by the steep slope. You would need to dig a new pipe, which would cost a lot of money and take a long time to do. The same is true for horizontal drains.
Can you sod over a French drain?
While our grass seed varieties promote a deep root system, you can still safely plant them over other types of grasses. I know if my seedlings are ready to be transplanted into the ground? The best way to tell if your seedling is ready for transplanting is to check the size of the root ball.
If it is larger than a quarter of an inch in diameter, then you have a good chance that you will be able to transplant it in a few weeks. If you are unsure whether your seeds will germinate or not, please contact your local nursery to see if they can help you determine the best time and place for your transplant. You can also check with the USDA’s National Plant Data Center (NPDC) at www.npdc.usda.gov.
Can you walk on a French drain?
The drainage walkways are installed over the top of the French drain system and are popular in the space between houses. They are similar to a dry creek bed, but allow for walking or running water to pass through.
The walkway can be used for a variety of purposes, such as a way to get from one side of the house to the other, or as an escape route from a flooded area. In some cases, they are used to provide access to areas that are inaccessible due to flooding.
