Using a French Drain to Remove Standing Water in Your Yard

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Standing water in your yard is an eyesore and can act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Installing a French drain is a great way to remove standing water from your yard.

To construct a French drain:

• Dig a trench in your yard where water is standing.
• Add a bed of pea gravel to the bottom of the trench.
• Wrap a perforated, flexible, plastic landscape pipe with landscape fabric, or use pipe that is ready made for use in a French drain.
• Position the pipe in the trench so the top is below ground level.
• Leave one or both ends of the pipe open so the water can drain away.
• Cover the sides and top of the pipe with more pea gravel.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Fixing Foundation Drainage Problems with a French Drain (article)
• Proper Drainage Around the Foundation of Your Home (video)
• Drainage Solutions (Video)
• How to Keep Water from Damaging Your Home Foundation (Video)

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One Comment on “Using a French Drain to Remove Standing Water in Your Yard”

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1. nuella luther Says:
   February 28th, 2013 at 9:34 am

   we have a spring coming up in a gravel driveway. We have dug a trench and have 4″ drain pipe with holes and a sleve to cover it. We plan to but an inch of gravel in the bottom of the trench, and then place the pipe in the trench. My question is should the holes in the pipe be placed up, down or sideways? The stone dealer said up and the man at Lowes said down. Thank you for addressing my question. Nuella

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