Having issues with water in your crawl space? Then a French drain may be the solution you need to keep water out of your home. While an expert can tell you if you need a French drain or not, there are some signs you can look for yourself to determine whether you may need one or not.

There are a few varieties of French drains, but they all serve the same purpose, which is to collect unwanted water and direct it away from the home to an area such as a drainage ditch, street, or dry well.

French drains use water’s natural tendency to run downhill and are a simple yet very effective way to direct water away from your home, keeping your basement or crawl space dry and your yard and driveway stable and usable.
The French drain is composed of a ditch or trench with a perforated pipe that is covered with gravel. The ditch or trench is gently sloped, one inch every eight feet. When water enters the ditch, it filters through the gravel, enters into the pipe, and then flows through the pipe to the drainage ditch, dry well, or into the street.

If rainstorms leave your lawn soggy or have you shoveling your washed-out driveway back into place, then you will likely need a French drain to solve these issues. You will be able to enjoy your property more easily, and you will also be able to avoid all this frustration in the future.
Using a shallow French drain, you can intercept the water and direct it away from your yard or driveway.

Having water in your crawl space can lead to damage to your home and your belongings while also promoting the growth of mildew and mold, which can lead to further damage to your property. Mold and mildew also lower your indoor air quality and can aggravate allergies and other illnesses.

If you have water in your crawl space, a deep exterior French drain can be installed around your home, or you can opt for an interior French drain, which can be a cheaper and more effective solution. Regardless of which you pick, a sump pump may also be necessary to collect the water and pump it up and away from your home.

If you plan to put a retaining wall on a slope or a hillside near your home, you will need to install a French drain behind the first course of the wall. This will help keep water from building up at the bottom of the wall and will also keep the water from running toward your home.

At J Bird’s Landscaping, our expert crew is highly experienced in installing French drains and will work to ensure the French drain meets your needs and expectations. As your expert French drain installation company in the South Hills, we’ve got you covered!

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