French Drains VS. Gutters

by **Paul2CV** Tue May 31, 2011 9:16 am

Hi Forum,

A big issue locally is drainage in construction. French drains are popular in many situations and many house now wish that they had had the foresight to put them in initially. Here's a good article. A link to the whole article is below:

Gutter systems and French drains can be used separately or in combination, depending on the conditions. In climates where rain levels and soil conditions do not combine to saturate soil, a gutter system is all that is needed to direct roof water away from the foundation.

But, in some areas with heavy clay soil and sloping lots, gutters aren't enough. In these conditions, when water is retained in the clay it can migrate into a crawlspace or seep through the foundation into a below-grade living area. That's when a French drain becomes a good solution.

A French drain is a good do-it-yourself project that will require very little money but a fair amount of hard work. You'll need plastic drainpipe, landscape filter cloth to keep dirt out of the pipe, gravel and sand. The hard part is digging the trench and moving the sand and gravel.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/info/experts/french-drain-vs-gutter-pros-and-cons;_ylt=Ag6cXvYrUUQug4I0_xcmZ4HxkdEF[quote]

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