Advise on a French Drain?

[Duncan Edwards]

In the interest of providing moral support I'll relate my latest digging adventure regarding drains. The sixty year old cast iron sewers under my house finally packed up and settled into collapse. I had to get underneath the house in a crawl space about two feet high and dig in order to locate the pipe that used to go out to the disused septic tank and then get under the foundation for the new one. Being tall and skinny with no upper body strength is not a virtue is such a situation. It's a long story but I felt like Charles Bronson in "The Great Escape". Finally got everything located and replaced along with buying braces for all the plumber's grandchildren. Point is that you can do it just be persistent with the obstacles. Mother earth has infinite patience so no need to get in a hurry.

[YerKiddin]

I may have some upper body strength, but I have a lot of mid-body gut. No crawling into any tight spaces for me.

[YerK]

In the interest of providing moral support I'll relate my latest digging adventure regarding drains. The sixty year old cast iron sewers under my house finally packed up and settled into collapse. I had to get underneath the house in a crawl space about two feet high and dig in order to locate the pipe that used to go out to the disused septic tank and then get under the foundation for the new one. Being tall and skinny with no upper body strength is not a virtue is such a situation. It's a long story but I felt like Charles Bronson in "The Great Escape". Finally got everything located and replaced along with buying braces for all the plumber's grandchildren. Point is that you can do it just be persistent with the obstacles. Mother earth has infinite patience so no need to get in a hurry.

Duncan,

A few years ago, the gas company came out and tore through my front yard with a backhoe to put in a new gas line. Afterward, I had to have a plumber out to route my line. It did not then occur to me this could be a problem. a few years and four plumber visits later, I got him to send a camera down the line, and it's collapsed under our new gas line. I filed a claim with the gas company, and the rep told me, "Dig the line up, and we will look at it. If we think it's our fault, we will pay for the repairs". Fun.

[YerK]

On the other hand, the actual French drain is largely done. I still need to rework the gravel garden, so that the bed is set up to drain to the French drain, and new landscaping fabric is down under the gravel. In that I bought some plastic sheeting before buying the landscaping fabric, I may put down two layers, just to make sure it's both difficult for plants to grow here, and water landing into the garden is diverted to the French drain.