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A french drain is a perforated drain surrounded by stone and wrapped in a sediment barrier. The purpose of a french drain is to remove subsurface water from an area to prevent pooling on the surface. This works by allowing water to be removed from the soil to allow the soil to absorb more surface water. During a rain event water will begin to saturate the ground until it cannot hold anymore, once the ground is fully saturated the water will begin to pool up on the surface. The role of a french drain is to move the water from the soil during a rain event to keep the area dry and prevent pooling.

Having gutters is usually not enough. Downspouts tend to dump roof water directly at the foundation of the house which leads to foundation issues or water in the basement/crawlspace. Having your downspouts buried and routed away from your home can save you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run by moving the water away from your home. When installing downspout drains it is also necessary to install a clean-out so the pipes can be unclogged if roof debris and leaves clog them up.

Without periodic maintenance, downspout drains will eventually clog and prevent water from being moved away from your home. Many downspout drains become clogged by roots and roof debris such as leaves and pine straw. For french drains, if they are not properly installed, dirt will seep into the stone or other aggregate and prevent the french drain from functioning. To combat this, Alabama Drainage Pros use top quality NDS products to ensure that every french drain is correct and properly installed. For downspout drains, we only use pvc pipe with cleanouts to ensure a long lasting and stronger product. Pvc keeps tree roots out better than the traditional corrugated pipe and outlasts it by an average of 75 years. Pvc also moves the water faster and is more difficult to clog, keeping your drainage system running like it should.