First, let me just tell you that the French Drain was invented by a Massachusetts judge and farmer named Henry French. So before you start shaking your patriotic fists in the air, proudly proclaiming that you only buy American and changing the name to “freedom drains”, let me just assure you that French drains are 100% American! And if you live on flat property, chances are you are going to need one in your yard to divert water away from your home.
Fix soggy yards or wet basements with a French drain
Water, like anything else, rolls downhill. This is obvious to everyone. Unfortunately, in Colorado, many flat properties are surrounded by mountains and hillsides that direct water straight into your yard. Breathtaking Mountain views are the upside of living in Colorado, but the downside is when water streams down that mountain and settles in your yard or basement. This is where a sloped trench filled with gravel and a pipe to re-direct water will save you. Because that’s all a French drain is: a sloped trench filled with gravel. You are basically kick-out flashing your yard, just like you would any other system in your home to make sure water stays far, far away.
It won’t be hard to see just how the water likes to roll down the hill and into your yard. Simply place the French drain where it can provide the easiest path for the water to travel through, sloping it about an inch every 8-10 feet. Then make sure that the pipe empties out the water at a safe distance from your home.
The French drain, sometimes called a curtain drain, will go across your property, uphill of the problem area – that large soggy patch of lawn that you can’t get rid of after a rainstorm. Catching the water and diverting it away from your property will dry out the problem area and save your home from other problems, like structural damage due to moisture.
If you have water in your basement, schedule an inspection of your home to make sure that the water coming into your home hasn’t already caused more damage to the exterior of your home. Water entering your home from the outside is a serious problem. You can prevent more water from coming into your home by installing a deep French drain (or footing drain) around the perimeter of your home, intercepting the water before it gets into your basement. But it may already be too late – so we’d recommend getting an inspection of the exterior of your home to make sure that your stucco, EIFS and stone siding isn’t failing you and adding to your moisture issues.
We can fix the problems, but first you need to find out just what the problem is. For that, we recommend our friends at Swift Inspections, possibly the best stucco specialists in Colorado.
Colorado’s reconstruction and moisture repair specialists
We can help you fix your moisture issues and add French drains to your home to prevent further water from destroying your home. We’ve been repairing Colorado homes and commercial spaces for decades, helping out customers with the best solutions to their moisture issues. We don’t cut corners and only use the best materials possible. We may not be the cheapest solution, but we are the best, and when it comes to moisture prevention you don’t want to cut corners. It will end up costing you a lot more in the long run. Call us today and get a free estimate on your repairs.
