From simplest to most involved
- Gutters and downspouts
- Cleaned, sized for the roof and extended so each one empties well away from the foundation, on ground that carries the water onward.
- Grading
- Soil reshaped so the first several feet around the house fall away from the wall. Flower beds with raised edging are a frequent culprit, since they hold water against the brick.
- Buried downspout runs
- Solid pipe from each downspout to an outlet farther down the yard. Solid, not perforated: the aim is to move roof water, not to soak it into the ground beside the house.
- Swale
- A broad, shallow channel in the lawn that steers surface water around the house. It can be mowed like the rest of the yard.
- French drain
- A trench with perforated pipe wrapped in fabric and surrounded by gravel. It collects water moving through the soil and carries it to an outlet. It suits a yard that stays soggy, or an uphill side that sends water toward the wall.
Every drain needs somewhere to end
A French drain or downspout run is only as good as its outlet. On a sloped lot the pipe can open onto lower ground. On a flat one it may need a gravel pit sized for the flow or a pump basin. Ask to be shown, on your own lot, where the water will come out and where it goes from there.
It may not be turned onto a neighbor's property. And inside Clarksville, anything that reaches the street drain reaches the rivers untreated, so only rain and ground water belong in the pipe.
Before the trench is dug
A locate request to Tennessee 811 is required before excavation, at least three working days ahead. Utility owners mark their lines in color: red for electric, yellow for gas, orange for communications, blue for drinking water and green for sewer.
Private lines are not marked. If you have a septic system, an irrigation system, a gas line to a grill or power to an outbuilding, show the company where they run. A French drain should never cross a septic drain field.
What to ask
- Where does each pipe start, where does it end and how much fall is there between the two?
- Is the pipe solid or perforated, and why that choice in each stretch?
- What keeps soil from clogging the drain over time?
- Will the lawn be restored, and with sod or seed?
- Who placed the locate request, and what is the ticket number?