Dry creek beds and french drains are both effective ways to drain water and prevent it from pooling in your yard and damaging your foundation – but which is the better option? In this blog post our team will review the pro’s and con’s of dry creek beds and french drains to help you pick the right option for your home.
Dry creek beds and french drains both have advantages and disadvantages. If you are looking for a backyard drainage option and not sure which to install in your yard keep reading to learn all the facts. Both drain types look similar to the naked eye but can make a big difference in solving drainage issues.
In this article we’ll take a look at Dry Creek Bed vs French Drains:
Which is Better?
There is no right answer to the question – which drainage option is best when comparing dry creek beds vs french drains. Both dry creek beds and french drains have pros and cons. We think that dry creek beds are more stylish and can drain more water than french drains but they can’t be installed in all areas.
Dry Creek Bed Benefits
Dry creek beds offer many advantages. First, they look much better in the backyard compared to french drains. A dry creek bed can be a feature of your yard and be incorporated into the landscaping.
Another benefit of dry creek beds for drainage is that they can drain almost an unlimited amount of water. This makes them a good choice in areas that are prone to flooding and receive heavy rain. Dry creek beds can be built as large or as small as needed to accommodate the amount of water you need to drain. The only risk is a downstream bottleneck which may cause a backup!
Dry creek beds can be installed in a weekend with a few tools like landscape fabric and river rock to redirect water and solve drainage problems.
French Drain Benefits
French drains may not be as stylish as dry creek beds but they do offer a few advantages. First, a french drain can be used to drain water underground and out of site. This makes it a good option when you need ‘hidden’ drainage and can’t dig a large creekbed.
The second benefit of french drains is the size, A dry creek bed will dominate your yard and may not be allowed by your homeowners association. French drains on the other hand are almost invisible to the naked eye and won’t disturb the yard or the neighbors.
Another benefit is the ease of installation. Dry creek beds require more materials, tools, and hours of work to properly install. French drains on the other hand can be installed by 1 or 2 people on a Saturday with a shovel.
How to Choose
Still not sure which drainage option is right for your home? Unless you want a large backyard modification we recommend choosing a french drain. They offer enough drainage for most areas and are considerably easier to install and maintain compared to dry creek beds.
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