French drains are an effective way to drain water away from your home but they need to be installed the correct distance from your home. In this article we will guide you through finding the best french drain distance from your house.
French drains are installed to help with drainage issues around your home. They are placed in a trench and filled with gravel or rocks to allow water to flow through them and away from your home. French drains need to be installed the correct distance from your home in order for them to work properly.
In this guide we’ll take a look at the best distance to install french drain in your yard:
Recommended French Drain Installation Distance
We recommend installing the french drains between 2 and 5 feet away from the foundation. There are a few variables that impact the exact distance to dig the new drain lines to carry water away from your home.
Finding the right distance:
- Check where surface water is pooling naturally during heavy rains. Since your new french drains are designed to carry water away from the home they need to be strategically positioned in areas prone to flooding.
- Make sure to account for gutters when installing a exterior french drain. The gutters route rainwater off your roof – it is a good idea to plan their drainage with the location of your drains.
- Closer is not always better! Installing drainage at the correct distance from the exterior of the house and foundation is important for proper drainage. If french drains are installed too close to the foundation it can cause long-term structural problems.
How Close Should a French Drain be to the House?
A good rule of thumb is to install french drains 3 feet from the house. Make sure to measure around the porch, patio, basement and deck before installing the french drain system.
How Far From Foundation to Place French Drain?
The best distance to place a french drain from the foundation is roughly 3 to 4 feet. This will ensure that the French drain is far enough away to not cause any damage but close enough to be effective.
Another thing to keep in mind is that French drains should not be installed in a straight line from the foundation. This can cause problems with erosion and water pooling near the foundation.
Finding The Right Distance
3 feet is a food distance to install drains in most homes. In order to find the best distance use a measuring tape to see how far from the base of the foundation water is pooling. If the drain is too far it will not collect all the water and if it is too close it can damage the house.
Measuring The Distance
We believe in the saying ‘measure twice, cut once’. Use a tape measure and start at the base of the home or foundation and measure out at least 3 feet. Use spray paint to mark exactly where the drain should begin.
Digging and Installing the Drain Lines
All you need to get started digging is a good shovel. If you have an extended distance to dig it might be worth renting a small tool from Home Depot – or inviting a friend over for some extra help placing the drainage system and crushed stone in the trench.
Sloping the Drains
One thing to remember while installing french drains is that they need to have a 1% downward slope in the perforated pipe in order to drain water. If the drain lines are installed ‘flat’ water will pool in the piping and eventually flood – causing an even bigger problem!
How close to the house should a French drain be?
Install the drain 3 to 4 feet away from the house for best drainage and water flow.
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