Why is it called a French Drain?
Doesn't it sounds slightly dirty? A French drain. Maybe Cosmo will have an article on it soon. Actually, a French drain isn't exotic, sophisticated, or a featured article topic in Cosmo.
What is a French Drain?
French drains are trenches filled with gravel and perforated pipe that are sloped and designed to move groundwater runoff away from your basement or crawlspace foundation into a sump pump. The sump pump will evacuate the water from your home through a discharge line. The whole system usually takes 3 days or so to install and is pretty much automatically expelling water with no real labor required.
Why is it called a French Drain?
The French Drain isn't native to France--in fact, French Drains are an American invention! It's named after its inventor--Henry Flagg French, who literally wrote the book on farm drainage that was published in Concord, Massachusetts in 1859. French drains were originally used to reroute water runoff from a sloping piece of land to be used productively elsewhere. The French drain was also quickly adapted to remove brown or gray water runoff from barns, farmhouses, and the like. Prior to Henry French’s invention, animal and human brown water often gathered in livestock areas, producing a breeding ground for biting flies and mosquitoes, which sickened valuable animals and even the farmers themselves!
Similarly, modern French Drains are used to move water out and away from basements and crawlspaces where it can promote mold and mildew growth. Modern French Drains have come a long way from those farm-based drains on Henry French’s place. Presently, there have been technological advances that keep groundwater runoff running smoothly without the constant clogging that early French Drains experienced. There are now “top-closed” systems that allow for finished basements that are undetectable to the naked eye! Similarly, sump pumps have come a long way, too. Modern French Drain systems can now carry lifetime flood protection warranties and maintenance programs to keep your basement ground water free forever!
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