Beware These Four Hazards when Installing French Drains

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Installing French Drains

Today, property owners in North Carolina frequently benefit from installing french drains. This popular improvement helps direct run off into desired channels. It may help safeguard a man-made structure against water damage.

Yet performing a DIY installation sometimes proves hazardous. It usually makes sense to entrust this task to a qualified waterproofing contractor. Many homeowners fail to appreciate some basic installation risks. Experienced French drain installers take steps to protect against several potentially significant hazards.

A French Drain: An Important Waterproofing Tool

The concept underlying a French drain appears remarkably simple. Landowners utilize this improvement to collect water run off. The sloping drain contains perforated pipe, allowing water to seep into a desired channel. Property owners prevent water from pooling around buildings by directing it into desired locations.

Consequently, installing french drains sometimes proves tricky. Many factors enter into the ideal design of this drainage system. Sometimes well-intentioned property owners fail to appreciate significant installation hazards. Overlooking these risks proves costly!

When incorrectly installing french drains the system may fail to function properly. Sometimes inaccurate DIY projects require expensive repair services later. Even worse, careless installations raise significant safety concerns. Since this type of projet involves excavating, it requires installers to remain aware of potential risks. Perhaps for this reason, most property owners benefit by hiring an experienced waterproofing contractor to construct this improvement.

Four Common Hazards To Be Mindful Of When Installing French Drains

What types of hazards might you encounter while installing french drains? At least four risks threaten the success of this project. Don’t launch a DIY when installing french drains in North Carolina without considering these issues:

Water And Sewer Lines

In most locations, homes and businesses in the Greater Raleigh Area possess underground water and sewer lines. Accidentally damaging one of these structures while installing a French drain proves expensive. Consider taking precautions to avoid disrupting these private lines.

Hence, this issue may challenge inexperienced DIY installers. In most cases, remodeling occurs without the relocation of underlying plumbing pipes. French drain builders cannot simply assume routes leading away from a residence won’t intercept pre-existing water or sewer pipes.

Gas Lines

Certainly one of the most significant risks of constructing a French drain concerns gas lines. The drain must descend in elevation in order to transport water run off using gravity. In most cases, this requires some degree of excavation. Never begin digging until you confirm your route won’t contact an underground gas line.

Today, some 2 million miles of natural gas pipelines cross the United States. Puncturing one of these underground lines might produce an explosion. Experts estimate, on average, ruptures occur every 11 days. Most gas line breaks (fortunately) don’t cause significant damage. Yet the potential for disasters certainly exists. Therefore, verifying an underground gas line does not cross your proposed french drain route could save lives.

Tree Roots

Sometimes French drains placed near tree lines become cost-ineffective. Plants direct their roots towards nearby water sources. Locating a perforated drain too close to a tree may result in a prematurely clogged drain, for example. This issue varies in significance based upon the specific site details.

One complicated issue occasionally involved in French drain installations relates to trees on a neighboring property. A do-it-yourself installer may lack experience in planning the best route for a new French drain. Sometimes the need to avoid a neighboring property owner’s tree roots proves important.

Other Underground Utilities

Finally, avoiding underground sprinklers, cable, phone, and electrical lines also matters. For safety reasons, people excavating French drains need to ensure they don’t dig into these utilities. Experienced contractors remain wary of this risk.

Not every location includes underground utilities or sprinkler systems, of course. However, today many sites do contain these structures. Always check carefully for possible underground utilities before digging.

Thinking of Installing French Drains On Your Residential or Commercial Property? Request Our Help in North Carolina…

Drainage and Waterproofing Solutions, LLC offers expert french drain installation services. As a waterproofing contractor, we possess considerable experience constructing and maintaining this popular improvement. Our company offers a wide variety of waterproofing products and services.

For example, we install French drains across the Greater Raleigh Area. Our service zone in North Carolina also encompasses Southern Pines, Fayetteville, and outlying areas. Please don’t undertake a do-it-yourself French drain installation project without consulting with us first!

We frequently help customers by installing french drains on their property. Our company takes great pride in our excellent safety record. Have you considered requesting this cost-effective property improvement to enhance yard drainage? Go ahead and contact us now for assistance. Call us at (919)508-7503 to obtain expert waterproofing services!