french drain

Post Reply | Watch this Post

Does anybody know how to build a french drain?

Currently, a pipe leads from the sump pump out to the front lawn, spewing water in a puddle. We would like to create a french drain in the back yard to solve this problem. My current understanding is that we would use PVC pipe and dig a trench with a downhill gradient leading to a big hole filled with pea gravel. More details would be very helpful, such as:

- what size PVC should be used?
- how deep should the trench be, and can the pipe lay directly in the dirt?
- how close to the house can the hole be placed?
- what dimensions should be used for the hole?
- should the entire hole be filled with gravel, up to the level of the PVC, then just dirt and grass on top?
- any other construction tips?

Thanks for any help,
Jeremy