Things with "French" in the title are usually fancy, right? Poodles, perfume, pastries. But a French drain is nothing more than a ditch in sloped ground, inset with a perforated drain pipe under a ...

Mark is a seasoned green industry veteran and freelance writer based in Georgia. His work encompasses all things garden, landscape, home improvement, and DIY, with a focus on sustainability. Mark ...

If your basement floods or water pools on your patio, installing a French drain is one inexpensive way to solve the problem. It's easy to assume that French drains come from France. Au contraire! They ...

My last house had a basement that leaked water. I’m building a new home and want my basement as dry as the Atacama Desert. I’m confident that my drain tile was not put in correctly at my last house.

In our Santa Cruz climate, proper drainage is especially important if you want to keep your landscaping and home protected from water damage. An overabundance of water can drown certain plants, harbor ...

Thunderstorms and heavy rains are beautiful events unless you are a homeowner who has experienced a flooded basement or crawl space. Basement water is usually the result of misdirected surface water.

Q: I read your column regularly even if the problem you discuss does not directly affect me. Your comments are always interesting. I'm writing you to ask if you know if it is possible to waterproof a ...

Things with "French" in the title are usually fancy, right? Poodles, perfume, pastries. But a French drain has a more utilitarian purpose—redirecting standing water away from vulnerable structures or ...

Working time: 8 hours or more Total time: 10 hours or more Skill level: Intermediate Project cost: $3 to $7 per linear foot A French drain can solve a variety of yard drainage problems. It collects ...

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