As part of the Chicagoland area, Naperville gets a lot of precipitation every year. When you combine rain and snowfall, Illinois receives 39.2 inches of precipitation annually – that’s 9 inches more than the national average of 30.2 inches.
Some people love rainy days, and others enjoy the fun that comes with a snow day, but nobody likes the aftermath of a heavy rain or melting snow: flooding.
Dealing with the aftermath of flooding after rain, snow, or ice can be a frustrating reality for homeowners, especially if it ruins their landscaping or prevents them from being able to use their property the way they want to!
A French drain is the ideal fix for standing water in many of Naperville’s flooded yards and basements. At Ware Landscaping, we are the landscape drainage experts. Let us walk you through the ways that a French drain may solve your drainage problems.
French Drain Installation
A French drain is a simple but effective solution to drainage issues.
Before we install the drain, we take care of any permits that are necessary for completing the work. Then, we determine the perfect location for the drainage trench. That is usually 6-20 feet away from the house.
Step 1
The first step to installing a French drain is to dig the trench by hand, which ensures a perfect dig. We also use a laser to measure the pitch and make sure that gravity will be able to move the water from higher to lower ground.
Step 2
We install a top-of-the-line, perforated, heavy-duty pipe into the trench to safely relocate the water to the storm sewer, municipal stormwater drain, or the ideal place on your own property. The pipe has 6 inch collection basins.
Step 3
If you don’t have access to a municipal drain or sewage system, we install a Ware Stormwater Drainage Leach Field. This consists of a large amount of clean, appropriately-graded gravel, which absorbs water runoff and pooling water. This gravel assists in the elimination of the soggy and wet areas in your yard.
Step 4
We redirect all rain spouts and the sump pump into our French drain so that water never has a chance to collect on the outside of the house, damaging the foundation or leaking into the home.
Step 5
Our next-to-last step is grade the yard so that all of the water flows away from the house. Without this step, the system does not operate at its full potential.
Step 6
Finally, when the drain is fully installed, it’s time to repair the lawn. This involves installing sod that serves two purposes: 1) sod is the best conductor of water from the lawn to the drainage system, and 2) it looks beautiful!
Where to route your French drain
Choosing where to route the water is the most important part of the pre-installation process.
Your landscaping professional can help you find the right place to route the drain with these guidelines in mind:
- The drain needs to run through the center of the low spot(s)
- There needs to be enough “fall” from the source of the drain to the drainage area so that gravity can work – otherwise the drain will just fill with standing water
- You have to have a safe, legal place to drain the water
When it comes to choosing where to route the water, you need to select a place that is on your property or part of the municipal drainage system, as you cannot route water onto a neighbor’s property.
If there is a municipal storm drain on your property, you can route your French drain directly to the storm drain. If the storm drain is a bit further away, you may still be able to route the drain to the street, so that it flows to the local rainwater management system.
However, many homeowners will need to route the water to a good drainage area on their own property. This can include a grassy hill that gets lots of sun, a gravel pit that may or may not be covered with grass or a landscaping bed, or a leaching pit.
Why is it important to resolve standing water on your property?
In Naperville, both rain and snowmelt can cause flooding issues in your yard. That means that year-round, you can experience yard flooding. Even if your yard isn’t always flooded, occasional flooding likely indicates a drainage problem.
At Ware Landscaping, we help people resolve this flooding because of the major implications of drainage issues, including:
- Floodwater kills your grass and ornamental plants
- Standing water can damage your home’s foundation
- Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes
- Soil erosion damages your yard
- A muddy yard is a messy yard, especially for pets and kids
- Floodwater makes it impossible for you to enjoy your yard the way you want to
How Does a French Drain Eliminate Basement Flooding?
French drains effectively eliminate excess water from your property, whether that is standing water in your yard or water that floods your basement after heavy rains or a big snowmelt.
Water in your basement is usually the result of the water having nowhere else to go. Gravity carries the water to the lowest point it can access, which is often your basement or crawlspace.
Installing a French drain moves the water from where it enters the basement to a safe, harmless location on your property.
We can install a French drain under the basement floor or buried along the footing of your foundation. Then, the drain channel will move the water to where you want it to go, rather than inside your home.
Why is it so important to resolve basement flooding?
Basement flooding is a problem for homeowners for several reasons. Those reasons include:
- Property damage to belongings that are stored in the basement (water and moisture can ruin furniture, clothing, books, family mementos, etc)
- Structural damage to the home’s foundation, drywall, etc
- Mold growth that results in respiratory problems
French Drain Installation FAQs
How do I know if I have a drainage problem?
Sometimes, standing water is simply the result of a torrential rainstorm that brings an unexpected amount of water into your yard. In these situations, the water should recede quickly, and the damage should be minimal.
If your yard or lawn continues to have standing water or soggy ground for days following one of these events, you may have a drainage problem.
Or, if your yard is consistently wet or flooded after mild rains and snowmelt, it’s time to talk to a drainage expert.
What causes standing water in most yards?
Yards and basements can flood for a number of reasons, but we tend to see several of the same root causes
- Low points in the yard
- Faulty sprinklers
- Compacted soil
- Improper grading of your lawn (the slope of your yard)
- Too many plant debris (thatch)
- Damaged or improperly installed gutter systems
- Not enough outlets for excess water
Is a French drain always the solution to a soggy, wet yard?
French drains are a great solution for many drainage problems, but not all of them.
Ware Landscaping will do a complete diagnostic process on your yard to determine what is causing the problem and which solutions are the most appropriate for your yard.
Can I install a French drain myself?
You will probably find some useful DIY guides online for installing a French drain by yourself. It sometimes gets described as a “labor-intensive but simple DIY project.”
We can understand the temptation to do it yourself, but this is definitely a “you get what you pay for” kind of project. Digging a trench and laying a perforated pipe may not sound difficult, but ensuring the perfect grade, choosing all the right supplies, installing everything correctly, knowing where to put the drain, and property routing all water from the property to the leach field are not easy tasks!
We recommend calling us for a free assessment, not just because we know we can do the job and give you a beautiful yard again – but also because we don’t want you to work really hard for ineffective results!
Contact Ware Landscaping to Talk to Naperville’s Drainage Experts
If you are worried about your yard’s drainage, reach out to our drainage solution team here at Ware Landscaping. You shouldn’t have to deal with a waterlogged yard or a damaged foundation because of poor drainage!
Drainage problems should be dealt with quickly to prevent any long-term drainage.
Give us a call at Ware Landscaping at (312) 471-9547. We are happy to provide a complimentary assessment and work with you to find the best steps to take to remedy your drainage issue!
