Preventing a French Drain from Freezing in Winter: Expert Tips

A French drain is one of the most versatile solutions for flooded lawns. But how does the weather affect a French drain? Can freezing temperatures make them less effective? When installed and maintained properly, French drains can function just as intended during cold winter months.

In Chicagoland, where winters can be both harsh and high variable, you need a drainage solution that stands up to all weather conditions. A French drain can keep your lawn from getting soggy and flooded when the snow and ice melts, but only if it’s installed and maintained correctly. In this guide, we cover our expert tips for keeping your French drain from freezing in winter.

Do French Drains Freeze in Winter?

When not installed or cared for properly, it’s possible for water in a French drain to freeze during winter. The purpose of a French drain is to prevent excess water from absorbing into the soil and penetrating a building’s foundation.

However, when you don’t inspect and maintain a French drain regularly, it can get overloaded and water can freeze, preventing the French drain from doing its job. By taking a few precautions during installation, you can make sure your French drain is ready for winter.

Can You Install a French Drain in Winter?

It’s not ideal to install a French drain during winter because the ground freezes. It can be done if absolutely necessary, however, using specialized equipment for breaking frozen ground.

A common myth about cold weather drainage is that frozen ground doesn’t need drainage—because if it’s frozen, excess water won’t flow. You still need a proper drainage solution, however, even if the ground freezes. Melting snow can still flood your lawn if you don’t have the proper drainage system in place.

Another misconception is that the gravel used in French drains will freeze solid, preventing it from effectively redirecting water. The stones themselves may freeze, but there are still gaps between the stones large enough to let water pass through.

How to Know if Your French Drain Is Frozen

Try to do regular inspections of your French drain to ensure it’s working properly—especially during the winter when freezing is possible. Here’s your French drain inspection checklist:

• • Check the French drain’s exit point for flow. If there is none, it’s likely the system has frozen.
    
  • Inspect your lawn for standing water on days when the temperature gets above freezing. Even as the snow melts, it shouldn’t leave behind standing water.
    
  • Check your basement walls for leaks, moisture, or mold. If you see any of these signs, there’s a good chance your French drain isn’t working how it should.

If you have any suspicions about a frozen French drain, you can also call a lawn drainage specialist to take a look. Sometimes, inspecting the drain means digging up gravel and checking out pipes—which can require heavy-duty equipment.

The drainage experts at Ware Landscaping would be happy to help you if you’re having problems with your French drain. Just give us a call!

6 Tips to Keep Your French Drain from Freezing

The bad news is that your French drain can potentially freeze during colder months. The good news is that you can prevent this freezing from happening by being proactive and keeping the following tips in mind. 

1. Insulate Above the Frost Line

The frost line is the average depth that ground water freezes at every year. In colder climates, the frost line tends to be deeper. Technically, if you bury your French drain below the typical frost line for your area, it shouldn’t freeze. However, some parts of the system may need to remain above this line. Those parts should be wrapped in insulation to keep them safe from freezing.

Weather in Chicagoland can be pretty fickle, especially in winter. The frost line is generally about 40 inches underground, but water has been known to freeze further down in harsher winters in this area.

2. Slope the French Drain Properly

Adding a slope to your French drain piping can help keep the water flowing constantly. If it sits still on level ground, it’s more likely to freeze and create ice dams (more on those later). Moving water still freezes at the same temperature as still water (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but if the water’s moving, ice is less likely to form.

3. Avoid Dumping Gutters into the French Drain

Your gutters and your French drain don’t have the same job:

1. 1. Gutters collect water from your roof and direct it away from your home’s foundation.
   2. French drains remove excess water from your soil.

So these two drainage systems shouldn’t be connected. What would happen if you set up your French drain to catch the runoff from your gutters? Your French drain would get stuffed with debris (twigs, leaves, etc.) so it can’t function as it should.

Once that debris is in your French drain, it’s extremely difficult to get out—plus it can freeze during winter too, clogging up your drain even more.

4. Clean Your Gutters

We just explained how gutters and French drains are two separate systems, but they’re both still working toward the same goal: minimizing flooding on your property. That’s why keeping your gutters clean is essential. When you don’t, excess water can overflow.

This excess water can threaten your home’s foundation and cause foundation upheaval. It also makes the French drain’s job harder. Introducing a sudden influx of water could exceed the French drain’s capacity, keeping it from directing water away from your lawn as it should. In the winter, when your French drain is overloaded, this extra water can freeze.

5. Consider a Dry Well

If you live in a warmer climate, you can finish your French drain by passing the piping aboveground somewhere downhill from your home. That’s not always the best solution for colder climates, however.

A better way to freeze-proof your French drain is to end it with a dry well. It’s a large reservoir filled with gravel, dug beneath the frost line. The water that drains into the dry well from your French drain can then dissipate into the ground, without risking freezing (usually). Dry wells should be placed at least 20 feet from your foundation.

6. Speak with a Lawn Drainage Professional

Ask a local lawn drainage and landscaping company for help with your French drain. They’ll be familiar with the weather in your area and how to install and prep a French drain for winter in northern Illinois.

They can also give you maintenance tips on keeping your French drain in top shape during winter months.

French Drains Are Suitable for Cold Climates

This type of drainage system is well-suited for colder climates, like northern Illinois, for several reasons:

• • In Chicagoland, homeowners have to deal with natural freeze and thaw cycles every year. Ice melts as temperatures fluctuate, threatening pooling water on lawns. A French drain can redirect melted water away from your foundation to prevent this pooling.
    
  • Ice dams form around a home’s foundation when ice repeatedly freezes and thaws. If they’re not dealt with, ice dams can damage your home’s structure. French drains help prevent ice dams from forming by managing groundwater effectively.
    
  • When freeze-thaw cycles cause the soil to expand upward due to frozen moisture in the ground, it’s called ground heave. Having a French drain can prevent ground heave from happening, keeping your foundations and landscapes safe.

Don’t Let a Frozen French Drain Ruin Your Winter

You didn’t go to the trouble of installing a French drain on your property just to have it freeze and malfunction as soon as the temperature drops below freezing. That’s why it’s crucial to have it installed by experienced professionals, who understand the unforgiving winters in northern Illinois.

Our lawn drainage experts can ensure the French drain we install on your property is suited to your needs—in all seasons. If you don’t want to have a flooded lawn at any time of the year, or need assistance maintaining your drainage system, we’re here to help. Contact us today for a free quote.