DIY Drainage - French Drains On A Budget!

[@BusbyBiscuits]

Weird how interesting and informative I found this despite it having no bearing on my life at all 😄

[@CitizenAyellowblue]

😂🎉

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

I think you're going to find the downspout water is going to dump to either side of the grate in a heavy rain. To reduce the amount splashing out, I would suggest you run the vertical pipe through the grate with a 90 on the bottom resting on the bottom of the drain trough. You can notch the grate around the down pipe.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks I will keep an eye on it. We've not yet had any heavy rain, I was hoping to include some footage of that in the video

[@grahameburnip5880]

Can you come and do mine for free.

[@c.a.g.1977]

@@RagnBoneBrown Nah, don't think that will be an issue. If any, only a few droplets will drain to the sides of the grates, most of it will trickle down into the grate. Had similar issues here on my woodshop, where the downspout ended right up to the single brick wall. Extended the downspout sideways, so it now extrudes the wall, and keeping an eye on it I noticed that even in heavy rain the water trickles out of the pipe quite calmly (and now away from the wall, so after a few weeks the wall dried out).

[@tpaulfelder1]

@@c.a.g.1977 We had that but te problem was the down pipe got blocked with leaves at the bottom and it was impossble to get to it to clear the blockage

[@BrumCraft]

Good point. I had the same issue, used a drain connector to wedge it in place instead

[@kz.irudimen]

I think it's great that you try to reuse as much things as you can. It's not just about the money, buying less things and reusing what's already there is just better in every way.

[@karlpopewoodcraft]

Great attitude. 👍

[@grotekleum]

Agreed, and it's so satisfying too.

[@Generic42]

Absolutely. If everyone lived like this we would not be destroying the planet at such a rate

[@pigeonlove]

​@@imfuctifinobut he can reuse or rent the tool a thousand times over 50 years maybe

[@topcatcoolio8807]

Maybe tool freebies for video

[@fredsmith6725]

Hi Keith, I did exactly the same with footings of my Victorian house with no cavity, lowered the ground by 50 cm and refilled with gravel. Damp disappeared within a week, and hasn't been back in 10 years. Well done mate.

[@markr9141]

Did you just fill the full cavity with gravel? I've got a similar Victorian style house and was wondering if I should bother with drainage channels or just dig a channel next to the house and fill it with gravel.

[@fredsmith6725]

@@markr9141 hi Mark, I just dug around the footings and filled with gravel, which is fine for the sandy type soil we have. If you dig out and find it is clay like then yes I would channel away to a soakaway or lower ground. Hope that helps.

[@mikekemp786]

@@fredsmith6725 Thank you for this comment Fred. I've recently moved into a Victorian mid-terrace and am needing to do something like this for the front DPC at least; glad to know it worked for you!

[@jannesschuiling4194]

@Fred Smith I've just moved into a Victorian house and the concrete pavers go up to the wall. It's clearly above the plaster line, so think I need to do the same and lower it a good 20cm, then put a channel in. Do you have a rock foundation? Is it fine to have the gravel up to the foundation and just let it drain through?

[@fredsmith6725]

​@@jannesschuiling4194 hi Jannes, no I don't have a rock foundation, just shallow hard brick. You can do no harm by lowering the outside soil or pavers and backfilling. If you have a sub floor, make sure your air vents are clear and that your channel is at least 15cm below them. Also make sure that soil is not too high under any such sub floors. We removed about two tons of soil from one part of the underfloor space in one area in which said soil was touching floor joists. Hope you get some success. As for whether it will drain down you will have to see, try doing the above first. If you need more drainage, consider creating a soakaway, but consult a builder if not sure how to go about this.

[@diogor420]

I'm glad you added that bit of the drain. My OCD was killing me

[@JamesBrown-]

Always nice to see people who seek to understand the route cause of the issue and rectify that properly rather than merely mask over the issue with rip off chemical damp proofing methods that many so called damp proofing experts misdiagnose. I did the exact same diy project down the side of my house built in 1910 that has had cowboys build up concrete paths and patios up to the damp proof course, and the trench has completely dried out the walls as intended

[@jyvben1520]

what is the root cause of your error ? wrong turn in Albuquerque ;-)

[@cherylbuscema2712]

There is never anything wrong with reusing materials! It is so satisfying to do it.

[@ClaireRousseau]

It's not over the top to reuse your gravel, it totally makes sense! If you'd bought all new gravel, you'd still have had to dispose of the old gravel somehow, which would still take time & probably money. And I can definitely relate to you getting carried away and patching up all of the footings :)

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks, totally agree!

[@grotekleum]

I agree, and it's not really 'old' gravel, it is gravel with mud on - wash the mud off et voila! Gravel.

[@TheShinyShow]

I was not expecting ManyATrueNerd representation here, but I'm definitely not surprised it's Claire instead of Jon on a DIY channel

[@StickyBrickit]

Respect for cleaning your own gravel! We tried this once and got so bored of it that we just bought a tonne bag of the stuff for £50 in the end :D

[@paulhaggett3710]

Very well thought out and great use of common sense. I also enjoyed reading the constructive comments by your subscribers, the cherry on the top. Many thanks to all.

[@jdl3i]

Real like seeing someone reuse a bunch of things that they have already for free and being innovative with our use in order to achieve performance of new off-the-shelf products. Would love to see more of this resourcefulness in the future!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you

[@dangkolache]

Hey brotherman, I just wanna say you're one of my favorite creators at the moment - you are resourceful and conscious of waste and I really appreciate that. Your problem solving skills are clearly well-honed. Thanks for the effort in making these videos, taking the time to explain what options you had and why you chose X over Y, etc. I really enjoy them, even if they don't directly impact me or my situation. It's just good, informative content.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Wow, thanks very much!

[@gergemall]

Agree

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Shame that some people criticise you reusing waste material when that was how you first started. This is absolutely my kind of project - it will definitely make a big difference. I'm so glad you re-did the grate across the path.

[@trishblakely3476]

It’s not the sexiest project, but you’ll never regret keeping water away from your house. 😂 Job well done, economical and really nice looking!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Haha definitely not the sexiest! Thanks Trish

[@topcatcoolio8807]

Make us a butty Trish 😂

[@johnlee7085]

A man after my own heart. Love the resourcefulness. My problem is I have way too much of the bits laying around. Still very satisfying to be able to incorporate.

[@MarcusT86]

Fantastic video buddy. Lovely use of old materials for less of a footprint, and I did the same for my partner's flower bed at the front. The earth, concrete and rock pile from the old concrete side path I dug out for new block paving got the soil separated manually using a sifter to completely fill the bed up ready for her to plant her flowers. No buying soil required! Once again, great stuff. Silk purse out of a pig's ear that!

[@timwilcox960]

Excellent vid' - comprehensive explanation without unnecessary padding or repetition. And I really appreciated my eardrums not being burst when you turned on the power tools - a common failing among many DIY content creators!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Great to hear!

[@fuzzix]

Great job, Keith! Really appreciate the economic approach you take. I have a junk-pile-of-shame / packrat attitude myself. Even if I never have a use for something, I think it's better to have stuff on hand than in landfill. I do often find myself digging through my crates of old computer / audio cables, and have donated some to grateful guests :) Cheers!

[@AfricanSouthernCross]

Very well explained from the very start, most people don’t explain these problems in the detail you do….well done mate !

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Glad you liked it!

[@andyc972]

This to me is what is great about your channel Keith, it is real world projects they may not always be textbook and certainly not money-no-object so inevitably include compromises, but that is your strength not a weakness ! Obviously it's a great advantage to have the support from Milwaukee (I'm seriously jealous of some of the kit) but similar could be hired in if required. I'm totally with you on re-using where possible and everyone says I'm mad too for the same reason, but I try wherever possible to keep back all excavated material for re-use and myself washed and riddled about a ton of gravel last year for the base of my new shed ! Although it looks loads that soil will easily disappear spread around the garden ! The great advantage of a nice long garden like yours is the opportunity for a corner of shame, wouldn't have been so easy to hold on to materials at your old property !

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you! Yeah that's very true 👍

[@cakepanda]

Keith, I've been watching your videos right from the start of your channel. I cannot believe how far you've come in terms of skill, but also in your overall quality of the video footage, camera work, script etc. Truly inspirational! I love that you are not afraid of tackling ANYTHING and have a really logical approach to problem solving.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Wow, thank you!!!

[@TheHkluivert]

Nice job again Keith. Personally, I like woodworking a lot more but it is nice to see how you solve the problems that the earlier owners have created!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks 👍

[@Smithb83]

Brilliant job Keith! 👏🏻 I really enjoyed this project. It's one of those that will make the house more comfortable to live in

[@stco2426]

Excellent. Loads of great thinking and advice here. Too many houses have had paths, patios and the like built up against them resulting in breachedor bridged DPC. Like what you did, and great to show the second tweaks. These really improved the look. Well done!

[@TheMushroom246]

i always keep many bits- parts saves hundreds of pounds people today find it easier to buy new all the time not realising the amount of good recyclable things they throw out and its less to go to land fill.. thanks the the time you sent making and uploading this video take care

[@geoffreycoan]

Good job Keith, I enjoy watching your DIY projects like this, gives a good sense of achievement at the end with some useful tips along the way. Cheers 👍

[@rogergladding7943]

Your re a real cheap skate. A man after my own heart. Never never throw anything away!!!! Keep up the good work.

[@doggo104]

Really good video Keith! It's great to be shown how to do things like this yourself with such detail and explination while still being really engaging and fun to watch.

[@MikeJones-xr1zv]

You are the Allen Millyard of DIY house improvement: logical and creative.

[@cobberpete1]

Waste not want not. I use recycled, re purposed materials all the time. And Yes, I have the pile of 'stuff' hidden away for when I need it. All the little savings add up. Great job Keith.

[@steves1460]

Being a bit of a fussy devil myself, I like the attention you paid to the detail. Well done.

[@marthamaggio5350]

I love watching your channel. You're so calm and explanatory! Well done. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@SOz-uf5yq]

Mate, well done. I was looking at the prices of my garage doorway, and couldn't believe how much it was costing me. With your tips now I know what to do. Thanks for sharing those tips. Cheers.

[@BlueVelvetBear]

Topsoil easy to give away. You did a lovely job. I really like the look of the stainless steel acco drain grill over the path. The black plastic bit looks the nuts under the black gutter surrounded by black paint too. What a great job.

[@crossoldwasp39]

Thanks for this video - this helped me figure out something I've been planning to do anyway to stop damp in my single brick wall bathroom! Love the idea of reusing the broken concrete as hardcore too.

[@stewartbridge5162]

Well done on cleaning the gravel. I did the same on an area of our garden under trees. Years of leaf mould had made soil which the worms loved but did nothing to suppress weeds.

[@G4m1c]

polyethylene does not glued very well. Chopping boards are usually made of polyethylene and your first end caps are probably fragile. Since the surface was very well roughed up and there is matter pressing on the outside you might be ok. The PVC flooring you use later is a much better choice :) (Someone probably pointed that out already, explaining why you switch material^^) I think your reusing of gravel and channel are great.

[@brianjames6890]

Well what a fantastic job you have achieved, you are quire an artisan and you must be extremely happy with the job that you have done as well as the money that you have saved. Job well done sir.👍👏

[@chrisdabreo2347]

Great job. We put in French drains all the round our Georgian house after lots of damp due to ground level too high. Worked a treat with no more damp. Always best to address root cause rather than go for these so called anti damp options like chemical injection. Cheaper too.

[@markcollins457]

I feel you pain over the years various contractors I've worked for have said poured concrete against the main house is always an indication of a problem. My own experience I had to install a crock on the inside with a pump the crock was approximately 18 inches below the floor. The water table in my home in New Jersey was extremely high and water infiltration was perking up through the floor. The biggest issue is identifying the causes of the water problem. Keep your head above water!

[@Russsvick]

Love all the jealous people complaining about the tools used. You could do the majority of this job without power tools Don't hate on the guy for using the tools he owns to fix issues at his home. Do your thing Keith!

[@keithagn]

Wow! I'm impressed with the way you did that job. You're the Best! Regards from Canada 🇨🇦

[@mcglol]

This guy penny pinching with that insane arsenal of power tools is hilarious!

[@Liofa73]

Seems sensible to me, save your money for what you really need. Besides, you can hire all of the tools and why buy new stuff if already have materials to do the job?

[@TheMushroom246]

penny pinching is good gives one more money to buy good tools ...

[@fireblaster9961]

lol thinking the same every time

[@onawarpath123]

Because it's an advert in disguised

[@tyronebadtothebone6129]

1:55, the hose adaptor on the cut off saw is to suppress the dust levels when cutting abrasive materials such as concrete bricks etc

[@fathogwoodworking]

Keith, It’s great that you reused all your materials like gravel and pipe. You can call yourself an honorary Yorkshire man… welcome to the club!!!

[@matthughes4524]

Freecycle/Gumtree is a great way of getting rid of any unwanted soil. Not only will people come and shift it for you but in my experience they've been extremely grateful.

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic work, Keith! 😃 Now it's definitely solved! Everything is going to work fine! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@TheLindsay720]

Thanks for video, Keith. A very neat and thorough solution. Also, good call with the last minute change the drain across the path.

[@cazee100]

That was brilliant. You’ve probably just saved future you a fortune financially and stress wise. Fab job as usual. Hope Ria & kitties are well, stay safe x

[@terence2379]

Very easily explained and as a diy person with buckets of common sense can agree with what was done!

[@adamnapolitano432]

Dude I love these house improvement videos so much, like they are just so interesting to watch.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Glad to hear it! Thanks

[@paulprescott7913]

What an inspiring project. Absolutely love how you have sensibly and effectively adapted what you have to hand.

[@fon129]

Good job using your head looks like a great improvement making use of what's available saves money well done

[@Lungi29]

You are a very resourceful man!! Great video❤

[@doubleedgedsword6352]

I noticed a fair lot of flint in your old gravel, I wonder if it's any more valuable. Glad you reused it either way!

[@MichaelTaylor-ei7es]

Absolutely superb. You covered so many issues in one short video. 🙏

[@bruce-le-smith]

great video, thank you. quite enjoyed your homemade end caps for those drainage channels, and agree that something as simple as gifting yourself the time to clean and reuse some gravel can be very therapeutic

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks 👍

[@jegford]

Great project Keith! So glad you fixed the way that drain on your side path looked, that would have driven me crazy too!

[@Baddad36]

A man after my own heart. Saves £50 by spending hours and hours of work plus spending £50 on stuff to clean the gravel. LOL Subscribed.

[@josephlieberman3027]

A fantastic and thorough and enjoyable, well presented lesson Thank You

[@Ivc406]

Great job, good use of old gravel love the pile at end of garden we all should have one,very informative and not to technical,take care regards🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️

[@koshmiah6070]

Great video mate, love the diagrams and pictures you’ve added throughout the video. Timely editing but appreciated!

[@puddinggeek4623]

Excellent video. A good variety of tips and techniques and I really like that you try to reuse materials. Keep up the good work.

[@celynjones4958]

Top job for the budget and circumstances. Should really help dry out the store room and surroundings. Give us an update next autumn-winter. Cheers

[@stuartibbotson7179]

Dry Zone stuff is great really great products used them loads I have tried other Damp course products but never as good thanks

[@LewHarriman]

Solid solution, beautifully executed. You're a great inspiration, Keith.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you

[@keithgarrett42]

Brilliant video. Thank you. I might need to do something similar for my sister. Love how you problem solve and also worry about the aesthetics.

[@soffyabad]

God, Keith how much work!! And as always, you got energy to be funny. Well done!!

[@robjworkshop5692]

Great video. I'm just about to do similar to our stone cottage. I actually scavenge limestone chippings from an old local 19 century quarry - there's a few in Wales!!

[@juneritchie2498]

Great grates!😂 Seriously, this is very timely. One of my neighbors has similar problems around a garage/shed. This is the great grate type of solution that could work for them.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Haha thank you June!

[@duncanvincent9106]

Very practical and very “real life”. Good video

[@karlpopewoodcraft]

Top job mate. I'm not even interested in DIY but still enjoy these videos 😊😊

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Cheers mate didn't expect you to watch a vid about boring drainage! 😁

[@amirh3805]

My ocd is going through the roof with the downpipe not directly plummbed into the drain. Great job great work. And i know you can cut it into the drain so do it man!!

[@stuartr9972]

Your side extension look like it had doors in the front - garage style. The brickwork is an infill,which has been built directly off the floor slab so it's not a surprise there's no dpc.

[@jem8472]

I have a small bit of gravel between my brick weave driveway and house. Its a 1970s house and the drive is maybe a brick below where I can see the DPC. When I move the gravel its only a small top layer then its soil. On pulling off some skirting boards I found some evidence of damp so I am thinking of maybe doing what you have done here. Dig down to get a bigger gap and get rid of the soil and fill with gravel. I would like to put in channel drains but I think as I would probably need to lift patio slabs that might be a bit too much for the moment. Add the gravel looks a good idea.

[@quick1two]

Very informative and i love how you resource some of the various parts you need - so long as it works!! .... I am starting a similar project, putting a new patio in and need to direct the gutter down pipe which open ends onto my garden path into a Aco and then into a soakaway or soil so this was immensely helpful

[@sailronin]

Very professional job and great finish when completed.

[@MS-yy2dh]

I too am gradually trying to clean the gravel on my drive with a garden riddle / riddler or sieve as I prefer to call it (I like to keep things simple). It feels like a never ending job...

[@Buckle1969]

Thanks for a great video. I need to install a run of that drain channel across the front of my garage up and over door as the rain just washes in to the garage underneath it. As a DIYer at best, I've always been a bit scared to go for it but feel better having watched you do it. Thank you 👍

[@RagnBoneBrown]

You can do it!

[@ianvicedomini2648]

A job well done Keith and it looks tidy and neat. Great video chap 👌👍🏽👍🏽

[@mandyleeson1]

Grate job, Keith👏🏼 and nice puns too ☺️

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Haha thanks Mandy!

[@user-te1le7ck6b]

Awesome as always Keith us mere mortals can only wish we was this good 👍👍👍👍

[@Sean006]

A great improvement. 👍 Love the Mailwaukee tools too.

[@JDAfrica]

I have the makita x2 (36v) of that powersaw. Amazing bit of Kit. Perfect for ur job. You do get a gas powered one that has a deeper cut depth. But for most jobs, 90mm is ideal

[@negotiableaffections]

Definitely not the most fun of jobs but neccessary and with a little luck, you've got it licked Keith. Nice to have a fix like that behind you and you can move on to better stuff.

[@lg_believe333]

I live in an end terrace house and I have damp issues in my sidewall with the block paving an inch above my air bricks. I have no idea where my DPC is but the problems I face are a garden patio that is lower then my front driveway at the front of my home and a slope on the side from the garden patio that leads up to the driveway. So, I’m hoping to lower my ground level below my air bricks but I can’t lower it as low as 150mm but will be able to do 75ml all around my home. As far as I know. The guidelines are between 75ml and 150ml. Either is okay but 150ml will always be better where possible.

[@hoon2806]

I found this very useful, I have a similar issue- I shall be re-watching this when I'm ready to start the job. Love the recycling of materials, I too have a similar stash of materials to use- a lot of it scavenged from skips.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Cool, thanks!

[@martinwinlow]

Nice job - and interesting seeing that monster battery-powered breaker. I have a mains powered Hilti 3000TE (30kg) one and that's heavy enough as it is without a battery to match! I think I'd have perforated the b'Jesus out of the drain channel bases so that they offer as little obstruction to air circulation into (and out of) the gravel below but maintaining enough strength to hold the top cover satisfactorily. What you are trying to achieve is as much 'free' air as low as possible relative to the inside floor - as close as possible to the effect of having the entire foot of the wall (and foundation and even some of the soil below that) effectively above ground.... You will not (of course) stop rain getting in there but that will drain away naturally into the subsoil and, most of the time, the french drains will be simply be full of gravel and air, the latter with a relatively low humidity as, thanks to osmosis, the water in the air in the french drain will always try to equalise with the drier air around it - enough to dry out damp walls. This is the *horrendous* error that most people (including loads of supposed professional builders) make in these situations - slapping some completely impervious layer (cement render/paint/bitumen/plastic sheet) on the wall which just stops the water moving through the air/masonry interface. On that note, if you had just done your bitumening on the inside and not done anything about stoping the damp, you would simply find that it would be pushed off by the vapour pressure the water moving through the masonry trying to escape would create. The same effect happens with cementitious render which leads to 'blown render'. Non-cement renders (eg old-fashioned lime-based ones) permit the water to move through the masonry and escape to the outside air which is at way less moisture content than a wet wall. Same thing happens with cement Vs lime mortar in a masonry wall. Cement render caps the pointing and the water escapes through the stone/brick instead leading to spalling the stone/brick faces... If you really wanted to go to town - or have a particularly wet climate - putting a geotextile-wrapped perforated 110mm drain pipe at the foot of the french drain at a suitable gradient and terminate it into the rain water drainage would be the most effective solution. This would quickly remove rainwater - much quicker than it percolating into the subsoil leaving more time between soakings for the french drain to work its magic.

[@thenullco]

Incredibly satisfying.

[@tommcguire5525]

You've got some fancy kit. Great video.

[@EvanDunville]

I think changing out to the metal grate made it look a lot better. Great stuff!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks!

[@Premier_lawns_official]

That's really smart at the end there with the black paint

[@Tes_1]

So the water goes from the down pipe, into the acco drain, into the french drain, but then where does it go?

[@chris_hertford]

3/4 of a solution is better than no solution! I think I would have done exactly as you have, your logic stands up. Not a fan of pea shingle though, too small so the cats like it!

[@The160879]

Wee bit of soil separator fabric on your French drain dude as the stone and soil mixes and compacts and bits of soil clog the pipe. Also where are you draining the French drain to? They usually go to the street. Main thing is you’ve had a go and if it needs a bit of tinkering it won’t be a massive job to rectify. 👍🏻

[@andrewheale4738]

Like the tip with the upturned guttering when inserting chippings.

[@gaz740]

Nice one Keith. As others have pointed out it would probably be better to extend the downpipe into the Acodrain with a 90⁰ bend underground as if you get a severe downpour, it'll probably flood across the path again!

[@kellyman92]

Great video thanks Keith, I know nothing about this stuff but looks as good a solution as you could hope for!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Looks fantastic Keith! But most importantly, it defends moisture much better. I loved the gutter trick to place the gravel between the drainage grills.

[@anwolfs9804]

Like you said, it will have taken a couple of days to fix all of that but nicely done! Perhaps see how the downspout is working in the future and if your path is still soaked, perhaps put a vertical pipe down through the grate into the drain. It's a plastic cover there so you should be able to drill a fitting hole through it.