Installing a French Drain to stop moisture rising through a concrete floor

[@paulsullivan6392]

Time lapse and sped up video is deceiving. I know darn well there's a major amount of effort there. Well done sir. I was thinking YOU NEED TO ADD A RAIN GUTTER..you soothed my soul when you said that was the next part of the job. Well done sir.

[@orphandog51410]

Your videos are always great. You have a wonderful attitude towards making repairs or using your ingenuity. Thank you.

[@MrJamers007]

Hi Marty, as an Architect in California, I a have a fair bit of experience with French / curtain drains. The filter fabric has been an ongoing source of controversy locally. Your fabric looks to be fairly dense and the soils appear to have some clay content. This may result in clogging of the filter fabric which will prevent the water from reaching the drain pipe. Locally, some have changed to a mixed-size aggregate and no fabric to prevent this issue. The theory is that mixed agg will block most soil, and what might get thru is washed away. Many drains have failed due to the fabric, despite using different fabric mesh densities for different soils. All that said, you made a huge improvement, and it looks as though the water will gravity flow out to where you want it regardless. If you don't find water coming out at the daylight of the pipe someday, this might be why. Love your channel. Hoping you will find more stuff to get running!

[@shuteandkill]

If you face the holes in the drain pipe down instead of up the clay and sand won't go into the pipe. As the water level rises it enters the drain from the bottom keeping the drain pipe clear.

[@lcvt8023]

@@shuteandkill right on!

[@peternyc]

@@shuteandkill Thanks for this comment. I've always wondered what the logic was for the placement of the holes.

[@fava7753]

Exactly right , French drain , or soakaway , as we say in GB , simple solution to a very awkward problem . Takes very little time with the right tools , solves major problems with standing water , just put the right fall in for the run off . , bobs your uncle . Job done . Top man Marty . Handy little machine for those tight placed awkward jobs , keep up the excellent work and content . . 👍 . .

[@PS-Straya_M8]

I can almost feel the shed breathing a sigh of relief now that you've gotten rid of the bush at the side and solved the water problem 😁👍

[@Alexkobein]

I wish you could make longer vídeos, i really enjoy them. Greetings from Spain!

[@privatesocialhandle]

I can't believe that mini digger is a real thing.

[@JohnSmith-pl2bk]

"rhinoceros xn08 mini excavator reviews" enter that in YT for a play list.

[@ArizVern]

Retired 76 Vet. With stroke one arm, leg thing, mini excavator really helps.

[@jrand2631]

Great job, and I must say that the cheap, Chinese micro digger is doing a pretty good job, considering what it is. I'm impressed.

[@patrickkenney2259]

Asian equipment will forever out last and out perform American equipment.

[@brandonrichter6910]

@@patrickkenney2259 Japanese yes, chinese..... well there's a reason we say things are hand crafted from the finest chinesium (cheap crap)

[@yuhhh3776]

@@patrickkenney2259 Hope this is a joke lmao

[@ourv9603]

THAT is the cutest little digger I have ever seen!! He don't hardly look big enough to be away from his Momma!! Are you SURE it is not made by TONKA? !

[@Lagittaja]

Excellent stuff Marty, I really like these "repairs around/on the house" videos

[@alasdairhamilton1574]

I think your mate is lucky to see his mini excavator back, the way you have of hoarding machines and boats 😉 😃👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@PatrickHRoss]

These videos are so satisfying. Thanks for uploading.

[@XxMeatShakexX]

I love the jump cut to a slightly bigger scoop lol, that thing's so adorable.

[@bobfotoples6950]

Your abilities on any machine, in any situation, never cease to amaze me. What I wouldn't give for a fraction of your knowledge.....

[@geeemes3378]

If my mate working in construction can be relied upon, this size of digger is called an Arschkratzer in Germany... But if I don't have to dig via shovel, I couldn't care less what its called, I'd say! Nice Job, it's real impressive what these french drains can do for a house!

[@franswa455]

Keep the videos coming brother . Love watching from Melbourne Australia

[@xSpiritAWx]

Marty When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What Is Still Around.

[@charlienorton2337]

good song by the police

[@BrorAppelsin]

When I bought my house the first thing was to repair and add to the existing french drains, was very much worth it

[@Don.Challenger]

But you bought it with an in ground pool but, now, not so much.

[@aaronjohn6586]

Thanks for inspiring Marty, just installed an attic fan including the electrical as well. Figured if you could rehab all your toys least I could tackle was an attic fan. Now house is cooler and electrical bill less, thanks mate from dry overheating California.

[@samwest9444]

Get yourself a “whirlybird”

[@BenJandrell]

Not just the 'Jack of all trades'... Marty appears to be the master also! - Great work.

[@russw5301]

Very clever Kiwi love watching the variety of jobs you tackle. Well done.

[@acsed2]

Great video, nice fix.

[@paul_k_7351]

Love these house problem solving videos. Keep em coming! 😀

[@alfadoofus]

Nice camera work . Great job on the french drain too. you will double the property value in short order

[@endutubecensorship]

Love the multiple camera angles, nice work Marty

[@tomanycooks]

nice work mate

[@tomjohntig]

I need one of those mini diggers Marty, it look like it did a perfect job and a perfect boys toy I would be digging everywhere with it lol great job once again 🇬🇧 Tom

[@IR-nq4qv]

Great job Marty, you might consider a retaining wall as well to keep that clay bank from washing out

[@Worldslayer85]

Looks good m8. No one likes rusty tools in there shed!.

[@H4rleyBoy]

Not used my tool for a while.

[@MegaDirtyberty]

@@H4rleyBoy Same...

[@bootsowen]

We did the same thing around our house here in England Marty, but it was a 5 foot deep dig all around the cellars, Hand dig, that chinese digger fairly cracks on. Makes a huge difference once it is done. Nice job, nice video!

[@dvasymmetry9696]

That is a landscape project a long time needed! Looks great 👍

[@f5tornadeau]

That’s the cutest excavator I’ve ever seen. Looks like a handy little piece of machinery for regular shoveling tasks.

[@brendanshorter5550]

So many houses built so.close together, such machines are a god send. Just like dingos

[@JohnSmith-pl2bk]

@@brendanshorter5550 www.dingo.com.au/ Just in case those from further afield don't understand.....

[@Goabnb94]

In typical NZ fashion, it rains as you are trying to install drainage.

[@MartyT]

Haha yeah it was a mess for a few days

[@allanhughes7859]

just like the U.K. but I think you get a bit more sun than we do !!!!!!!!!!

[@markstevens1729]

@@allanhughes7859 didn’t the movie Blade Runner get more sun than the UK? 🤔

[@allanhughes7859]

@@markstevens1729 yes I think it did not sure but i think it did ???????????????????? great reply !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@aljanat5375]

​@@MartyT Hi mate, now Im not exactly a smart person but as you are a go getter outdoors type may I suggest you have a chat with a few mates that do earth moving and digging about the need for a retaining wall or some wooden stakes and grass/hay blankets to help hold exposed wet soil on that high gradient slope? It may be prudent to prevent a heavy rain event from washing saturated soil down into the culvert/drainage ditch. or slipping en masse into your French drain (you see what I did there?) and pressing against your building. PS I love your work and general sunny attitude to life, you make my day go better when I watch your videos bud. Oh yeah and before I forget long live NZ and long live the Queen. All the best. Your mate The Heartbreak Prince.

[@jacemusgrove3073]

Nicely done! Never thought about a filtration cloth. I'll have to look into that method.

[@esurcylimaf4335]

You are a man of many talents for sure. Cheers, Rob.

[@utubota5522]

Thanks Marty. Always enjoy your vids.

[@douglaskerr6813]

Great job on the drain .keep making your videos .I really enjoy them.

[@nicksnextproject535]

Nice editing Marty. Didn't find myself skipping through. Keep up the good work.

[@TasmanianHillBilly]

I didn't know what a french drain was until today. Learn something every day I suppose haha.

[@Mangsaab1954]

It takes 5 French letters to make a French drain.

[@IR-nq4qv]

Never stop learning. There are also older versions referred to as trench drains some people get them both confused. A French trench drain goes way back in history, big rocks placed in a trench, with smaller ones places on top, then loose gravel allowing ground water to seep below the surface then pass below. Marty's trifecta French version using weeping tile, crushed stone and fabric is more efficient and less likely to clog up. The French drain as we know it today was credited to an American, named Henry Flagg French who improved upon the old idea by using roofing tiles and rocks.

[@TasmanianHillBilly]

@@IR-nq4qv interesting

[@setevn11]

Where I'm from we call it drain tile. Not sure why.

[@d.d.5633]

@@setevn11 “Weeping tile”, in Canada. Who knows?

[@markoboyle77]

Great video. I always learn something from you !

[@DIYTractorstories]

Wow your creation is amazing. I love it.

[@gangisspawn1]

I remember subscribing to this channel at 7k. Marty makes great content.

[@SlackerU]

If that setup fails like mine did you might look into a muck style setup. No fabric, large inlet-holes in the pipe, with large stone to allow most sediment to wash through the pipe & be relocated at the outlet-area. After a few tree leaves cover my catch basin & a thin layer of sediment covers that it can almost completely plug an inlet, so for me it's easy to see why my fabric failed me. Also 6-inch smooth-wall only needs .5% slope to be self-cleaning where 4-inch corrugated needs over 2.5% slope before it becomes self-cleaning.

[@robertbrewer2190]

In California there is no cloth now, I'm told. It was found to silt up. The new system has an access at the upper end to pressure clean the pipe and gravel as needed for regular maintenance.

[@charlessoule8587]

I first laughed at the micro digger, but damn that is handy for a residential house!

[@tomburton1037]

we call them BTAs - Better Than a Shovel

[@farfouineur7151]

Good job Marty, from France.

[@SantaClaw]

Anyone that's worked in tourism knows how draining the French can be...

[@ancientbuilds3764]

Anything to to with the word "French" and running away quickly is fine by me.

[@MrCabimero]

That was a good tip about the French. If you are a waiter, a good tip from a Frenchman is something you will never see.

[@ancientbuilds3764]

@@MrCabimero worked in antibes for several months on the boats. Final straw was when I walked into an English bar and ordered a pint in my best french. As the only customer he pulled my pint and proceeded to fuck me over verbally for my terrible french. I had never seen this guy before. So I calmly proceeded to dump the pint in his bar sink without paying and walked out saying: "keep your beer you angry little prick"

[@theophileyon3743]

@@ancientbuilds3764 Come see us in France, you are welcome.

[@jameslangan7357]

That's the difference between the French and a canoe. The canoe tips.

[@marcosmota1094]

Hey Marty, you might want to build a faux retaining wall to kill off some of those plants on the right. Fewer bugs and slitherin' critters can find hidden refuge. Also, building a four-foot drainage pit at the end of the pipe is the protocol. I built one w. an eight gal. water jug handling crate. Just buried it, surrounded it with big rocks, and another flat one on top. That way, the grass did not get soaked, water bypassed underneath.

[@rudihartono6502]

İ

[@donhalford2237]

Good job, Little Digger. Reminds me of my dad constantly dealing with drainage during and after heavy rains

[@eric_seguin]

And I thought we only used those in Louisiana. Wouldn't think you would need them with all those hills but like your roads on the old place, water can be a pain in the butt at times. MORE VIDEOS MARTY. Thanks for this one.

[@tutekohe1361]

That looked like ‘Old Man’s Beard’ growing over that small Ponga at the start, Marty, so good to get rid of that.

[@andyk3950]

Time to set up on of your washing machine generators at the end of that drain ... off the grid when living in town lol. Great upload as always. Thanks for sharing.

[@xmind123]

Marty, You're a genius !

[@seastacker8582]

I laughed at that mini excavator last video. I sort of want one now. Seems like a useful little unit. Back saving too.

[@nanazhang429]

I am the mini excavator in china. reply me if you still want one.

[@csnelling4]

Great job Marty, 10/10👏👏👏👍🇬🇧🍺

[@Chr.U.Cas2216]

👍👌👏 Very well done again and as always. Next video: Building a little pond at the end of the drainage pipe!? ;-) Best regards, luck and health to all of you.

[@curtissettles2641]

a cheap laser pointer, and a string line, will make drainage pipes easy to lay out. dig your ditch as you did during the day, at night set your laser pointer as level as you can. then drive a stake at the downhill side of your garage, and 1 by the laser pointer. put marks on both stakes where the laser pointer shows to mark. and run a string line between the two stakes. a tape measure used anywhere along that string line, will show you the drop in your ditch. shovel gravel into the ditch to set the floor of the ditch at whatever degree of slope you choose. i moved a lot of gravel with my boots, leveling ditches, when i worked as an excavator. but they used expensive tools. for just a 3 meter run, a laser pointer will work just fine to show level.

[@pnwRC.]

If we weren't so far apart, this would have been a PERFECT job for our club's RC trucks & equipment!

[@Dr_V]

What a cute little digger! I'd say you did a rather nice job there, but you still need to secure that bank on the side, it's much too steep and, looking at the soil structure, likely to crumble on top of your newly laid gravel drain in the near future. A reinforced concrete wall would be best, but far too laborious and expansive i.m.o., instead I suggest you just lay some old wire mesh anchored with small wooden stakes directly on the current surface, it will rust/rot in a couple of years but that's enough to allow local plant roots to grow a strong enough "web" for permanently anchoring the slope.

[@dougsholly9323]

That mini backhoe is about the cutest thing I have ever seen!

[@regunter6599]

I would call that machine a micro excavator, it and the stand on powered little dump truck may seem like toys compared to their full sized versions but for a home owner doing a small project they sure are a labor saver. We don't have anyone renting them close to me and now I am physically able to really do much but if I were I would be renting one of those a couple of times a year.

[@john3Lee]

You always make things look so easy.... Great channel

[@davidvickers8425]

You can also make a ground gutter which gets a lot of the water to drain away without seeping into the dirt first. Needs to be lower than the building. Which is what he did in the firat half of the video.

[@TheUserid82]

One of the bad things with french drains is if you ask 10 experts you will get 100 answers on if the fabric is needed or not when it all comes down to soil types the drain will be in. The voids in the gravel around the pipe give water an easy path to follow when it is sub surface so helps to dry out the soil around it. The line of gravel above the pipe lets the surface water quickly work down to the pipe acting as a large surface drain. The type of pipe he used in the video is fine in a spot that will only see foot traffic but unless correctly installed will be crushed by even the smallest equipment/car so if you are putting into a spot with possible traffic look for heavier pipe options from thicker corrugated plastics to thick walled PVC as they have drain pipes in those materials but you will be paying for it so a mix of pipes to the above ground use is the best way to go.

[@rd4660]

I did a similar project but one time I turned the tractor right instead of left and knocked a small hole in the siding of my house! So if you think that digging with a tractor is easy, you’re mistaken. Nice project!

[@MarksGoneWicked]

As small as the unit is, it looks very suitable for digging up the shallow roots in my backyard, despite the hard ground.

[@avrel820]

Good work with the mini i enjoyed watching you as usual :-)

[@crispinleslie]

Hey Marty, do me a favour ; when you have 10 seconds to spare, can you write me a complete list of all the things you don’t know how to do ? 😎

[@davem3789]

Nice drain work. Seems like a retaining wall may be useful there.

[@ronaldziehlke9720]

Having installed French Drains, the only thing that I would have done differently is to install schedule 40 PVC pipe under the driveway to prevent the possibility of collapse from traffic. Otherwise exactly what I would have done.

[@MartyT]

I was going to do that but I figured I might as well keep it punched all the way so when I'm washing down the boat the drive doesn't get muddy. It is strong pipe and deep enough to support the weight of vehicles

[@randallanderson4999]

@@MartyT If you were going to use Schedule 40 pipe, you can always drill 3/8" - 1/2" holes in it to make it drain tile.

[@cheesesled1308]

He could have also done a capillary stop next to the foundation. Dig all the way down to the base, install the drainage with the gravel and cloth. That way there would not be any moisture transfer from the dirt to the foundation and if for some reason the water level underneath the foundation rises it would lead the water away via the drainage.

[@billsmith5166]

Nice job. Always fun to run a different excavator. It's great to have so many buckets to choose from.

[@oldtimeengineer26]

New house new problems never a dull moment. Good job

[@hilham89]

Thank you! We are having some issues with water running off of a field right above us and going underneath our house making small ditches and was wondering how to run it now I know.

[@bombardier3qtrlbpsi]

Great job again.

[@ReaperRestorations]

wow Marty, your neighbors must be loving having you move in next door. i'm sure that property has never been better looked after

[@keithgardner4488]

You sir are amazing!

[@billjenkins2174]

Nice video. It's smart of you to tackle that water issue. So many people don't realize what can happen simply because the wood is damp. One thing I wanted to mention to you is that you might want to put in a vertical connector at the end of the pipe so you can flush it out from time to time. In my country, drains like these are an open invitation to rodents like ground squirrels or chipmunks which just use them as their homes and clog them up with acorns.

[@fromulus]

Had to do one of these for my garage, same issue. Works great if done properly, haven't had water in there for years.

[@Miphen0707]

Good on you and a top job once again. Thanks for the video.

[@anas5847]

That mini digger is the mvp, made the job a lot easier

[@heathwellsNZ]

30 years of land drainage engineering experience as my career... first impression is that the main problem was previous owners have let the soil build up to be above the foundation and base plate height... and didn't bother with guttering to capture the roof runoff. Nice bit of work installing the novavoil drain and great to see the geotextile filter fabric and aggregate. The ground looks clayey and I'm curios if you carried out any form of percolation rate testing as it appears you didn't take the pipe to an outfall (be it soak pit or existing stormwater pipe). I definitely think it's worth your while keeping an eye out on FB marketplace or Trademe or whatever for a but of cheap guttering. Anyways - nice job :) P.S. What's the story with retaining wall for that bank? Looks like some horizontal wooden structures in the foregound of the video near the end but it's not clear for the rest of that bank...

[@MartyT]

Yep I'll be putting guttering up and a tank to water the garden with overflow pipe to the edge of the section where there is a drainage ditch. Yeah there is a retaining wall above the driveway, just a sloping bank above the shed, guessing its been like that for 70 years, I wonder if the council took that into consideration when they gave consent to build the newer dwelling right above us, if it starts moving I'll have to retain it.

[@donnaml8776]

How did this do with the storms you had this season (2021/22)?

[@jeff8664]

The new homestead is shaping up quite nicely

[@gibbo1977]

I feel as though Marty was channeling his inner post10 with the rake and the drainage ;-)

[@redheadhunter4525]

Nice drain! I’ve dug thousands of feet of them. Wish I had your toy. I only had a shovel.

[@patrickkenney2259]

Literally did this same job by hand last week. Gotta love watching a bloke come in and do it with a machine. Dont underestimate pickaxes and shovels.

[@johnanderson3746]

Less back ache . I'm 52 and my back is bad from over doing things thru the years .

[@andysaunders3708]

That's why it's best to do it in the rain - the ground's softer, ha bloody ha.

[@d.d.5633]

You know what they say: A friend with a mini digger is a friend indeed. 🙂

[@SunDancerGE]

I love how you started with the smallest shovel/bucket possible and after 3 minutes "wides bucket possible" XD

[@mischef18]

Shows the benefit of a bit of planning bro and a good friend. Raining up here in the Waikato at present. Safe travels

[@_Skim_Beeble]

Landscaper here. You did everything I would have done, in some cases you don't even need the ag pipe as the gravel and cloth together is enough because you made it wide and deep (French drain is just gravel).

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Need to do this too!! Mind you if you put a tank at one end of the new guttering then let it flow downhill to the garden, I'm sure you can pop some hydro power on it too!! ;)

[@bobjoncas2814]

..nice job, that should work well.stay safe...

[@4Maestro1]

Don't forget to put a filter/sieve cap on the end of the pipe, This allow the water to escape, but will prevent critters from getting in and making their home in the pipe.

[@MartyT]

Yes someone else commented about that, I have since put some mesh in there to keep the critters out

[@ieair]

Always looking forward to ur VIDEOS from ORLANDO FL!

[@c0mputer]

You made a nice little stream there. How about hooking up an old washing machine to it for some free power?

[@briananthony4044]

I was thinking the same thing lol.

[@timwhitburn6260]

Wearing shorts in NZ in winter, you’re a hard man. I’ve got the trackies on here in Qld

[@nicbrownable]

See all the rain? Shorts in NZ make sense in the outdoors. Long trousers stay wet from the knee down. Bare legs dry off faster between downpours so are normally more comfortable until it gets into low single digits.

[@davidp8157]

@@nicbrownable when I was young and stupid back in the glass milk bottles days about 35 years ago I did a milk run for few years( driver not one of the kids) Regardless of how wet or cold in winter I wore shorts and 1 or 2 t- shirts for this reason, regardless of rain sleet or even snow, once you were wet you were wet, if you kept running and working you kept warm enough, where I live now seldom gets down to freezing, yet I feel colder than I did then. Old age....

[@amilton2128]

I know a bloke who wears shorts all winter. And he lives in 🇨🇦! There’s a fine line between hard man and nutcase.

[@davidp8157]

@@amilton2128 all letters of the alphabet, same number of letters, the spelling....?

[@felixcat9318]

Buying a good one of these Chinese micro excavators is a real game of chance. For people in Europe, there are several manufacturers of similar equipment in France, and these machines look to be preferable to the Chinese varieties. The French have really gotten into producing some interesting types, too.

[@Diantane22]

A suggestion, you maybe should have connected the downspout of you future guttering system on the roof to the drainage pipe down below. What type of stone did you use? I got a few places on my property that need the same thing done. Unfortunately I don't own a mini excavator :( By the way. I subscribed to your channel this morning. Haven't done this in years. The reason I did here was because you keep showing very interesting videos and never ask people to subscribe. Also like the comments from the others here. This intrigued me and this morning I looked to see if I even could subscribe :) This was so I could find more of your interesting videos; easier.

[@MartyT]

I ended up installing guttering and piping it into a cube tank by the shed for watering the garden. Its pea stone gravel

[@ritchiechristopher5603]

seen that done so many times - simple and effective - good work !

[@bigdog7770]

Next job. Replace the retaining wall. Get some logs from the farm

[@thomasbrown9402]

Was gonna say, with the price of lumber these days?! Then I remembered he had his own mill, lmao

[@sherrigaskin5656]

That kid size excavator is so cool. Steve