Truth about Geofabric Wrapped French Drains - Watch Before You Install a French Drain

[@schoolForAnts]

I've hit the dad milestone where I am spending more time wathcing more videos about lawncare and DIY projects than anything else. Excellent content by the way.

[@Ziptietechnician]

Welcome to the real cool guy club

[@firstname-qq3xp]

Not a dad thing, just a guy thing 😂

[@firealva41]

lol me too buddy it started at 40 for me. 😂

[@JoeGlines-Automator]

I've been watching your videos for a bit over a year now. I just wanted to say thanks for all the work you do. I've learned tons and am ready to take on some of these projects myself Keep up the good work!

[@petersherrouse33]

I don't have any drain or septic issues today (I've done my share in the past ;-) but just enjoy hearing a man who knows his stuff. Thanks Chuck.

[@jgl2117]

Wow, this man knows his stuff. A cheaper PVC pipe does even a better job than the expensive french drain corrugated pipe. My, my! Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@jamesh8927]

I was recently quoted 20k to put a drain in our crawl space. There's no way I'm going to pay someone that much to do something I'm convinced I can do myself. In preparation for the job I've naturally been getting my degree from KZbin University haha! In all the videos I've watched yours have been the most informative, positive and inspiring that I've watched. I'm now ready to tackle this project with confidence. Thank you so much! You're doing something incredible here and I hope you know it!

[@LuminairPrime]

While it's true that a geotextile can slow the movement of water, it will only get worse if the french drain gets clogged. So an engineering decision is made: make the drain circumference large enough so that the flow change due to the fabric doesn't matter. Since engineering time is expensive, most installers just wing it and try to over-build the drain so nothing could ever fail in the lifetime of the customer, and that works. That's also why the engineered drain products you see in stores with fabric or foam peanuts around the pipe are so much smaller than the average drain you see on youtube; those products are designed precisely for a certain load, but nothing more. Exactly how big YOUR drain needs to be depends on your environment on site, and that's where having an experienced local professional comes in. Keep up the great informative videos!!!

[@christophersherratt7299]

AM FROM THE UK 🇬🇧 I TRULY THINK YOUR VIDEOS ARE THE VERY BEST AND MOST HELPFUL FOR THE D.I.Y PERSON YOUR SO HONEST AND HELPFUL I WATCHED YOU FOR YEAR'S AND YOU EXPLAIN IT ALL SO EASY FOR US NOT TO SMART ABOUT DOING THIS STUFF KNOW ONE DOES IT BETTER G.B.Y

[@appledrains]

Thank you

[@joefive]

So glad I watched your video. You are the first person that made common sense. I like the old clay tile as well.

[@appledrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidlean8674]

Having spent a lot of time with corrugated ag (agriculture or French) drains I've reached the conclusion that they aren't a good long-term solution. The issue is that the fines become sediment in the bottom of the grooves. Then in the dry months it becomes rock hard. Next year it happens again. Slowly the sediment level rises until the pipe is blocked & ceases to function. The gravel around the drain is the only thing working. This issue is exacerbated, by the pipe being so thin that it can undulate with the ground creating low spots that increase the dirt collection. Of course, you can blow all the dirt out with a pressure washer if you get it prior to the drain silting up completely. But if you also need to deal with roots the pipe is too thin & likely to be torn by the root removal tools. AS A better alternative. A slotted pvc pipe with holes no lower than 4 o'clock & 8 o'clock can be laid with a 1-degree gradient & remain functioning for 30+ years even with no maintenance. The smooth bottom will allow the water velocity to remain constant. Helping to carry the fines all the way out of the drain. And you can safely use root removal tools to clear if needed. The pipe costs 20% more. However given most of the project costs are in the trenching, gravel, transport etc that makes minimal difference to the final price.

[@appledrains]

Wow

[@merrillpierce758]

8au😊❤8f3

[@bwwilson1765]

@davidlean8674 Agree completely. The smooth wall, rigid pipe allows for a consistent slope to be constructed, and allows for the water to reach scour velocity which can clear any small sediment that may make its way into the pipe. I have seen video scopes of many a well constructed flex perf drain that had little issues with flow, as once the sediment had filled all the corrugations it essentially becomes a smooth-ish bottom over time. That being said, I installl rigid sdr35 with the 4&8 o'clock holes almost exclusively, as that's usually what engineering specs out for repairs.

[@leonlowenstadter9223]

​@@bwwilson1765May I ask to post a link to this kind of pipe? I tried to find it with google, but only found some products in/from India.

[@KaiserTom]

Double wall corrugated has a smooth interior that doesn't build up sediment to avoid that problem. More expensive but it's obviously worth it.

[@rickzabala6020]

Thanks, moved into purchased house. Didn't really know about French drains or technical landscape means & ways for drainage. Just reasoning & logic. Now my place has french drains but no fabric not stone. Did major concrete patio. Dug up drain which was filled with dirt. People don't tend to study up on how to do it right. On one side of house about 45 yards need to dig it out and do it right for now. Later probably pavers and those square trench gutters. Thank you. From central coast CA

[@PropsOff]

Not only are your videos awesome, but your timing is on point.. Thanks for this video!! Long time subscriber 4shO...🍻

[@VanillaMacaron551]

I dug an old sewerage pipe out of my garden. Disused for decades. It wasn't filled with dirt but packed with fine roots. I think roots love that superfine clay residue.

[@geneduclos4003]

Excellent video Chuck! Just in time and relevant for the area we live. Wife and I are building an ICF retirement home in the middle of Missouri on top of 16' foot of the worse fat clay one will find anywhere! I will definitely be able to apply the knowledge I obtained from this video. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@robertamiller3309]

I wish I could have you help with my French drain. It's not very long but much needed bc of the constant flooding in my side yard and into my basement! It has gotten worse over the last couple of years! I love your detail information on the different products. Thanks again! From Michigan.

[@jeffbguarino]

That interior couple made from cutting a small piece. You should also cut off about an inch of it or so , so that inside the pipe there won't be an overlap of the coupler piece with itself. This will fit even better inside the two pipes that are being coupled.

[@ju2067]

Question: In a clay soil area, wouldn't it be better to use an un-socked pipe and periodically jet the system thereby removing the clay rather than letting the clay build up behind a sock?

[@mrdavidurquhart]

The common element in your bucket tests is the clay. The fabric suspends the clay but it's the clay that resists water flow. Gravel holds clay back. Gradually clay particles will get into the fabric and pipe but with water flow the clay components get broken up. So it gets somewhat broken up and a little more able to pass water than the unaltered clay.

[@bksduskmirror1250]

Agree with you, you are not supposed to backfill a foundation with clay or organic soil and the drain is supposed to be surrounded with 3/4 crush stone a foot thick. Done right, you don’t have this problem. So now he should remove the clay, put crush stone like it’s supposed to be and do the test again.

[@derekcorbally8283]

Hi, I've watched a number of videos about French drains and your videos and brilliantly explained with simplicity and basic common sense. Your way is my way now. Thanks for the valuable knowledge sharing 👍👍👍🙏 air and rain is in abundance here in Ireland, drainage is vital 💚💚🇮🇪

[@maxmanx1294]

Awesome video! It will be so much easier to direct people to your video vs explaining how French drains work!

[@NutmegThumper]

Best advice I saw was “do not backfill the trench” - use gravel so that water can get to the pipe.

[@appledrains]

Glad to help

[@arinb12]

Would you use fabric in a vertical drain in CLAY soil or not use fabric?

[@notanaive]

Thank you so much for lovely démonstrations. I love your personality, professionalism as well as your honesty. I wish you a great, healthy and beautiful long life.❤❤❤

[@appledrains]

Thank you for your support

[@tcgdrains]

Great video! 😎👍 I'll be sharing this with my customers. Thank you

[@GaryTincher]

What is the black fabric under the white and why does it not get folded over to cover pipe also?

[@robertobenitez2888]

Hey Chuck! Quick question. How do you terminate the end of the drain? I have a 7 foot basement. Do you have a video for that?

[@anthonyrobinson973]

You won't get an answer. He never responds. The other guy do respond.

[@postal_paulie]

One the best, most informative, videos I have seen related to drainage! Awesome, and thank you!

[@AndrewDay_Aston-Martin-DBS5126]

2nd video I've watched and the first said don't put gravel beneath the pipe, so now I'm confused. Also neither say what fall rate per m/yd is required. I assume you can't lay the pipes level (or can you?)

[@brycefox7673]

Love your videos Chuck. Planning on doing my own drain project in the near future. Do you cap off the start of the perforated pipe with anything or just leave open?

[@Outsiders755]

We use an end Cap at the Beginning Of The Pipe,Pvc pipe Or Perforated Pipe Slotted,But Some might Not.We use Mostly Pvc,But have used The Black Perf pipe.But it seems now that The Black pipe From lowes is Made from Recycled Materials.and its not as strong as it was a few years ago..

[@juliancornwall156]

Best description yet!

[@swaggerdo7231]

so, next video, please tell us how you truly feel about grate boxes and popups. Somewhat impertinent question, yet I want to see your view... Fillbillies in C.FL put grates right under the downspout and then squirrel the pipe up down and around then cap it with a pop up. It must be some Fredneck universe where water travels uphill, IDK...

[@wandagee2358]

I enjoyed watching the Apple Drain By Chuck DIY 3 ways to install vertical drainage under $50.00 all 3 of them. The DIY Vertical Drainage Projects saves you a lot of money. Without spending plenty of money for a French Drain cost

[@ralph9987]

Great video, thanks. In heavy rains, the back neighbours top soil around down the slope and makes a mess of my garage after it has flowed through my Yard(no sod). What is the best draiin that won't fill up with all that soil pls?

[@appledrains]

@@ralph9987 catch base, will collect the debris and put it in the bottom of the basin.

[@MichaelHolland-w2h]

Great video! You posted links to two types of fabric. Which one do I get for wrapping the pipe / gravel? Thanks!!!

[@StevenWoodard-r9e]

Well done...thank you for this. I am building a few retaining walls out of PT 6x6 in clay in Canada, QC. One of them needs to be about 6 feet tall/high. Do you recommend the same type/system all of the way from the bottom to the top of the wall? Crushed stone all the way? And for clay you are saying it really doesn't matter if you use a sleeve or not on the big pipe? Thanks

[@shinomex]

What happens if you pour a bed of gravel first, then the stay green fabric, then the pipe and on top of the pipe more gravel? And at the end just coverd with little dirt and grass.

[@shinomex]

Hello sir, I ve been watching your videos for the last 2 hrs after I watched a ton of other videos of other people that do it differently. Yours makes more sense to me. Thank you for the effort on helping people, what do you think about my idea, do you think I'll work? It will keep the clay at the bottom off the fabric. Thank you.

[@Eddie510s]

Hey there , I just purchased a new build corner lot house that came with about 4 drains in my back yard ( I think 3 inch corrugated French drains ). I’m ready to put concrete all around but I want to do down spouts from my gutters and wondering if It’s safe to connect to the yard drains or do I need to run individually? Thank you so much

[@appledrains]

@@Eddie510s great job

[@Eddie510s]

@@appledrains I thought you would answer a question 😭

[@pabloguitar6360]

Good video on how to do it right.

[@urdrwho1]

I watched a video the other day and the guy said that the new way to do it is put the pipe directly on the bottom, forgo any gravel on the bottom and then cover with gravel. Years ago I did my entire house using a method like in this video. So has the protocol changed?

[@oil_can]

It’s a catch-22. The purpose of using gravel is to create an air barrier roots cannot survive in during the dry season. Based on that concept, you would ideally want an equal thickness of gravel distributed all the way around a perforated pipe, meaning the same amount below as you use on the sides and above. The negative to this approach, though, is if you put gravel under the pipe, you create a gap that must fill up with water before it reaches the pipe, so not only won’t you get rid of all the water, the pooled water will attract roots that can then grow through the water and into the pipe. Conversely, you can lay the pipe directly on the bottom of the trench before adding any gravel. This will allow you to remove the maximum amount of water from the trench. But it will also make it easier for roots, which seek out any moisture, to reach and grow into the pipe. The best compromise seems to be to put a shallow layer of gravel under the pipe and hope that 1) the water that has pooled under the pipe will periodically dry up enough to kill any roots growing in it and/or 2) the slope of the trench itself is enough to move pooling water downhill, out of the problem area. The latter idea may seem odd after watching a bunch of videos that compare corrugated pipe to PVC or discuss whether you should use a geo-fabric, but it’s important to remember the first French drains had neither fabric nor pipes - they were simply trenches filled with gravel. And they worked fine.

[@leonlowenstadter9223]

Although I am not an expert, I would recommend to have some gravel below the pipe. You probably can't avoid sediment to reach the bottom of the trench, when you have gravel below the pipe, it will start to fill up this lower part first before reaching the pipe - which will take many years. The pipe will only kick in when there is plenty of water. You also have a tiny chance that water flowing downhill between the gravel takes some sediments with it.

[@omadeitz3340]

Thank you I have clay here and you just saved me.

[@sef2273]

Saved you how? By not getting the fabric ?

[@innando]

@@sef2273I have clay soil… do you recommend go with PvC? I live in Dallas

[@jonnyh7936]

Hey Chuck , I have really been enjoying watching a few of your videos lately. I am from New Zealand and we have very similar construction methods to yoou in the states. But currently I am in Indonesia and about to start to build a home with a basement half underground and i really want to achieve a dry space . Here we have hard and semi hard limestone , so probably not much sediment . But materials are hard to find , like the perforated flexible pipe for example , i am thinking to use 4"pvc with 2 rows of holes at the bottom. wrapped in clean shingle and geotextile also with a 4% fall... any advice ?

[@Co8a]

I'm from Russia, but we have the same problems. Our materials are also different from those used in the USA. Therefore, for the drainage pipe, I took a thick-walled plastic pipe and drilled holes in it along its entire length. I removed the geotextile from the pipe and left it only on top of the gravel layer. And everything has been working for 4 years.

[@dreday9600]

Thanks I live in the south and having drain issues and wondering if a French drain will actually help

[@Jbisson140]

If the water is holding in a low spot have someone install a catch basin. They work a lot better than a French drain.

[@MrSerenityNow]

My French drain is clogged after 2 winters. I used corrugated pipe, with river rock on top, wrapped in geo fabric, with more river rock on top, and left it open. Should I get rid of the fabric? I live in the PNW, and have very clay soil. Thank you in advance.

[@appledrains]

Yes

[@MrSerenityNow]

@@appledrains thank you. Your videos are great!

[@LuminairPrime]

I can't say why your drain clogged (a lot of things could have gone wrong, so I recommend calling a local professional at this point), but the river rock is not usually specified for this usage. It drains well, but one thing that goes unsaid is that the gravel itself acts as a filter, so the wrong gravel or not enough gravel can hurt the function of the drain. 3/4" clean gravel that locks into itself is usually recommended. You can use river rock on top for good looks, of course. Make sure you use as thin a non-woven fabric as possible (just thick enough to survive the install without ripping), and make sure it is sealed all the way around with spikes or polyurethane sealant (to prevent soil from leeching directly into the pipe from above). As AppleDrains said in one video, it's more important to protect the gravel from the soil above than below, because the flow of water from above isn't important and doesn't matter if it's blocked. The drain is for removing ground water that came from a huge area of land, NOT for removing the rain on top of the drain. Ground water will clean the drain of soil from below for many years, but letting the fabric open and clog the drain from above is a big mistake.

[@MrSerenityNow]

@@adamnonnenmacher7774 the pipe didn’t clog. When I ended up unwrapping the top of the fabric under a few inches of river rock, the rock inside the fabric was bone dry, and it started draining right away. The fabric was not letting any water into the drain.

[@sz4179]

GREAT Channel, thanks so much! Love the tests and the money saving corrugated pipe joining technique, brilliant!

[@jasonschannel9017]

Can you bury a french drain along a river at the level of the water to pump water from the river without pumping directly from the river? Would the water inflow keep up with the pump as well as it would if sucking the water directly from the river?

[@eckdavid2472]

Someone here in the comments said it was Sta-Green Premium Gardening Landscape Geofabric

[@stevensargent4059]

Great video, learned a lot thanks! If I was not going to cover either pipe with sod,just 3/4 stone would you recommend not using a fabric? Thanks again

[@appledrains]

@@stevensargent4059 correct

[@mistersniffer6838]

You and Mike Haddock are so cool!

[@alexc5369]

Hey im sure its been answered but whats the purpose of the gravel bed under the pipe? You said it allows the wayer to rise up into the pipe but wouldnt the water be rising regardless?

[@butlerbees6639]

It’s so your pipe isn’t laying directly on dirt. After the first storm the bottom of your drain will turn to mud and make it harder for rising water to enter the pipe and will eventually clog it. A few inches of gravel gives a barrier and helps filter without restricting flow.

[@alexc5369]

@@butlerbees6639 assuming it was laying directly on the geo fabric though, wouldn't that be filtering out any dirt?

[@Tonisuperfly]

@@alexc5369no. If you watch the video, the fabric doesn’t stop fine sediment from filtering through. If your drain is lying directly on soil, it will fill with sediment and get blocked even if you use the fabric. The gravel elevates the pipe so that the amount of soil getting in is much less and can easily be flushed away.

[@alexc5369]

@@Tonisuperfly how does the sediment that gets through the fabricamage to easily filter away through the gravel but not managed to filter away through the pipe?

[@Tonisuperfly]

@@alexc5369 because it needs to be suspended in water to move, but it is sinking unless water is very turbulent. The gravel bed creates a porous base to elevate the pipe off the ground, away from where sediment settles. Common sense when you think about it.

[@atlasz911]

Keep using that B&D drill until it turns! I have a fancy brushless&expensive drill and also a B&D like yours. Both do the 95% of jobs well. Buy a new tool when you actually need it! You will be much less sad if you drop a $30 tool to the mud than a $200 tool. Thanks for the informative video!

[@shigangzhang5662]

You didn't do a demo on the Sta-Green Premium Gardening Landscape Fabric that you said works. But I don't think it works any different than other fabric. If clay soil smears around it, it will get clogged. I just feel it's common sense what clay can do to small holes. Enjoy your video though, it does prove my suspicion about fabrics as a water filtration material for clay soil.

[@appledrains]

Hope you give it a try. Easy DIY

[@OldDays99]

In the video, it is mentioned that the french drain needs maintenance. How do you do that?

[@jericlocke1]

You will have roots that grow into the pipe no matter if it is pvc or corrugated. Hopefully you clean outs to make snaking down the length of the pipe.

[@kanive1566]

The video shows that PVC works just as good as corrugated pipe. So which one is better?

[@xboxoneuploadgaming]

So I live in upstate NY and my ground is pretty much all clay. So should I wrap my pipe and not? Guess I’m confused in your conclusion of the clay test.

[@susanhayes6279]

Question? Can I use my French drain to bleed off the warmer ground air in winter/cooler ground air in summer to help maintain temperature in a small green house?

[@appledrains]

@@susanhayes6279 great idea

[@BenKlassen1]

Good stuff. Thanks Chuck!

[@dantallman5345]

Nice video compilation. The water in the white pvc drain looked much dirtier than the water in the corrugated drain shown prior to it. To me it looked like much more dirt infiltrated the white pipe but the fflow was faster. Any significance? Just the variability one might expect from uncontrolled factors? In my case I went with black fabric-wrapped corrugated pipe laid directly in shallow clay trenches and back filled with garden dirt, no rock, no peanuts. I figured that if it gives me a problem I can dig it up and redo. I did not want to deal with the amount of rock required. So far so good at three years. (It is possible that it could plug quite badly and I would be none the wiser. It is a rather large but shallow rain garden at the corner of my yard, well down slope from my house, fed via 100 ft unperforated pvc. It receives roof run off and sump pump discharge. If the corrugated plugs, it means water just exits the rain garden with less water soaking in).

[@Co8a]

I think that the white color and smooth walls of the pipe enhanced this effect.

[@jamesgordon8867]

So why aren't you putting sand or paver gravel around the pipe with fabric?

[@appledrains]

@@jamesgordon8867 not needed

[@drizler]

We put Murat sort of septic drain in very clayish soil in 1995. No problems since new

[@highestvirtue1892]

Hi I have clay soil and an area in the backyard where a puddle forms and would like to build a French Drain but little confused about what you materials you recommend for me to use? Fabric wrapped perforated plastic pipe or something else for better drainage?

[@charlessndenton]

Do you have videos using nonwoven geotextile double punch fabric? Curious in clay soil and if no fabric how long will soil overtake all gravel and system fail

[@thenexthobby]

As the saying goes, you have to know the rules before you can break them, which is why there is no universal best way for every region or soil type. It can be like watching videos about wall board installation. Some will say you must have a vapor barrier, others will say a vapor barrier will damage the wall. Both are correct, but not for every climate zone. :)

[@mistersniffer6838]

I want a combination pipe, slots n holes!!

[@jordanalexander9869]

That is not 4oz, that crap from the hardware store doesn’t work you need the needle punched filter fabric that the used in commercial application.

[@obxsurfandsoundfishing4085]

please tell me which sta green product you used. lowes has different types

[@lavoz6816]

Why stones under the pipe.? Shouldn’t we lay the pipe closest to ground ?

[@jakeb.4225]

I was looking for a comment about this, my thoughts exactly. In the video he says its the most important part bc you want the voids in the stone to allow the water to rise up into the pipe, however, wouldn't the void in the pipe itself be better to allow the water to rise up into the pipe? It just seems redundant

[@LuminairPrime]

​@@jakeb.4225 The gravel IS the drain. The pipe is just an upgrade for more flow. If you removed the gravel at the bottom, you would be shrinking the size of the drain, which would reduce its flow, and reduce how long it works before clogging. Think of the gravel as just a giant corrugated pipe. If you wanted, you could install just a pipe into your soil, but the area around the pipe is very small so very little water can enter, and the volume inside the pipe is very small so it will clog quickly. Putting the pipe in a gravel trench will allow 5-10x more water to flow for 5-10x more years, and all it cost was some rock.

[@RobSchwabRandom]

Considering that members in a pottery Facebook group recommend using landscaping fabric to separate usable clay from dirt, I kinda thought it would go this direction at the beginning of the video.

[@Gengingen]

Thank you for keeping it simple & straightforward 😊

[@wg7644]

Could you run your sump pump pipe directly to a french drain instead of using smooth pipe?

[@johnnyp4466]

i got the nds ez drain pipe, i was reading the installation instruction and they say that if you have a 50/50 clay soil to use another cover over the original that fabric. i do have alot do clay in my soil, would you recommend anther layer of fabric over the ez drain fabric. or is it over kill ? i live in michigan

[@appledrains]

@@johnnyp4466 no just cover with. Stone

[@johnnyp4466]

The nds ez drain already has the fabric and the poly rockets wrapper on it

[@appledrains]

@@johnnyp4466 do it and you’ll be done

[@mpowersmedia3219]

Great video. Glad i found it before i put my drains in.

[@ilocksmiths]

Great videos so far,thanks for the information

[@denisconor648]

Great stuff

[@theoccidilian4896]

Won’t moles and gophers tear through the fabric, allowing clay to infiltrate and the gravel?

[@appledrains]

No

[@Co8a]

unless it's moles from the CIA ))

[@affordablevoices]

Great video.

[@larrymiller1426]

Awesome video, thank you

[@northjerseykevin3915]

I tried to look inside but it was dark. I’d think the way you secured the pipe with the coupling is a problem waiting to happen. I can envision debris getting caught on it.

[@Co8a]

I thought about that too

[@finn3408]

Very good. Thank you.

[@bestseedorchard1107]

I use 8 oz landscape fabric over my drainage pipe. I tested it and water from a hose passes right through it as fast as the hose delivers it in about 1 square foot of fabric. The Styrofoam peanuts will probably collapse over time if the pipe is buried very deep or be destroyed by freeze thaw cycles. Perforated , slotted, pipe does require a fabric in a sandy soil as soil cohesion is very weak and grains of sand will wash into the pipe. Not needed on clay. That is not 8 oz fabric you have there. (8 oz per sq yard)

[@gillt1975]

Great video!

[@Africanfrogs]

Long time no see chuck, hope your doing well

[@NicholasRadina]

Thank you!

[@exracer2727]

Regarding the Black and Decker comments, those people are Brand snobs.

[@staceylam762]

Could we put granular lime into the soil to amend the clay soil?

[@appledrains]

Sure

[@joeherbert3590]

Thanks

[@zhariarose]

Must use gravel around the pipe as ive seen on many videos 🎉

[@appledrains]

@@zhariarose watch the real channel Apple Drains

[@CJ-111]

Nice video

[@appledrains]

Thank you 👍

[@maandalorian]

So, fabric alone drains well; clay on (any) fabric drains poorly. And the conclusion is the fabric is the problem and not the clay?

[@appledrains]

Yes

[@peterbergeris6510]

Does anyone see a big difference between Apple Drains n French Drain Man videos? French Drain Man does not recommend PVC because it cracks. His blue pipe is slotted entirely around his pipe.

[@gman8042]

Of course he would recommend and oversell his own products, he makes more money from suckers this way

[@peterbergeris6510]

@@gman8042 Does his products work better or the same from what box stores sell.

[@CREATINELUSTER]

from a purely material aspect, FDM is up north where it freezes and thaws often, which will wreck PVC pretty quick. Although that's no excuse for shilling his own overpriced corrugated.

[@peterbergeris6510]

@@CREATINELUSTER Would you use the pipe sold at box stores or easy flow

[@josevela7868]

Your Awesome 😎🔥😎🔥

[@glee21012]

For thousand years, french drains have been used without fabric. Do we really need it? Maybe it improves performance in certain soils. How many basements use draintile in their footings, with no fabric, since the 18th century? They are still working.

[@SpencerJohnson-f4g]

I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination... BUT... (lol) here's what I think this test isn't quite covering. This test is showing how clay tends to retain its water content instead of allowing it to drain through. This test shows what happens when surface water meets the geotextile fabric from above, but it doesn't cover what happens when subsurface water rises to meet the drainage system from below. Now, I know what you are thinking, before I get roasted in the comments let me expand. Clay has a much higher saturation point (holds more water) than sand. This is because clays individual particles are much finer than sand. When clay is over saturated, water will drain easily, as the soil simply cannot hold anymore water. Once the excess water has drained off and you are below the saturation point, clay will resume it's tendency to retain the water. I think we can all agree that clay sucks for drainage, and the best option to improve surface drainage in a heavy clay soil is to introduce sand into the mix.

[@leeharrison2722]

I'm sorry, but this video really misses the issues the major points of putting drain tiles into clay. None of the common wraps stop the finest clay particles, and OF COURSE there is a tradeoff of fabric pore size and how much water can get through the fabric how fast. Note that the original development of the flexible perforated plastic pipe was for agricultural use, where the pipe goes into clay soil with no fabric, emplaced continuously by cut+cover machines. So why do you need fabric? Pssst ... big roots, tree roots, small shrubs ... etc. Farm fields don't have these roots. The fabric keeps your drains from root-clogging. The issue of clay fines in the drain tile itself is not solved by any fabric you are likely to buy. Drain tiles depend on adequate gradient to move those fines with the flow -- the fines suspend in the water reasonably well because they are fine ... given adequate flow. You need at least 2% gradient, more is better. And of course if you create a spot with low or negative gradient, that's where it will plug. It is normal and expected to see fine silt coming out of the drain, and clearing that from catch-basins etc is expected maintenance. The purpose of gravel (or the plastic peanuts, that I don't like to put into soil) inside a sock is just to provide a cheap "large pipe" surface area through the sock to collect water, in part because the porosity of the fabric is not very high ... but hey, if you are putting the drain into clay soil it is stupid to think that the porosity of the fabric is the issue; the porosity of the clay is terrible. Farmers dewatering clay fields put in a LOT of pipe. Usually in home and garden applications people underestimate the collection area needed due to the soil porosity .. and then they blame the fabric. This is dumb.

[@appledrains]

Watch for follow up a year later. You’ll be amazed.

[@Co8a]

In Russia we make fruit juice from wild berries. When the berries are cooked in a saucepan, strain them through cheesecloth, pour them into jars and put them in the refrigerator. So, after a couple of such procedures, this cheesecloth becomes so clogged with pulp and seeds of the berries that it stops letting juice through. Something similar happens with geofabric in the soil.

[@michaelberger6699]

"Doesn't get through the system" as he shows it going through the system... w/out aggregate...

[@stephengrimmer35]

Powerwashing through at 2.5 bar is NOT simulating rainfall.

[@appledrains]

Still laughing at all your crummy tweets!! Too funny!! 😂

[@Dennismininal]

U need the RIGHT fabric for drainage . Double punched fabric for DRAINAGE not landscaping fabric. Get it from French Drain Man

[@jerseyjim9092]

Never ask a barber if you need a haircut and never believe someone trying to sell you his special one of a kind product.

[@dennisbrinkley8613]

The purpose of the fabric is to prevent dirt intruding and blocking the corrugated pipe water inlet slits. Corrugated pipe with knife cut slits is the best choice. The aggregate rock helps to create air gaps to allow water flow and discourage the invasion of roots. French drains built correctly will last indefinitely. The challenge to building a proper French Drain is the labor of digging the trench and adding the 1.5” aggregate rock. If you choose the peanuts and sock you will learn regret.

[@handle1196]

So adding a French drain around a house in clay where the water table is high, would you advise, slotted pipe surrounded in stone with or without some kind of membrane to slot the clay blocking the stones?

[@evanbrooks3751]

I thought the whole point of creating a French drain and using fabric was to remove the clay, put the drains and back fill with rocks...

[@appledrains]

Seriously? That’s what you do

[@2wwwilly]

Fabric only caused headache 😪.

[@diytwoincollege7079]

If they don’t smell like cheese and wine, they are not authentic French drains

[@RedStorm.]

😎

[@billm1651]

This guy flip flops on fabric more than you can believe. 4oz non woven needle punched fabric is what you need.

[@appledrains]

@@billm1651 I’m sorry you are so wrong