Unpopular opinion: skip the fancy French drains and save your cash

I dropped $2,800 on a contractor-installed French drain system in my Edmonton backyard last spring and it clogged up within 3 months anyway from all that clay soil. Has anyone else had better luck with a simple surface trench or gravel pit instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly_nelson9523d ago

Oh man, the clay soil struggle is so real out here in Alberta. I've seen a ton of folks in Calgary post about the same thing, and honestly, the fancy drain systems just don't hold up against that sticky clay. What nobody talks about is just digging a wide trench and filling it with coarse 3/4 inch gravel, no pipe needed. That lets the water spread out and soak in slowly instead of trying to channel it somewhere. Plus it's like $50 in materials instead of thousands, and when it gets muddy you just throw in more gravel. Way simpler, way cheaper, and in my experience it actually works better long term.

oscarw8323d ago

Another idea is mixing in some lime with the gravel to break down that clay over time.