This house had a backyard that stayed wet all summer long. The soggy yard is caused by a steady upward sloping hill that allows water to steadily seep underground and puddle at the point where the hill no longer drops. At the rear of this photo is an improperly installed Railroad tie retaining wall. The wall pictures is about seven feet at it's highest point and had absolutely no drainage installed behind it. This lack of drainage causes the wall to leach water continuously and contributes to the wet backyard. Frogs lived in the marsh pictured to the right.

Soil samples are taken both below and behind the retaining wall. A plan is made to drain the seeping water from the soil and dispose of it by gravity. In this case, the course of action includes a French Drain to be installed along the base of the retaining wall and also across several sections of the rear yard. This type of drain can be four feet deep, incorporate multiple laterals, and is built using protective filter fabric, perforated PVC pipe, and over fifty tons of crushed stone!!! Care is taken to locate the trenches, depths, and spacing of the drain tile according to the plan.

When all of the stone is installed into the trenches, the protective fabric is then pulled over the top of the drainage system. The purpose of the filter fabric is to keep sediment out while allowing water to flow freely in. Generally, if the French drain is installed across a lawn, the filter fabric will be installed on top and then covered with top soil. This will allow lawn to grow over the drainage system. If the drain is along a fence or perimeter line, frequently the gravel may be left exposed. Exposing the gravel makes the drainage system that much more effective, by allowing the water a direct path into the drainage system.

Following a rough grade of the property and installation of several NDS surface drains, the existing soil is screened with our hydraulic screener, and screened top soil (right) is then installed using a Bobcat rubber track loader for a better finish grade. Finally, the new top soil is then rolled to prepare the ground for a new, dry lawn. .