Improper drainage can cause a host of problems for a homeowner. Damp basements and swampy yards have plagued our area due to our local soil profile. Often, mere grading simply isn't enough to get all the water flowing away. French drains are a great way to help alleviate excessive water on your property. Installation is fairly simple. After determining the appropriate and effective location to run and end the drain, a trench is dug. Depending on site conditions, a root barrier fabric may be placed in the trench. Perforated pipe is then laid in the bottom of the trench and connected together running the full distance. Once all necessary connections are made the trench is then filled to the top with an infiltration aggregate and leveled. Where an open ditch would be susceptible to erosion, open to blockage and create a potential safety hazard and impassible barrier, the French drain's gravel fill protects the pipe from clogging and maintains the usable surface originally there.