• Decide where the water is pooling and decide where you want the water to go – into other bodies of water, or the road curbside. You should run a downspout connection into the French drain to channel rainwater flowing off the roof into the drainage system and away from the house.
• Use spray paint, or stakes with string, to mark the width, length, and direction of the trench before starting your basement waterproofing project.
• Dig a trench three feet deep, around 12 inches wide, ensuring the design supports foundation protection.
• Trenches should be dug parallel to the home or horizontally across slopes in the backyard to prevent wet basement issues.
• Make sure you dig a trench that has a good slope away from the house, so the water flows downward. Slope it down one inch for every 10–12 feet of trench. This ensures water doesn’t reach your interior foundation walls or pool in the yard.
• Lay down a filter fabric along the trench, so dirt or grass doesn’t clog the holes in the pipe — a method often used by Toronto waterproofing professionals.
• Place the correlated, perforated pipe into the trench. The holes in the pipe should point downward, into the soil. If your home needs additional stability, consider basement underpinning for added strength.
• Pour gravel into the trench, over the top and down the sides of the pipe. The gravel helps filter debris and supports the exterior waterproofing system.
• The water in the soil will enter the pipe from an inlet at one end, or soak into the perforated pipe, along its entire length, and flow away to another location. Proper setup can save you from costly sump pump repairs later.
• Backfill the trench with topsoil to completely cover the drainage system. Re-seed the area if you want or cover it with landscaping stone — a perfect finish after your concrete floor work.

With all the rain we’ve been seeing this summer, it’s no surprise when you walk into your backyard and see puddles of water everywhere. Or rainwater flowing from downspouts pooling next to the foundation — that can cause water damage, mould, and even basement flooding.

It also raises the risk of water seeping into your basement, since heavy rainfall increases soil moisture and pressure on cement walls. Cracks can form over time, and cement being porous, leaks soon follow — especially in older homes with cinder block foundations.

A French drain system is one of the best ways to direct water away from your home and prevent recurring flooding. For complete protection, get in touch with our Toronto team today.

The bottom line is to ensure you have a backyard area with a drainage system that can handle the excessive rainfall we have been seeing. And it is vital you have a system in place that channels water away from your home’s foundation. A French drain provides a sunken, easy reliable path to push water outside of your backyard.

Contact Canada Waterproofers today for a free consultation about a backyard French drain system.