French drainage system

11 years ago

So I have known I had issues with water under the house for quite awhile. I decided after redoing the plumbing to install a french drain by a reputable company. It was a big expense, close to 9k. There is a drainage system and a sump pump to pump water out to the street. I think they did a good job. So they finished a week ago and we've gotten a lot of rain in the last few days. But I have water pooling towards the foundation, right near the drainage ditch. Is there something wrong or is this a separate issue?

In this picture the drainage ditch is in the dark soil area.

Here are a few other construction pictures to show the ditch.
This is the ditch that was dug. You can see the fireplace off to the side to get an idea of the drainage.

This shows the ditch filled with gravel. But the area in question is off to the bottom left of the image frame since it was take from the opposite side of the property.

My questions since I don't know much.
Is this something that should have been fixed by them in installing a drainage system?
Is this a completely separate issue?
Is this a non-issue concerning my foundation? But I thought part of the idea of a drainage system is to keep water away from the foundation area.

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Comments (4)

SparklingWater
11 years ago
IF there are holes in your home's foundation, then regardless of the approximating french drain system water can accumulate at and in/through the foundation. The area you show near your chimney may need to be dug up completely to reveal the foundation's status (holes, cracks, presence of tar sealant, membrane, then proper drainage fill dirt). A french drain will divert rain away from a house, but not rain water accumulation that leaks directly down through the ground abutting the foundation. Have you showed your company this picture? Good luck, foundations are tricky but it's great you're on it!
nap101
Original Author
11 years ago
thanks for the feedback. This just happened today, a Sunday, so I haven't approached them about it. Again, it may be something else so I want to prepare myself with as much information as I can before talking to them.
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rogerv_gw
11 years ago
Seems to me that the ground should slope down going away from the house toward the French drain, so that there would be no pooling where your picture shows pooling. Level ground is perfect for pooling water, which is why the ground around the house's foundation should slope down going away from the house. In my opinion, this is a detail that should have been taken care of by the people that did the French drain.
nap101
Original Author
11 years ago
rogerv, that was my thought.

In the meantime I just went out and dug a shallow trench in that area about 18 inches away from the foundation so the water is collecting there instead of near the foundation.