Tried eyeballing the slope on my first drain job—bad idea. Water just sat there, didn’t move at all.
Yeah, I tried to “eyeball” the slope too and it was a mess. Those laser levels are a game changer, honestly. About the pipes—are you talking about the newer solid PVC ones or the black corrugated stuff? I’ve heard mixed things. Some folks swear by gravel and rigid pipe, but the corrugated seems flimsy to me. Does it actually hold up long-term or just clog up faster? I’m not convinced it’s any better than the old-school method, but maybe I’m missing something.
the corrugated seems flimsy to me. Does it actually hold up long-term or just clog up faster?
That’s what I keep wondering too. I used corrugated for a short run behind my garage and it seemed fine at first, but after one season it started backing up with mud. Maybe I didn’t wrap it right, but it feels like the rigid stuff would be less hassle in the long run. Anyone else notice that the corrugated pipe crushes pretty easily if you’re not careful?
Yeah, I’ve had the same issue with corrugated pipe getting squished if you don’t bed it just right or if you drive over it by mistake. I tried saving a few bucks using it for a French drain along my side yard, but after a couple of years, it was full of silt and barely draining. The rigid stuff costs more up front, but I haven’t had to dig it up again—worth it for my sanity. Wrapping helps, but honestly, it still feels like a gamble with the corrugated.
I hear you on the corrugated stuff—it’s cheap, but man, it just doesn’t last if there’s any chance of weight on it. I’ve had to patch up more collapsed lines than I can count. Rigid PVC takes a bit more work upfront, but it’s solid. I’m still not convinced wrapping fixes the silt issue long-term either...maybe if you go crazy with gravel, but it’s a pain. Anyone ever try double-wrapping or is that just overkill?
Double-wrapping? Man, unless you’re planning on draining the Mariana Trench, that’s probably just burning daylight. I’ve seen folks try it, thinking it’ll keep silt out forever, but honestly, if your gravel’s not right or you skimp on the base, you’ll still get clogging. Rigid PVC with a solid gravel bed has saved my bacon more times than I can count. Corrugated’s fine for a quick fix, but if there’s any chance of traffic or shifting soil, it folds faster than a cheap lawn chair.