I get the frustration with French drains in clay, but I’ve actually seen them work if you use the right gravel and wrap the pipe in filter fabric. The key is making sure the trench is deep enough and slopes away from the house—otherwise, yeah, it’s just a mess. I’d be careful with adding sand to clay, though. That can turn into something like brick if you’re not careful. Compost seems safer, but it takes a while to make a real difference. Just my two cents...
Had a similar issue last fall—my backyard turned into a mud pit every time it rained. I tried digging a shallow trench first, but it just filled up with water and made things worse. Ended up hiring someone to install a proper French drain with the fabric and gravel like you mentioned. It’s not perfect, but way better than before. I’m still a little paranoid about water near the foundation, so I check it after every big storm... probably overkill, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Checking after every storm isn’t overkill at all—honestly, I wish more folks did that. French drains are great, but they’re not magic. If your soil’s heavy clay or you’ve got a high water table, even the best setup can struggle. I’ve seen people get too confident and end up with a surprise basement pond. Keep an eye on it, but don’t lose sleep unless you start seeing damp spots inside.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m still not convinced checking after every storm is necessary unless you’ve already had issues. When we moved in, I thought the French drain would solve everything—nope. First big rain, water pooled right up against the house. Now, after any heavy downpour, I do a quick walk around: check the basement corners, look for puddles near the foundation, and make sure the downspouts are clear. It’s a pain, but I’d rather catch a problem early than deal with a soggy carpet. Still, I don’t stress unless I actually see water inside.
I get what you mean about not stressing unless there’s actual water inside, but I’ve always wondered—do you think the grading around your house might be part of the problem? Sometimes even with a French drain, if the soil slopes toward the foundation, water just keeps coming back. Ever tried regrading or adding more soil to push runoff away? I’m curious if that made any difference for anyone else dealing with swampy lawns.
