Professional French Drain Repair in Houston

If there’s one thing every Houston resident has in common, it’s the soil under our feet. Houston Black Soil is a dark-colored, clay-like soil that is stable when dry but has the disadvantage of expanding considerably when it gets wet. When swollen with moisture, the earth is tight and compacted, perfect for building upon, but as this soil dries out, the displaced dirt must shift to fill the open spaces, causing areas closer to the top layers of your yard to shift. This continuous shifting of the top layers from season to season leads to uneven yards, sinkholes, and damaged foundations.

French drains are an excellent feature for any yard that experiences excessive puddles and ponding water every time it rains. Standing water damages your lawn and attracts mosquitoes, snakes, and many other thirsty creatures. Standing water can create sinkholes in your yard and could eventually result in the cracking of your home’s concrete slab foundation. Standing water can cause pier and beam foundation posts to shift out of place, causing uneven floors. 

You have a French drain to prevent these messy, soggy areas in your yard and the problems they cause. If you’ve noticed some of these symptoms below reappearing in your yard or new ones are occurring, it could be time for a French drain repair.

How Can I Tell If I Need French Drain Repair Service?

  • Ponding or Standing Water
  • Uneven Spots in the Soil
  • No Water Flow at the Terminal End of the Drain
  • Shifting Soil Around Your Foundation
  • Concrete Slab Cracks
  • Pier and Beam Supports Shifting

The reason you have a French drain is because of the way the soil in Houston tends to shift, leaving ground surfaces uneven. If your French drain fails, you can expect to experience the same issues that existed before the installation, only now, they’ll be more destructive and disruptive. 

Many problems with a French drain can be attributed to its initial installation. French drain installation isn’t a project for the inexperienced, as it requires the drain line to maintain a steady 1% downward grade for its entire length. This slope allows the excess water to flow freely into a catch basin or the city sewer line. If installed incorrectly, you will merely see your standing water and yard drainage issues worsen, and you will need French drain repair somewhere down the line.

What Can Nick’s Plumbing Do? 

Initially, we’re going to treat a blocked French drain the same way as any clogged pipe. We’ll perform a high-definition video camera snake inspection of the line’s interior and check to ensure all catch basins are clear and that no root infiltration has taken place. After that, depending on the density of the debris in the pipe, Nick’s will perform either a mechanical snaking or hydro-jetting as part of the French drain cleaning process. 

Can I Prevent a Clogged French Drain?

Assuming the perforated pipe was appropriately prepared, the correct rocks were used, and the slope from the backyard to the city sewer line is consistent, your French drain is essentially maintenance-free. Once or twice a year, it’s a good idea to look at the catch basins around your yard and the outlet end of your French drain line and clear out any debris that may have accumulated. Also, remove the drain grate from the top of the pipe, and use the highest pressure stream setting on your garden hose to clean the inside of the line.

Always check on the condition of your French drain after a period of heavy rainstorms. Note any changes in the direction or speed of the water flow from your yard and any newly uneven sections of your lawn. Naturally shifting soil and any new landscaping can significantly alter the path water takes while leaving your yard. Moving soil can also cause sagging of your plumbing lines, causing cracks and leaks that require a French drain repair specialist, like Nick’s Plumbing.  

Need French Drain Repair? Call the Houston Experts!

If you find yourself standing in ankle-deep water in the backyard, don’t panic; give Nick’s Plumbing a call and let us look at that French drain issue. Nick’s has been Houston’s go-to expert for French drain repair and cleaning services since 1979. Houston has relied on Nick’s Plumbing for its expertise in both home and commercial plumbing applications for over forty years. Give us a call, and let us bring our five-star reputation to your French drain.

Call Nick’s Today; We’re on the Way!

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