03/27/2022
The main objective of a French drain is to remove excess water from the area around your foundation, so that it doesn’t get under your home. (If groundwater manages to get under a slab foundation, it can cause heaving.) If your soil is prone to oversaturation from heavy rain or flooding, this type of drain will efficiently channel away any water trapped in the ground.
Surface drains are used to collect and move away large volumes of water in a short amount of time. They are installed in sloped surfaces and work like your shower drain does, to catch surplus water runoff and drain it away before it can collect and cause serious damage. If the area around your home has drainage issues (for example, water collects within around four feet of the foundation after a rainfall), a surface drain can prevent it from causing stress to the structure.