What Is a French Drain System?
An outdoor French drain is a trench you cover in rocks. It’s connected to pipes to guide water away from your home. The first part of French drains is the elevated or higher end, referred to as a drain field. The drain field is where the groundwater or excess surface water enters the drainpipes. Then, there’s the second part: the French drain exit point, which is the lowest point where the water leaves the drain.

A French drainpipe offers you the solution for if your basement is admitting water through the foundation. In a “wet” basement, the water presses against the foundation, slowly leaking through. However, a French drain reroutes the water near the foundation and releases it elsewhere.