- 100% agree on the landscape fabric—skipping it is just asking for trouble.
- For pool drainage, solid pipe can work if you’re only moving clean water, but once you get any debris or silt in there, it’s not forgiving.
- I’ve seen folks run solid pipe straight to a pop-up emitter at the curb. Works fine, but if your yard slopes weird or the run is long, water can back up.
- French drain with gravel + fabric is still my go-to for anything more than just a quick drain. It’s more work up front, but you’re not out there unclogging it every season.
- One thing: make sure your outlet isn’t going to dump water right where it’ll cause another headache... learned that one the hard way.
I’m with you on the French drain—definitely more work, but way less hassle in the long run. I’ve had solid pipe runs get clogged up with just a bit of silt, and suddenly you’re digging up half the yard. Quick question: has anyone tried using a catch basin before the solid pipe to trap debris? I’ve seen it in some flips, but never actually tested it myself. Also, curious how folks are handling discharge if you’re not allowed to dump at the curb—some HOAs are picky about that.
Quick question: has anyone tried using a catch basin before the solid pipe to trap debris? I’ve seen it in some flips, but never actually tested it myself.
I’ve actually seen a catch basin used in a neighbor’s yard, but it seemed like more of a “set it and forget it” situation than anything well-maintained. The idea makes sense—trap the big stuff before it gets into the pipes—but I always wonder if folks really keep up with cleaning them out. Otherwise, isn’t it just another spot for gunk to pile up? Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’d be worried about missing that maintenance and ending up with a backup anyway.
About the discharge rules, that’s a headache. Our HOA is super strict too—no curb dumping, no visible hoses running across sidewalks. One guy down the street ran his line out to a dry well under his flower beds. Looked great on paper, but after a heavy rain, his hydrangeas basically floated away. Has anyone tried integrating drainage into landscaping in a way that doesn’t look obvious or mess with your plants? I’m always curious how people balance function and aesthetics when you’ve got these restrictions...
Catch basins definitely sound good in theory, but you’re right—it’s just one more thing to forget about until it clogs up. I tried one a couple years back and honestly, if you don’t clean it out after every big storm, it’s almost worse than not having one at all. As for hiding drainage, I once ran a solid pipe under a gravel path with some creeping thyme on top. It looked pretty sharp, plus the plants didn’t seem to mind as long as the water wasn’t pooling. Still, if you get a crazy rain, even the best setup can look like a mini riverbed...
I hear you on the catch basins—maintenance is always the part folks forget about. I once did a job where the homeowner had a French drain running under their patio, and it worked great until a season of heavy leaves clogged it solid. Ended up having to dig up half the path to clear it out. These days, I lean toward daylighting the pipe somewhere downhill if possible, or at least adding a cleanout port you can snake easily. Hiding pipes under gravel or groundcover looks nice, but if you get a real downpour, water’s gonna find its own way no matter what you do...
