Small drainage problem

[Puddin' Man]

Greetings, I belong to a little brick bungalow in the midwest US, built in '54, poured-concrete foundation. Densely populated urban area.

When we get a hard rain with the wind from the north, I get some water seepage in the basement in the front, more-or-less under the front picture-window.

Where the foundation meets grade out front is a small gravel garden and 3 large yews with trunks 12-18" from the building. It's all on the side of a hill, the grade there gradually tapers down maybe 30 degrees.

I'm thinking if I had some flexible plastic drain pipe, I could maybe dig a channel where the grade meets the masonry. The pipe would have to be open or perforated on top, solid on bottom so it would route rainwater down and away from the foundation.

Does this sound like a viable approach? Does such drain pipe (maybe 4" diameter) exist, say, in the hideous big-boxes like Homey-Depot? Other ideas??

TIA, Puddin'

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

[mike]

1. Make sure your downspouts are working and depositing water in a safe area far away from the house.
2. Google "French Drain"
3. Use solid drain pipe with holes on the BOTTOM, unless you have to use the flexible garbage.
4. You can put plastic sheeting on the side of the french drain trench near the house for added dryness.
5. Google this group, as this as come up lots before. Search terms "french drain" "pop-up emitter" "drainage", etc.

Good luck.

[hallerb]

your far better off installing a interior french drain, ideally with gravity drain to daylight.

been there done this, excevated to footer level installed perforated drain pipe and fabric, gravel to grade, since a sidewalk was going there, regraded and landscaped entire yard, all new downspout drains...........

spent about 8 grand and did much of the labor myself, and paid a friend with a backhoe.

the water still entered the basement.......

money and time wasted.....

interior french drain cured the problem permanetely.

less cost less work and no digging around bush roots, you will likely kill them...........

[DanG]

The holes need to be on the bottom for any proper French drain install. It would be best to remove flower beds and gravel dumps at the face of the foundation and make sure that water and downspouts could get away from the foundation. 1/2" per foot minimum for the first 10 feet is code, though seldom enforced.