If you live in snow country, let’s hope you are ready for the spring snow melt around your foundation walls.
This likely includes the melting of large banks of snow right next to… your homes foundation walls. The snow falls off your roof during warm spells, especially on metal roofs, and plops next to the foundation, where it will make snow berms, melt eventually, and add lots of groundwater snow melt weight around the home or cabins foundation walls.
If homeowners install hand excavated french drains when the ground is not frozen or covered with snow, their homes will likely stay dry during the snow melt in the spring. Many homes in the Mt. Hood area of Oregon, and other mountain communities as well, suffer from large snow accumulations and heavy snow melt conditions during the snow melt.
Compacting a better foundation grade around the foundation, one that has not been dug up and gardened, is a must to start the hand excavated french drain installation plan. All rain drain discharges must flow well, and not overflow next to the side of the foundation where they are installed.
Rain water must have a hard surface to run on at the foundation walls. A splash block is compacted and sloped towards the french drain installation, which is located approximately 18″ from the foundation wall.
The splash block will flow rainwater hitting the sides of the home, and also roof water that is overflowing because of plugged gutter systems or rain drain discharges, away to the french drain.
Snow country can be a lot drier with hand excavated french drains installed, if homeowners plan ahead and do professional work, or hire one in their area before the ground gets too frozen to excavate.
Perhaps a few places in the southwest and west of the U.S. still could install them. We work year round, except during frozen soil days, which are not frequent in the Portland Oregon area. We benefit from a long installation period in which to work.