French Drain

[poncho]

I have spent the last 2 days & nights digging drains into the garden! Followed instructions from a french drain website! I now have water filled ditches with a murky swimming pool at the bottom of the swamp! The soil is waterlogged with a layer of what looks like clay a 1ft depth the a compacted sand layer another few inches down.......... the field behind is a few inches above the garden...
Do I need to raise my garden??
What substrates should I use??
Or should I just dig a swimming pool?
Help!!!!!!

 

[Thermo]

where are you intending to drain the water to? its all very well digging the trench system but it needs to go somewhere. ie a soakaway

 

[breezer]

how about a sump pump with float switch?

 

[barryo]

see www.pavingexpert.com

If you can't get your answer there, it probably doesn't exist!!

GL

 

[poncho]

How deep should the soakaway be? I have already dug one but I fear it is not deep enough

 

[barryo]

Depends on conditions. If you're getting flood it probably means not deep enough, or not penetrating non-permeable layer? Also, you have to have fall from FD to soakaway.

Percolation test is best way of predicting soakaway depth required (see www.pavingexpert.com).