We have had persistent damp since moving in to our new house, likely coming in through the side wall. I was recommended to put in some channel or french drains to keep water away. Seems like a reasonable idea, but the problem I have is that our house is a semi, built into a hill sloping front to back, so the drains in the front are much too high and to access the drain at the rear would mean going around and under a big concrete slab and a substantial brick staircase.
I have seen videos online of french drains filled with gravel that don't seem to be connected to a sewer or soakaway (like this guy
). I'm really not keen to excavate the back of the house, and digging a soakaway in the garden is possible but seems like overkill. Should I just do it or will a gravel channel below the dpc be good enough to keep the house dry?
I have seen videos online of french drains filled with gravel that don't seem to be connected to a sewer or soakaway (like this guy