Things with “French” in the title are usually fancy, right? Poodles, perfume, pastries. But a French drain has a more utilitarian purpose—redirecting standing water away from vulnerable structures or ...

The relentless rain this fall has left some homeowners inspecting the drainage around the house and garden. Most homes have issues with water movement across and around the house. Even flat yards have ...

Q: A well-respected and competent contractor who has done excellent work for us in the past is giving us a bid to install a French drain and surface drain in our sloped backyard in San Mateo. For the ...

Rene Ruiz, left, waits in an excavator as Julian Flores, center and Alfonso Velasquez couple two large corrugated perforated plastic pipe sections as part of a drainage system. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA / THE ...