Structural

French Drain

Structural · definition

A gravel-filled trench with perforated pipe that redirects surface and groundwater away from the structure.

Source: U.S. DOE Building America Solution Center — Swales, Drains, and Site Grading for Stormwater Control

Where this comes up

  • Frost Heave

    Upward soil movement when moisture freezes and expands, lifting shallow footings, slabs, and steps. Prevented by footing depth and drainage.

  • Footing Drain / Drain Tile

    Perforated pipe in gravel along the footing that collects groundwater and routes it away or to a sump, relieving pressure on the foundation.

  • Frost Line / Frost Depth

    The depth to which ground freezes locally. Footings must bear below it (in central Ohio ~32 in.) so frost heave can't lift the structure.

  • Flitch Beam

    A composite beam of steel plate sandwiched between wood members, used where a slim but very strong beam is needed.

  • Girder

    A large primary beam that carries other beams or joists. The main load-collecting member, often mid-span under a floor down to columns.

  • Exterior Waterproofing

    Excavating to the footing and applying a membrane/coating plus drainage to the outside of the foundation — the most thorough (and costly)…

  • Glulam

    Glued-laminated timber — a structural beam of bonded dimensional lumber, often used where the beam is exposed for appearance.

  • Expansive Soil

    Clay-rich soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, cyclically stressing foundations. A leading cause of foundation cracking and mo…

Where this term fits in a remodel

The pillar guides set terms like this one in context — what the work involves, what drives its cost, and where it sits in the sequence of a project. Pricing a specific house takes a defined scope and an on-site assessment.

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