French drain to waterproof cellar – how successful?

Anyone out there have success installing a French drain system? This came up in an earlier post I did about waterproofing a basement in a house we are buying but I’d love to hear from others who’ve actually used one. On my last visit to the house, the cellar was actually covered in 3 inches of water from recent rains, and the broker swore a French drain was the answer. Would love to hear more about these – how likely they are to succeed, rough cost estimates (footprint of this house is 16.5 x 40), good vendors to use, etc.

Advice greatly appreciated – thanks!

By housesearcher | 03/15/2008 5:01 PM