I need to install a surface drain to help with a soggy yard. I came across a product called HydroBlox at the local home and garden show. Basically this is a recycled product that has similar dimensions to a 2x10 board.

The claim is you do not need any gravel or pipe covering/sleeve. You only need a trencher to cut a 3 in wide trench. The block has micro pores that allow water to pass though but block dirt. It never clogs.

It is a little pricey at $7 ft. but will save me time in labor and minimal damage to my yard. Homedepot sells a premade drain pipe that has a sleeve and packing peanut type fill around the pipe for $5 ft.

Im pretty much sold on the idea. I just want to see if there is anything im missing or problems that could arise?

hydroblox

http://www.hydroblox.com/

No idea. Since it seems to be a very new product, you may not know if it will clog over time or not.

I did the corrugated pipe with sleeve and it's been working good for about 15 years now...

If they would promise to replace if it clogged, I might give it a try...

Looks pretty cool, and effective. Wonder how it handles high volumes of water.

I've just dug trenches and filled them with stone and covered them up with 3-4" of dirt. They definitely work and are several years old.

We have just re-built all of our outside drains, as a result of recent local record rainfall, and subsequent water coming into our basement. IE: into MY room. You don't want to know.

We had to take out all previous exterior drains (circa-1948) and replace with new catch-basins and perimeter drains.

Do not underestimate the power of un-fettered H2O.

It is all about gravity, and the path of least resistance.

Water will go everywhere you do not want it to go. Period.

Big things / little things. There are many things that could be worse.