Garden Drainage - Help Required

cheesesarnie

Hi...been in our house 5 months. House has a side extension which had soil/plants right up the brickwork.

I decided I didnt like plants so close to brickwork (rather gravel) so I dug out the soil the other day right round the 3 sides of the extension...possible bad move!

2 days later my 18 inch deep channel is full to the top with water (rained a bit, majority must have come through the soil)...we bailed the channel out with buckets & water came back 2 days later.

I believe theres a high water level here + we're on clay soil...

I've got the gravel coming on saturday but by filling the trench am I going to make the possible problem worse (water level is over foundations but under DPM). I cant see how I would drain off the water permenantly as theres no drain nearby & how do you deal with water in the soil.

Not sure of best plan now...maybe fill back up with soil!!

any help greatly appreciated

olias

Gravel in the bottom, drainage pipes with slots cut in them on top leading to soakaway dug about 5 metres away, weed membrane over pipes, topped off with gravel.

Olias

vaio

[FONT=&quot]I’d have though that as long as it’s below DPC you’ll be fine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I don’t think there is much difference between using earth or gravel[/FONT]

cheesesarnie

cheers olias....looks like I need some drainage pipes!

NotJeremyVine

You are asking this question in the wrong forum. Money-savers aren't
necessarily good at drainage, but Cormaic is the acknowledged expert,
(use google and search for paving expert as one word). I don't think he gives out financial advice, other than that related to paving and groundworks though.

Cheers

andrew-b

NotJeremyVine wrote: »

You are asking this question in the wrong forum. Money-savers aren't
necessarily good at drainage,

I wouldn't bet on it You don't have to have money to be an expert or even know where to look! Though www.pavingexpert.com is an excellent site frequently referred to from the forum so we might let you off being a newbie n' all

I'll take your link and raise ya .... http://www.pavingexpert.com/dpc01.htm

vaio

cheesesarnie wrote: »

cheers olias....looks like I need some drainage pipes!

If the trench filled up within two days then that implies high ground water level, add some pipes and a soak away and you’ll just end up with full pipes and a full soak away to go with your full trench.

As long as it’s below the DPC and you have no signs of internal damp then you have nothing to worry about (and I suspect nothing you can do can do about it without pumping)

Wookey

If you have trees or hedging around your garden consider running some of the soakaways towards them, they wont drink all the water thats fired at them but the soil around them should be in a lot better shape thereby allowing better natural drainage.

olias

vaio wrote: »

If the trench filled up within two days then that implies high ground water level, add some pipes and a soak away and you’ll just end up with full pipes and a full soak away to go with your full trench.

As long as it’s below the DPC and you have no signs of internal damp then you have nothing to worry about (and I suspect nothing you can do can do about it without pumping)

I see your point, but it depends on whether the ground conditions are the same where the soakaway is built, or if the clay layer is shallow enough then the soakaway can be built through it to more free draining soil below.

Wookeys idea is a possibility, but you could just end up in a few years with the soakaway clogged with roots (happened with a septic tank soakaway I had and it knackered it!

Olias

cheesesarnie

thanks guys....might stick a pipe in while we're filling with gravel...

could point it towards next doors lawn!

ormus

i was just gonna suggest that!

you do need to find the lowest level somewhere or a handy drain you can access.
fairly simple then to lay drainage pipes to it.