drainage solutions advice

dharmy123

Hi
I am in the process of getting some quotes to get my garden done, i live in a new build house and of course the drainage isn't the best due to the clay etc.

One landscaper has said he would dig channels with drainage pipes and feed this straight into the drain i have in the garden, the drain however is on the side of the garden which is closer to my house.

Another landscaper said they think it would be better to fill the all the garden bed with limestone and then sand and then turf on top. This landscaper said the channels wont make sense because the drain is on the wrong side of the garden.

Any ideas on which is the best option?

thanks!

Davesnave

What sort of 'drain' do you have near the house?

No one is supposed to empty any land drainage into a drain that goes to the public sewers; that's how floods are exacerbated. All land drains should go to a soakaway, which should be positioned at the lowest point in the area covered.

AudreyPalmer

I'm having issues with the drainage in a corner of our garden beside our garage. We've had landscape gardeners come to have a look and one has mentioned a soakaway which sounds like it might work. Another mentioned just raising the garage door and putting pea shingle down. I would rather have the pea shingle and avoid digging into the garden but these options might work for you.

Finding someone that's willing to do the work is another thing entirely! I've had three people come to see the garden to do some landscaping. Have asked for three quotes. Only one came back that was too pricy (and I didn't agree on his 'style') the others that I really liked haven't replied at all. I thought people were desperate for work!

dharmy123

Hi Dave, in all honesty i'm not too sure what specific type of drain it is. I've got another landscaper coming tonight to take a look so will ask him to see what he thinks.

thanks

telemarks

You have two options, both have osmotic pipes in gravel trenches, leading either to a surface water drainpipe, or a soakaway pit. A lot depends on the slope of the site, depth of the drainage pipe (assuming surface water pipe, not foul) and the porosity of the topsoil and subsoil.

For a piped solution the physical location of the pipe leading out of the garden is the least important factor, the depth and gradient is all that matters. Water rarely flows uphill.

The other option of pipes into a soakaway will only work on the right conditions. The location of that soakaway will be key so that it does not affect your, or other properties. Any decent landscaper suggesting a soakaway will dig a trail pit first and test water soakaway over time, before committing to a full soakaway system.

fill the all the garden bed with limestone and then sand and then turf on top.

I can't see this suggestion helping much at all, as it does nothing to address the underlieing problem, and you will just have the brownest lawn possible in summer.

This landscaper said the channels wont make sense because the drain is on the wrong side of the garden.

As above the only way this would make sense is if the garden slopes away from the pipe

Davesnave

dharmy123 wrote: »

Hi Dave, in all honesty i'm not too sure what specific type of drain it is. I've got another landscaper coming tonight to take a look so will ask him to see what he thinks.

thanks

If the toilet and/or sink waste goes into it, it's definitely headed for the sewer. Gullies just taking downpipes from gutters are less easy to ID when it comes to where they masy be headed.

All my gutter water goes to to soakaways now, but on my last house they also went to the sewer, because regulations were different when it was built.