Garden Flooding issue 19 December 2022 at 2:12PM edited 19 December 2022 at 2:13PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 5 replies 300 views

akorn77

Hi. I moved into a new terraced house over summer. Its  1930's build so very old. There is a very old garage at the rear which I will be knocking down in future. Noticed that my garden and my right-hand side neighbours garden floods in the middle. My left hand-side neighbour used to also experience flooding but he re-built a new garage/shed on higher ground and the back of it is on a slight include so his rainwater goes into the rear access road behind our garages, so his garden no longer floods. Right side neighbours said alot of rubbish/rubble has been chucked in the rear access way which may be exacerbating the issue. 

Does anyone know the best way to resolve this? Bearing in mind its a terraced house so we dont really have anywhere to run the water to, besides the rear access road. 

Image: https://ibb.co/vv5C0DD

twopenny

Without wanting to seem obvious the first thing to do if find out where the water is coming from.

Is it grass?

If the centre have a poke with an iron rod in a number of places into the area. See if it's rubble under the grass. It's not unusual for all sorts of strange stuff to be dumped and covered with a light layer of soil and turf.

The fact that your neighbour is running rainwater off a roof at the back stopping his garden flooding is strange but unlikely that water is coming to the middle of your garden from the rear road.

I can't view your photo, I get 501 bad gateway.

akorn77

twopenny said:

Without wanting to seem obvious the first thing to do if find out where the water is coming from.

Is it grass?

If the centre have a poke with an iron rod in a number of places into the area. See if it's rubble under the grass. It's not unusual for all sorts of strange stuff to be dumped and covered with a light layer of soil and turf.

The fact that your neighbour is running rainwater off a roof at the back stopping his garden flooding is strange but unlikely that water is coming to the middle of your garden from the rear road.

I can't view your photo, I get 501 bad gateway.

Yes my garden is grass. It only occurs during heavy rain. The neighbours garden is worse than mine. 

The neighbour isnt running rainwater into my garden. He built his garage on higher ground and from the rear added an incline, so no rain holds in his garden anymore. The only water in my garden is from normal rain. 

I think the image hosting website is down. I cant go on it either. Edit - looks likes working again. 

I should also note that my neighbour wants us to work together to resolve the issue. 

twopenny

My garden is a mix. Most of the front is rubble with grass on but higher up is more soil.

I had to investigate the whole garden to put in washing line, plants etc as it was just lawn since building.

I used a metal poker to poke into the grass and see how deep the soil was.

The reason I suggest this is because if it's good soil under it shouldn't puddle.

I was also wondering if it's the base or remains of an Anderson shelter from the 2nd ww.

Or the base of an old outside loo.

Something each garden may have in common.

akorn77

twopenny said:

My garden is a mix. Most of the front is rubble with grass on but higher up is more soil.

I had to investigate the whole garden to put in washing line, plants etc as it was just lawn since building.

I used a metal poker to poke into the grass and see how deep the soil was.

The reason I suggest this is because if it's good soil under it shouldn't puddle.

I was also wondering if it's the base or remains of an Anderson shelter from the 2nd ww.

Or the base of an old outside loo.

Something each garden may have in common.

Thanks I'll defintely do this. I'll have to wait for all the water to go a bit before I can check

twopenny

You need to do some close together incase it's just a pebble you are hitting
If that doesn't come up wwith anything you could dig a narrow trench at the alley end down and see if water runs down it.
Taking up turf carefully between now and april should be fine. You can replace it, gently firm down and it won't show by the summer.
A turf cutter and small garden fork are easiest. Either cheap ones or borrow.
Ideally you'd take off the area it's puddling and dig down a bit. See whats there and if it puddles turf free.
It could be a rubbish area.
Who knows, you may find treasure