Rear garden Soakaway problems, solutions, diagnosis

UnsureAboutthis

Hello

We had rain where we live last night, mother of all storms for about 20 mins and another lesser shower this moring. I was watching and noted the next door's house gutters to rea garden overflowed. Their house is attached to ours, their rainwater from the rear roof empties in ours.

So does the front roof.

The front drain pipe on the side of our house goes into the sewer.

The rear is definitely into a soakaway. This is built about 2mts from our house, corner wall.

There is no space to build it at least 5mts from the house, as we have put up a larger room/office right across the width of the garden.

The soil composition is "shrinkable clay, sandy composition," which is what I recall the surveyor telling us when we had the rear garden rooms built.

The house was built in 1962.

I am safely guessing the house next door has some type of rights over letting their water flow in our gutters, etc.

What special test is required that ascertains if roots are impacting the soaking pipe leading to it, the soaaway etc and what paperwork am I looking for to ensure I am not ripped off.

Looking around prices for the basic test ie water floor into the soakway, they are about 300/350 inc vat and the camera, etc., to rule our nearby trats is about 500/600 inc. vat.

We have a negibouts tree which is about 20 foot away from the saoakway and 25 foot of out house and I'm worried about the recent drought hot waters and south facing garden which has a patio/slabs along the rear and side walls getting over heated and impactiong our home.

I could ask next door to contribute and then contribute running the rainwater down the rear and side of house to the front driveway and connect to the sewer, but she is close to 86 years old and has family living far away, so do want to worry here. The rerouting of rainwater, Google estimates, is 3.5k to 5k properly done by a good company.

As the house and soakaway are 60+ years old, I guess others are getting the same thing but not as alert as me

So what tests to confirm the soakaway is messed up and no tree roots are impacting it or the house. We just noted 2 months ago hairline cracks on interal palster all light coloured walls massive windowns, windows just over 10 years old, doors open etc and first floor windows are 100% ok atm, no extrnal cracks other than one yeaster i noted in a brick 2 levels down from DPC and that is in the mortart, max 1mm wide.

So I am being proactive but confused re certificates as if.When selling, I don't want any problems.

Btw the way the tree net door many of them around our wat possibly 60-foot-tall tree trunks 600/700 mm wide

Thanks

Baldytyke88

"Their house is attached to ours, their rainwater from the rear roof empties in ours."

There is no legal responsibility for that to happen; if there is a problem, try to work it out. Maybe it could say something in your deeds?

It's gone from being very dry, to being very wet; don't make any hasty decisions

UnsureAboutthis

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108030#Comment_82108030

As I said, it's in the deeds, ie right over access to driaange or something i recall reading that years ago.

Even if they were not and they are, lady is older than us and alone.

Anyone help?

Boohoo

If possible I would check the guttering 1st on the house roof to see if anything is blocking it and then your extension.

It could be a blocked downpipe.

I don't know your home layout but is it a semi?

In your street you could have look at the other houses to see if the gutter down pipes are the same as yours. Assuming the houses are of the same design.

Some photos of the rear house and the location of the soakawy could give us a better understanding of the layout.

As others have mentioned get the issue confirmed 1st before asking the neighbour for financial help and also is the 1st time this has happened with overflowing guttering?

UnsureAboutthis

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108111#Comment_82108111

Ours is one of 3 terraced houses, the look like a semi because roofs on is lower for the to our neighbours - ours is EoT.

nothing blocking it - what I noted years ago we have gutters changed but rear still overflows, not front - we had new facisas, the workers inc. gutters, bigger gutters - Thinking back, ours stopped overflowing but next door started to overfloor so in light/moderate rain they are ok, its when you get massive downpours this happens.

They say soakways last 30 -40 years ours is 60+ yrs old. I guess - I dont want to risk propblems with foundations as these houses have shallow foundations and the sun has been beating down on the rar patio/garden its hot out there but not as hot as the past 8 weeks or so - the soil we are built on is prone to dry/wet cycels and IIRC, we had masses of rain for a few weeks about 4 months ago now the 100% drought.

I just want to get rid of the soakaway and we could not really renew it by the book as you can't build/replace within 5 metres of building.

Anyone - as per my OP, please?

Boohoo

If you are eot then it's not just the old lady house but 1 more owners rainwater that flows into the gutter down pipe.

You are 100% sure nothing is blocking the terraced roof downpipe?

As I suggested photos to see the layout.

The roof downpipe goes into the ground so where does the back extension's roof rainwater go, into another pipe at ground level or into the roof downpipe?

I can't see any cheap way of fixing this if a new rainwater underground pipe is needed to go out into the road and then into the sewer.

You say there's no room for a soakaway in on your property so I think the only solution is to make new rainwater drainage system from the end of the gutter and then into the street.

UnsureAboutthis

Any answer the OP please?

I'm interested in how to get soakway properly checked etc - then I am good as 100% certain it is not 100%

functional and my plan is to get eh water into the mixed sewer ie takes toilet waste, kitchen/bathroom, and rainwater.

What credentials do I need to ensure these people have for the saoakway tests for dagae etc and then to get rear roofs rainwater out to front dig under drive and cnennect to sewer ie under manhol on drive

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108395#Comment_82108395

We don't know what you're home looks like so people can't give an opinion on how to do things and I have said photos would help.

You haven't answered my questions about the set up but that's entirely up to you.