Soakaway
- Thread starter Delvis
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You want to put some proper drainage in too
A soakaway doesn't work in clay soil though. Normally if the soil type is as you've mentioned drainage engineers would design a solution to take the water away from site rather than keep it on site.
Surely 'a' soak away is better than no soak away?
Is it still 2.5 metres from a boundary and 5 from the property?
Edit: I do get your point either way
Man of Honour
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Soakaway , french drain is a good idea but you still have to get the water to an outlet or drain somewhere.
https://blog.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/how-when-to-install-a-garden-drainage-system/
https://blog.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/how-when-to-install-a-garden-drainage-system/
My intent is to dig a pilot hole and see if the clay goes, otherwise I can see if I can French drain it to something.
Either way, I'll need something otherwise all of the water from the patio will go off of that, then into the grass...or down the path, then to the back door.
I'll see what the pilot hole does and go from there.
Man of Honour
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For the patio you can use Drainage Channel and maybe tap into the storm water pipe.
I'll drainage channel anyway tbh, there's a small drain at the bottom of the garden on the drive side (side of house parking), so one other option is to tap into that but it's several meters away from the back of the garden where the patio is, hence looking at a soakaway.
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If you have clay then the soakaway isnt a viable option a french drain would be better.
That depends if the French drain can go anywhere, does it not?
From what I've read soak aways can work in clay, as long as it's below the clay and not below the waterline. So I'll dig a hole and see where it goes.
I'm in Bucks, most of the county is clay, particularly on new builds!
Might be worth checking this as well. I occasionally use the Scottish version to find out particular soil types for houses we build. http://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/
Man of Honour
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Yes the french drain will need an outlet of some sort, pipe, ditch, etc.That depends if the French drain can go anywhere, does it not?
From what I've read soak aways can work in clay, as long as it's below the clay and not below the waterline. So I'll dig a hole and see where it goes.
I'm in Bucks, most of the county is clay, particularly on new builds!
Is that not an option ?
Lets hope the clay layer isn't to thck like myself.
Mite be worth looking at what some of the neighbours have done .
Doubtfully anything, they moved in after us!
No, I have no downpipes on my side of the property, and no drain covers in the back, the rear guttering terminates their side of the fence.
On the drive there's a tiny cover (like it would be for a water meter, but it isnt that as that's at the front), doubt I can go into that though.
We basically have a small grate on the other side of the fence at the bottom of the garden which is where the drive way is, I think this just goes into gravel, but I'd have to check with site.
I'll try get a picture or draw something in the morning
thanks for replying btw
Having my driveway done this week, soakaway was not viable due to MK and most of the surrounding area being clay. Instead running a pipe to the drain in the garden, where the gutters currently also drain to, feeding into the main sewer. Isn't too much more work, just lifting some slabs down the side of the house.
The patio on its own is 22m2
Which isn't 'massive', however it's at the top of the garden and the lawn already become waterlogged, so I don't want to exasperate the issue by flooding it with water off the patio.