Soakaway

mickyflinn said:
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/
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Went about 50/60 cm down, not draining so far
(I made a seperate hole for the test)

This doesn't even look this bad on this pic :p
hZEpPDw.jpeg
 
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mickyflinn said:
Do a test hole at least one foot deap by one foot wide put some water in and ses how long it takes to drain.
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Yep, just took the post hole digger to an area, filled it some way and its not gone anywhere yet..I'll check it in a couple of hours.

Thinking out loud i either need to go far far down or I really don't know, go too far down and it all needs to be reinforced I believe?

I mentioned this the other day:
UvalOXd.jpeg

(Yes yes, I have Crocs)

From what I can tell looking at it its just a small pit, there is a bit where it shoots off to the left (this appears to be covered with something, may just be a filter of some type) that goes to a small cover, under that is some form of piping, no idea where from as theres no pipes there down the house....
That is right next to the house, embedded in tarmac, along with a laid path out the back of the house.
 
Delvis said:
Yep, just took the post hole digger to an area, filled it some way and its not gone anywhere yet..I'll check it in a couple of hours.

Thinking out loud i either need to go far far down or I really don't know, go too far down and it all needs to be reinforced I believe?

I mentioned this the other day:
UvalOXd.jpeg

(Yes yes, I have Crocs)

From what I can tell looking at it its just a small pit, there is a bit where it shoots off to the left (this appears to be covered with something, may just be a filter of some type) that goes to a small cover, under that is some form of piping, no idea where from as theres no pipes there down the house....
That is right next to the house, embedded in tarmac, along with a laid path out the back of the house.
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You need to do that test hole to see of you can break threw the clay layer.

Take a look at the plans for your house it mite give some indication of where the pipe runs.
 
mickyflinn said:
You need to do that test hole to see of you can break threw the clay layer.

Take a look at the plans for your house it mite give some indication of where the pipe runs.
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I've done the test hole, I'm waiting to see if it drains :) Which was done well over an hour ago, not moved at all yet.

Nothing in the plans.
 
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Soakaways don't work in clay. It's too impermeable. It's why they line canals with the stuff. The soakaway designs I've seen have required permeability and infiltration testing to confirm the discharge rates are suitable, and the strata into which they will run. I've not seen one work into clay yet. It's always been sands or gravels. Going deeper won't help you unless doing so reaches underlying strata with more porous material to drain into. Then you need to confirm the water flow into this strata is acceptable and not contaminating an underground watersource or similar (protected aquifers and the like).
 
ik9000 said:
Soakaways don't work in clay. It's too impermeable. It's why they line canals with the stuff. The soakaway designs I've seen have required permeability and infiltration testing to confirm the discharge rates are suitable, and the strata into which they will run. I've not seen one work into clay yet. It's always been sands or gravels. Going deeper won't help you unless doing so reaches underlying strata with more porous material to drain into. Then you need to confirm the water flow into this strata is acceptable and not contaminating an underground watersource or similar (protected aquifers and the like).
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Yep, that's why I've done a test hole. :)

There are places it drains more, and places it just sits there for ages
 
mickyflinn said:
Landscape gardners would have more knowledge of this problem.
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True enough, someone i know who is one didn't think we'd need anything, but then he's not seen it recently :p

Just getting a bit fed up with it all now, all I wanted was a damn patio.
 
Delvis said:
True enough, someone i know who is one didn't think we'd need anything, but then he's not seen it recently :p

Just getting a bit fed up with it all now, all I wanted was a damn patio.
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Get some other landscapers in its always best to get more than one opinion.
 
Delvis said:
Well, can't really find any under those search terms tbh :)

It's draining more bear the house, so may try a hole down here.
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Try a hole tight to the wall of your house, see how far the foundations are, if it's high, dig down the side of the foundations.
Test for water drainage, if it drains away at a decent rate, then maybe just use a French drain along the house?
22m2 is not a large patio so it should be doable to get the water to drain somewhere
 
mickyflinn said:
Do a test hole at least one foot deap by one foot wide put some water in and ses how long it takes to drain.
Click to expand...

As above, try this first - technical name is a percolation test (have a read of Approved Document H, there are a few details in there that provide further guidance) - but from memory it's more geared to the provision of a drainage field for a septic tank (where the clean end of the tank discharges into the ground), rather than general land drainage.

Some info. from the NHBC you may find useful:

https://nhbc-standards.co.uk/5-subs...-below-ground/5-3-11-surface-water-soakaways/
 
j.col said:
Try a hole tight to the wall of your house, see how far the foundations are, if it's high, dig down the side of the foundations.
Test for water drainage, if it drains away at a decent rate, then maybe just use a French drain along the house?
22m2 is not a large patio so it should be doable to get the water to drain somewhere
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The patio is 22m2, the hole lot is just under 30 :)

It's also a two bed house, water has pooled near the back door already, the grass is sodden, if it rains the top of the garden doesn't drain anywhere ATM

I've contacted site anyway, to but I'm already having to wait a week for a plumber to come look at the shower screen that's been replaced... So I'm not holding my breath
 
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2004typer said:
As above, try this first - technical name is a percolation test (have a read of Approved Document H, there are a few details in there that provide further guidance) - but from memory it's more geared to the provision of a drainage field for a septic tank (where the clean end of the tank discharges into the ground), rather than general land drainage.

Some info. from the NHBC you may find useful:

https://nhbc-standards.co.uk/5-subs...-below-ground/5-3-11-surface-water-soakaways/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link.
 
Delvis said:
Thanks for the link.
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Personally I wouldn't even bother doing that test as I suspect that your time will be over 6hrs to drain meaning your test has failed since it's clay ground. As soon as the surrounding ground is saturated any water in a soakaway won't have anywhere to escape to so you'd effectively have an underground rock filled pool in your garden.

Do you know where your current house surface water drains to? Is it into the mains whether it's separate or combined or does it go off to something like a SUDS pond located somewhere around your development? It may be possible to connect into this providing there's still capacity or if other measurements could be taken to reduce the flow into these existing drainage solutions
 
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