down pipe and new structure

[dizzydotty]

Wonder if anyone can help. My next door neighbour is building a conservatory and genuinely please for them however I am a little worried. They have an existing rainwater down pipe on their wall but it is only about 2 inches from our boundry and they plan on building the conservatory wall close to it. My worry is we also plan to install a conservatory in the next few months and when we put in our wall it will end up leaving a gap between the 2 structures! My first worry is this will leave a void and thus encourage damp due to poor air circulation and also the gap will not be big enough for anyone to access the pipe should there be a problem down in the future. What should they be doing in regards to the current pipe. Looking at the pipe although it on thier side of the fence it drains water from both of our roof gutering. Can they close it off at roof level and re route it to another locations completley. I don't want to start a ruckus over this as we like out neighbours and have a good relationship with them!

many thanks in advance

 

[noseall]

Why not agree to cover the gap betwixt roofs when you install yours.

Form some kind of valley then collect the water at the end with a hopper.

May look pants though....?

 

[dizzydotty]

Could do that yes, and I have thought about putting up trellis to hide any gap etc, but I have just asked her how much of a gap they plan on leaving and they recon the builders are only leaving a 4" gap between the pipe and the new wall, which means that If I build on my boundary wall it will leave about a 8 - 10" gap in total. Sounds petty I know but I am really worried that if this pipe needs maintaining at ground level it will inevitably be a problem resulting in one or both of us having to dig up floors ar knock down walls. And somehow I don't think there are any 10" wide workmen tat could fit down the gap to maintain the pipe lol. I am happy to leave a gap wide enough on our side to allow access but I don't they they are, or have even thought about it really. Is there a specified distance that should be left between downpipes and walls in this situation?

 

[SteNova]

i assume this is a central drain on a semi?

if so if it goes wrong you could fit a pair of new downpipes at either end of the properties?

 

[Nige F]

That could be a nightmare -I would dig and investigate the run of underground pipe - then install a 3 inch( soil ) pipe starting at a point just above the cons. roofs and running down . bend @ bottom then underground and connect to a mini- manhole ( 4 inch) and then away on it`s original run . You then have access and a pipe that will last indefinitely - then by all means put up a screen /trellis Share the cost and DIY it Couple of hundred£ now will save grief for decades

 

[Deluks]

Why bother having a gap at all? Your houses are joined up with no problem, why not build a new wall straight down the middle and build your conservatories up against this. The pipe can be relocated or even run along the top of the wall (or run through it with some creative thinking)

Share the cost of the wall and drainage and you'll be able to build your conservatories, knock em down in a few years and extend, or whatever without treading on each others toes (or land)

 

[Nige F]

Cost of a Party Wall Agreement

 

[noseall]

why not build a new wall straight down the middle and build your conservatories up against this...........Share the cost of the wall and drainage and you'll be able to build your conservatories, knock em down in a few years and extend, or whatever without treading on each others toes (or land)

...and what if only one of the homeowners wishes to knock down and build an extension? A single shared wall with a shared foundation could be a problem......

 

[Deluks]

why not build a new wall straight down the middle and build your conservatories up against this...........Share the cost of the wall and drainage and you'll be able to build your conservatories, knock em down in a few years and extend, or whatever without treading on each others toes (or land)

...and what if only one of the homeowners wishes to knock down and build an extension? A single shared wall with a shared foundation could be a problem......

Then that's one less wall they'll have to pay to be built.