slabbing garden , how best to drain it?

[mreco]

hi
in the summer (after conservatory built im going to slab most of the garden, with some raised brick planters around.

Whats the best way allow for rain water drainage... runoff.
I know about sloping the paving, but if i slope it, surely all the water will runn off the nextdoors garden?

 

[marshman]

you can run it as one long fall one way to acco drains or a french drain at one side or fall it to two sides,
you can put a gully in the centre and fold it in an envelope to this if it square shape,
possibility's are many but which way you go you will need to pipe the water to your house storm drains
or make a new soakaway and pipe it to that.

 

[mreco]

thanks, are storm drains the normal rain water ones for the house? if so i think that will be hard as the garden slopes away from the house, id have to get the water BACK from the bottom of the garden

and for the soakaway ill have to dig down to break through the clay layer right?


what if the clay layer is so deep i dont find the bottom of it? does that happen? if so what then lol

how do i find the water table level

cheers
simon

 

[marshman]

( thanks, are storm drains the normal rain water ones for the house? ) yes.

If you need to bring the water up hill then run your drain to a sump, e.g. a water butt sunk in the ground
with a float pump stood on a block in the bottom and run the hose from the pump back to your nearest
storm drain.

 

[mreco]

thanks,
If thats needed, i dont think ill be doing it lol.
Is it something like this
http://www.sump-pump-info.com/float-switches.html

ah well ill dig down this weekend and see if i can find the bottom of the clay layer and see if i can determin the water table level

 

[WabbitPoo]

thanks,
If thats needed, i dont think ill be doing it lol.

Why not? If you are happy to dig a soakaway then digging a hole for a water tank isn't much more work.

 

[noseall]

forget digging a soakaway in clay. it's hopeless.

 

[Thermo]

can you post a photo of the area?

 

[marshman]

ah well ill dig down this weekend and see if I can find the bottom of the clay layer and see if I can determin the water table level.

you might dig for days and I doubt if you'll find it, when you've had enough digging back fill the hole with a tank with pea shingle around it
and put one of these in the bottom, on a block,
http://www.allpumps.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=86_65&products_id=207

much cheaper and more friendly that a dispute with the neighbour and if fitted first so its under the slabs, with one lose "lift out" for servicing no one would know its there unless you proudly tell them you fitted it.

 

[mreco]

thanks,
If thats needed, i dont think ill be doing it lol.

Why not? If you are happy to dig a soakaway then digging a hole for a water tank isn't much more work.

i can dig, its the electrics and pump and where it pumps to etc. bit to complicated for me,

 

[marshman]

the pump as lost long you get the right one will have fitting on it that you tighten by hand,
you just loosen the collar and push the pipe in until it stops, tighten collar to gritted teeth tight, job done this end,
drain pipe end, normally we'd cut the pipe run and slip collar a Y branch in and fit a 4 foot length of pipe with an end cap and drill this
for pump pipe, then insert 3 foot of the pipe from the pump then cover pipes with pea shingle and back fill.
this is much easier to do than it sounds, tools needed = old saw, rasp / file, tape measure, drill bit / hole saw.
the rasp is used to bevel the cut ends of the pipe to make fitting easier. "your case, just lube fittings with washing up liquid"
If you have an inspection chamber on the storm run take your pipe to this, drill your hole through the side insert pipe 4 inches
then fill around the pump pipe with a few shovels of concrete to stop it working its way out.
Electrics = pump will come, if you get the right one, with the right lead and enough lenght you'll just have to fit a plug.
1 1/4 inch = 32mm so for the pipe you can use 32mm water mains pipe, all fittings are readily available from builders merchants
and for a short length of pipe you could probably scrounge from a building site. get 2 lenghts and use one for a duct for the pump wire.

The hardest part of the whole job is the digging, hole for tank, trenches for pipes, cable from pump to supply point.

 

[mreco]

thanks for the details....

1. Are these pumps near silent? £189 did i read that right?
2. the run back from the sump to the storm drain, can this be up hill (seeming as were using a pump here)

(still dont think im able to tackle this pump lark)

 

[marshman]

2. the run back from the sump to the storm drain, can this be up hill

the one in the link I posted has a max lift of 8 meters or if you like it will push water up vertically to 8 meters,
http://www.allpumps.co.uk/index.php?main_page=contact_us phone them and ask if this model is suitable for your needs,
type of pipe connector, will they supply it with the length of cable you need,
work out where you need your sump then measure how much cable you'll need including depth of sump then add a meter or 2
cheaper to cut it and chuck it, than find your just to short because you had to go round something.

1. Are these pumps near silent?
its going in a tank under ground, are you going to be out there when its raining hard,
it will only run for a few minutes and no they are not very noisy,
£189 did i read that right?
yep but I don't know if that one will suit your needs you'll have to phone them
we use that type to pump out dikes, drains, footings, soak aways they will take dirty water but they block the around the inlet
with leaves.
I would also recommend you fit a 90 degree elbow to the pipe from the pump where it leaves the tank, these are also hand tighten,
this makes getting the pump in and out very easy.

 

[mreco]

good information. thanks marshman. Ill let you know what happens.... or doesnt lol.

heres something similar (over kill for my garden though)
http://www.moleuk.com/domestic_pipework.htm

Simon

 

[Thermo]

post a piccie, there may be an easier solution, you never know!