Hi,
On one side of my 1850s house, the exterior ground level is higher than the internal floor level. So, there was a flowerbed full of damp stone and soil sitting against the first 60cm of the wall. As damp problems are materialising internally, I am in the process of digging this flowerbed out.
My plan was to fit a kind of "French drain" using graded stones and pea shingle alongside the wall. However, I have found an old drain pipe at the bottom of the flowerbed, which is what the roof guttering on that side of the house leads to. On a rainy day, it carries a lot of water. It is a clay pipe which is in lots of 12" (approx) segments, with small gaps between. A lot of the segments are in very poor condition, so I am going to replace it.
I was wondering what kind of pipe I should buy to replace the old pipe. PVC seems sensible, but I wondered whether I should get a perforated or half-perforated pipe (with the perforations facing upwards to collect rainwater as part of the French drain). Or would this simply leak out the water coming into from the gutter down the downpipe?
It is a 4" pipe, so presumably I should buy a 110mm pipe with an adapter for coupling it to the sound clay pipes at either end?
I have also discovered that externally the wall seems to sit on a flat bed of concrete. The drain pipe runs along the concrete bed. I think this may be a strip foundation, but I'm not sure. This has made me wonder whether my plan for a French drain will work, as the rain water will drain through the shingle and stones to a concrete base, especially if I don't install a perforated pipe. But as the wall in question is very sheltered, and is overhung by the eaves, it might be OK.
Any thoughts on what to do with the French drain, especially if I don't get a perforated pipe?
Thanks.
On one side of my 1850s house, the exterior ground level is higher than the internal floor level. So, there was a flowerbed full of damp stone and soil sitting against the first 60cm of the wall. As damp problems are materialising internally, I am in the process of digging this flowerbed out.
My plan was to fit a kind of "French drain" using graded stones and pea shingle alongside the wall. However, I have found an old drain pipe at the bottom of the flowerbed, which is what the roof guttering on that side of the house leads to. On a rainy day, it carries a lot of water. It is a clay pipe which is in lots of 12" (approx) segments, with small gaps between. A lot of the segments are in very poor condition, so I am going to replace it.
I was wondering what kind of pipe I should buy to replace the old pipe. PVC seems sensible, but I wondered whether I should get a perforated or half-perforated pipe (with the perforations facing upwards to collect rainwater as part of the French drain). Or would this simply leak out the water coming into from the gutter down the downpipe?
It is a 4" pipe, so presumably I should buy a 110mm pipe with an adapter for coupling it to the sound clay pipes at either end?
I have also discovered that externally the wall seems to sit on a flat bed of concrete. The drain pipe runs along the concrete bed. I think this may be a strip foundation, but I'm not sure. This has made me wonder whether my plan for a French drain will work, as the rain water will drain through the shingle and stones to a concrete base, especially if I don't install a perforated pipe. But as the wall in question is very sheltered, and is overhung by the eaves, it might be OK.
Any thoughts on what to do with the French drain, especially if I don't get a perforated pipe?
Thanks.
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