Replacing/re-digging a soakway, advice please

[faithlies]

It would seem the soakaway taking rainwater from our downpipe has failed, causing dry rot in the front room floorboards.

The insurance company say they won't cover the drainage aspect but will cover the damage the water has caused, which is great.

It looks like tree roots have fractured the pipe that goes into the ground, although we thought the pipe would then run underground into the sewer (and that the pipe was also probably fractured as there is a hedge the length of the boundary between our house and nextdoors) but we are told it is soakaway and that just the pipe sending water into the ground is fractured.

So how do we go about replacing the soakaway?

I think OH is capable of doing it himself, but would also be interested to hear what it may cost as that would be an option to save him losing time from work.

Thanks

 

[noseall]

You will need to dig a BIG hole 5m from any building. We normally go about 1.8m deep and about 1.2m square, using a mini digger.

This hole then needs filling up to the pipe invert with broken bricks. Stack the bricks carefully around the end of the pipe so that they form a pocket around the pipe end to ensure free flowing water.

Cover the brick ends with polythene then top off with soil.

Use plastic pipe this time as it comes in 6m lengths.

 

[jono_h]

Sizing of the soakaway will depend on how much rainwater it will have to take - however many councils will have a standard size that they are happy with. Around here it's 1m x 1m x 1m.
There are a few other things to think about such as getting a fall in the pipework, and bedding it on a layer of gravel, but it's not rocket science.

I dug one last week which took 3-4 hours, and probably the same to run the pipework and fill it up with rubble.

The costs (aside from the labour) are; Disposal of the soil (skip?), hardcore to fill the soakaway (free if you're lucky!), and the new pipework.

 

[Shytalkz]

I'd go and have a further ahem discussion with the loss adjuster as to why the pipe damage is excluded from the claim. It's not wear and tear; damage by tree roots is usually an insured peril.

The soakaway is not the issue, it's the pipe breaking next to the wall that is the reason for your damp and rot issues.

Sounds like you have a muppet adjuster. Did they act as loss adjuster and engineer on your claim?

 

[faithlies]

Well 've just had the report from the drainage company, they say because the pipe is blocked and not fractured (OH is sure the bloke who came out to examine it said it was cracked, so we're taking it up with them) we aren't covered. If it had been fractured, it seems we would have been.

They say they can do the work at a preferential rate of £1,400 inc vat, not sure if that includes them removed the dozen or so 10ft conifers and laurel on the neighbour's side.

It includes new pipework, laying and digging the soakaway. Neighbours would bear half the responsibility but not sure if they can afford to pay to have it done as he is on short weeks, but we get on well and they are nice.

Another curveball - when we bought the house there was an indemnity in place against this conifer hedge as there was a covenant on the house saying you will not plant hedges at the front of the property.

Solicitor told us it would pay out if the council came along and told us to remove the hedge -- but need to check now to see if the policy mentions damage caused? Will ring solicitor on Monday and ask them to dig out the paperwork.

As for the insurance company, I'm puzzled as to why they will cover the damage inside if they won't cover the cause, but they say blocked pipes are a maintenance issue, a fractured pipe would be covered. Will have another conversation with them but tbh I didn't think any of it would be covered. As they are paying for a new floor, joists, damp proof treatment, carpets, redecoration etc, I don't want to rock the boat!

 

[Shytalkz]

Insurance exists to cover consequential damage, hence, if something that fails as a result of lack of maintenance (yes, how is one supposed to know that a buried drain is blocked by tree roots or soil...), then they will pay for damage caused to other things by the failure, but not to replace the defective element that caused the damage. If however the item is damaged by an insured peril then they pay for repair/replacement as well as the damage caused. Obviously, payments are subject to a policy excess.

I'd be surprised that a blockage by itself would lead to the damage that you have to the property: to do so would mean that either no rainwater whatsoever or such a small quantity so as to be meaningless would be finding its way down the pipe. Unlikely.

If the pipe is blocked, then the drainage company, without digging it out, can only say that it is blocked, but not why. If the pipe has collapsed, then it can become blocked by soil entering the pipe. That is not maintenance. Roots getting in via joints will usually displace the joints. That is not maintenance.

And £1400 is having a laugh for a new drain and soakaway: it's one length of plastic pipe, a bend, a flexi joint, some pea-shingle and a 1m³ hole filled with rubble at the most and most likely the soakaway will not need anything doing to it anyway. These companies really p*ss me off: they have financial limits where they self-audit and consequentially, the cost of insurance jobs below that limit go through the roof. Which you and I pay for in the way of increased premiums. [/rant mode off]

 

[jono_h]

I have to agree with Shy - £1400 is far too much.

2 days labour - £300ish
Bits - £100ish
Taking away old rubbish - £100ish

Even allowing for the ish's you should be able to do it for half of their quote at worst.

And the new soak away doesn't have to go where the old one is - so you might not have to take the conifers up.

 

[cyclonebri1]

I posted a similar question on here some time ago and looked into it quite deeply. Agree with all thats been said, but for a much more efficient soakaway heavy duty plastic drainage crates are available. they are basically plastic milk crates available in either pedesrtrian or traffic duty. They hold much more water in flood conditions asuming the water table isn't too high to start with and don't sink as much if say under a lawn. You wrap them in the fabric stuff that is used to suppress weeds to stop silt infiltrtion. Way to go in my view. Can't recall the link but google for them.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain08.html

 

[RonnyRaygun]

heavy duty plastic drainage crates are available

I used these when I did my soakaway. I used Aquacell but there are others available. Works out more expensive than rubble but have a 95% void ratio so will hold far more water for a given volume. Also the risk of silting up is greatly reduced.

We normally go about 1.8m deep and about 1.2m square, using a mini digger.

Use of a mini digger is fine...as long as you can get one into your back garden...which I couldn't...so I used a spade...

I dug one last week which took 3-4 hours

Yeah, took me about that long too

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Check the dates people.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Oh poo.

 

[cyclonebri1]

My fault for resurecting , but still usefull for an updated search