tree growing in gully!!!!

Hmm, well your rain water may be supposed to go down the gully, through a trap and either off to a rainwater drain in the road or possibly a soakaway a few meters from the house.
I bet it hasn't for any time in the last decade.
Are there any neighbouring houses with a similar set up (but no tree of course). Might be worth a look. If its going off to a street drain there should be manhole covers at all junctions and major direction changes, not the same ones as the foul water for the loo and sinks, which are generally deeper, so if one floods into the other, its not foul water leaking into rainwater drains that go untreated to rivers and ditches or whatever. If so, there may be telltale roots visible when looking down the manhole, giving a scope for the problem- being unobstructed roots can go suprisingly far along a pipe.

If its a soakaway, the pipe will go a few metres from the building and just end, in what was once a hole below the pipe end filled with stones and gravel, that is now probably a mess of weeds and rotting biomass.

In pre-war properties rain water and foul were not separated, but this leads to sewage works flooding when it rains, so nowadays they are very much kept apart.
Right now I'd be wondering if it was easier to plan for a new soakaway, or at least a new trap and a outlet pipe to connect lower down to the existing. I'd be extremely impressed if the tree can be removed with the drain intact, looking at the pics - I'd expect the roots of a thing like that to have expanded to a size to have already split the ceramic pipe below ground, just consider what damage dandelions can do to a concrete runway and scale it up. If the tree has broken the metal grid, its likely to have done the same for the pipe..
Equally, if its not giving flooding trouble, can the rainwater just be diverted on to a flower bed or similar and the old drain simply abandoned for ever, just sawing the tree off short, lets not over complicate it.

Bosswhite said:

Cant see the Insurance covering that, the tree looks like its been there a few years.

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Click to expand...

Why not, tree roots take years to break into underground drains & that is covered by insurances. Can't see the difference personally!

I think one thing is for sure ma'am, this project is a little above the average DIYer.......
I think a course of action would be to remove the concrete around the gulley - say 18" square or so - and investigate what lies beneath. I'm pretty certain the gulley will be burst through the action of the roots, and any rain water, if it does seem to disappear from the area, is just running away underground. The gulley would need to be replaced, and reconnected into the existing drain if thats in good order. Hardly major works, even if it does sound like it!
Personally I would doubt if the insurers would come to your rescue - I think they would claim that remedial action was not undertaken some time ago, or similar.....their job is to avoid paying out but do give them a try.
Please keep us updated!
John

My husband has said in the past that we have soakaway in the back garden. There is no indication as to its location. There are two manholes. One by the side of the house which I know is for foul water from toilet (had blocked toilet once). Then there's is another one to the front of house nr footpath but on our drive. Don't know what's that for. There are also 2 little gullies which drains the yard by side of house and the front drive. I do know that these are draining towards the garden at the back.
But surely if I manage to cut this triffid (BTW it's a cherry tree) upto the root level and pour stump killer, it can't continue to grow? also if I get an appropriate tradesman to install a new gully, the triffid can't grow back?or can it. I'm calling tree surgeons for quotations to take down couple of trees. So I'll ask them to look at this. Shot in the dark I know. Also any thoughts on how much a new gully should cost appox.

Indeed you can kill this tree, but the remains will there for a long, long time.....to allow the drain to work again, it really needs to be dug out.
You may well have a soakaway - I have one - and I've no idea where mine is either. So long as the water gets away, it can stay that way.....!
I'll be surprised if water that comes from that down comer is draining away as it should - I cant see where it can go! Does the down comer serve a large roof?
John

Hi John. Just seen your post. I'm now inclined to thinking that way. It's not a chisel and a hammer job ha ha! !! Now as you know I got done for the paving , Pl give me approx cost for this work so I know I'm not being charged double. (I'm embarrassed to say how much I paid. Suffice to say I paid a lot less for re tiling the roof! !!)

Hi John. Just seen your 2nd post. It's draining front of the house.there is no damp within the house near this gully. So I assume it was going somewhere. Also as it was completely blocked is possible it just rained away from the house as top of gully level with path. But I've decided that it's time for the experts.

Aha the million dollar question!!
All I can say here is that the gulley could be exhumed and replaced in one day - but of course we dont know if there is any damage further down the drain line and that would naturally take longer / cost more.
A salt glazed gulley isnt expensive though and neither is a barrow of concrete....I guess you'll just have to get some quotes and have a think.
No need to stress though - this gulley has been like this since Pontius was a pilot so a bit longer isnt going to hurt!
John

That needs to come out, full stop. Even if the gully works now (which I doubt), those roots could be doing anything. It is simple enough to dig it out and fit a new plastic gully theoretically.

I had a thought. If the water ran off the drive way then by clearing the drain may b I'll make matters worse if the gully can't drain due to the roots. I'll pour water into it to see if it drains. Will keep you posted. Shree

Hello everybody. Phew.I think I have had a lucky escape. I have removed the triffid! !! It seems that the grating prevented the roots going in. One root had bent along the gully. I chiselled everything out. See the pics.small little finger size roots 2no in the brick wall remaining. But otherwise I believe I have got them all out. I can hear water running down the gully.
I think I'm in the clear unless you people think otherwise.

My my! Someone has been on your side this day....there's no problem now.
Congratulations!
Just looking at your pics again......the first one is surely convincing!
Haste ye back.
John

Hi John. Thank you. I had such fun and games today and so satisfying. The hammer missed the chisel on several occasions. My left hand has changed colour! also hammer landed on the tile lining of the gully, chipped it as you can see in the photo. Didn't know how to use chisel so I hammered it in like a nail and then couldn't get it out.hv to go on Utube to found out how to use chisel but I got there in the end.
I do have another problem and will post it in next couple of days( Re dampness).so yes I'll b back.
Thank you all for wonderful and FAST support as always.

Well that's yet another problem that you have managed to hurdle by yourself......we all hope the crazy scaffold issue is also resolved by now!
John

Hi John.yes scaffolders finally took it away. Even Age UK were amazed by their rudeness to their personnel. Of course they were ignored too. wonder whether this happens all the time? They took it away only when they needed it for another job. Had absolutely no consideration for us but what hurt most was that my husband couldn't get to the back garden. But all well now. Thanks
shree