Blocked soakaway (i think)

[bongos]

We live in an 80 year old mid terrace and have a problem with damp in our front walls.

Just outside where the damp seems worst, we have the gutter downpipe for the surrounding terraces. It is cast iron and has a downpipe shoe at the end going into a sort of gulley type drain and presumed soakaway underneath.

Every time it rains water will collect at the front of our house between the front wall and a front boundary wall (about a metre in height, maybe 60 cm between the front boundary wall and front house wall)). Apart from the drain the whole area is concrete.

Im not sure how best to sort the problem. Assuming the soakaway is blocked (highly likely due to the amount of moss and leaves on our roof and the age of the property) how would i even go about digging it out? Would it also run under the pavement? This seems unlikely in principle but im not sure how else it would be big enough to drain the water away.

Another idea id thought of (im sure id not be allowed) would be to divert the drainpipe into the road by removing a brick from the boundary wall and connecting a short section of plastic pipe between the existing downpipe and the brick wall. This would lead to the water flowing over the pavement into the road!

A friend has suggested breaking up the concrete at the front of the house and replacing it with some decorative shingle. This would allow the water to soak in over the area but im concerned it would just increase the problem.

Whats the best way to solve this in a property of this age?

 

[masona]

Any photo's?

 

[bongos]

Any photo's?

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• bongos
• 1 Dec 2014
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• bongos
• 1 Dec 2014
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Sorry i cant seem to rotate them!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You are unlikely to have a soakaway at the front of the house, more likely a problem with the existing drain underground. even if it was a soakaway they are not designed to last indefinitely.

You would be ill advised to divert the rain over the pavement, though a lot of existing properties drain this way, (I live in one myself), if someone were to slip over because the pavement froze you would be liable. It’s a contravention of Building Regulations too. So prolly need a friendly drain cleaner. Some are better than others, just get quotes before they even visit your property. Obviously avoid Dynorod and the big national firms and the like.

 

[bongos]

Thanks for that Freddie. i wouldn't be surprised if it was blocked as the amount of moss/leaves/other green things that are on our roof that are falling into the gutters and washing down there constantly.

However, the reason i decided it was a soakaway not connected to the sewer was because the sewers run parallel to the terrace at the back and having just had half our garden exposed during an extension there are definitely no sewer pipes running front to back. So assuming it is connected to the sewer it must be somewhere in the road. Not sure where but i'll have a proper look tomorrow.

My dad has a host of drain rods that i could borrow for the job or is it more likely im going to have to call the big boys out?

 

[HERTS P&D]

It can't be rodded, if your lucky it could be jetted. At approx. £90 if you are near me!

Andy

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well the road must drain into something!

 

[geraldthehamster]

Are you sure it doesn't emerge somewhere at kerb level to run into the roadway drain? Are there any gratings or covers?

Cheers
Richard

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Hard to tell from the pics but it looks as if there's a cast-iron gulley in the pavement to the left of your downpipe (or it might be a decorative cobble, can't tell, there are leaves on top of it). See if that is a gulley and if it emerges from the kerbstones onto the road (I'd be amazed if it doesn't).

I know it is offset from your drain but there's nothing else near it so if it is a gulley then rod it (from the street) and see what happens- given the age of the place I'd be amazed if there was a soakaway

 

[geraldthehamster]

In our old terraced house. the downpipe went into the ground near the front door, then a salt-glazed pipe went diagonally beneath the tiny front yard and under the front wall, from where and a gulley carried the water between the paving slabs to the road gutter. The gulley was covered by a narrow cast iron grate.

Cheers
Richard

 

[ree]

Good spot for noticing the metal fitting on the pavement.

There are perhaps two metal external stop box covers on the pavement. Both leaf covered to some degree.
The one to the left of the boundary wall is perhaps your neighbour's Stop Tap box ( the cover seems to be open).
And the one to the right might be for your water supply - i could be reading too much into the square'ish shape below the leaves?

Why dont you first clean out the gulley trap below the RWP? Does the RWP drain more than one property?

How have your neighbours up the road dealt with this difficulty?

A pic of the front elevation showing your and your neighbour's houses and the pavement might help?

Note: the sand & cement plinth at the base of your elevation wall, and bay wall, should be removed - there is only one 9" x 3" air brick in sight?

 

[bongos]

Why dont you first clean out the gulley trap below the RWP? Does the RWP drain more than one property?

There are seven houses on the terrace and three downpipes. Mine effectively drains three.

How have your neighbours up the road dealt with this difficulty?

Talking to the next door but one neighbour (who also has a downpipe) last summer, and she also suffers with damp in that part of the wall. She runs a dehumidifier in the winter.

A pic of the front elevation showing your and your neighbour's houses and the pavement might help?

Will try and attach.

Note: the sand & cement plinth at the base of your elevation wall, and bay wall, should be removed - there is only one 9" x 3" air brick in sight?

Yes. This was highlighted at the survey and a suggested cause oft he damp as it bridges the dpc. How would i remove it? Chip it off with a hammer?!

The metal square things near the wall are to do with now defunct cable. I think all the houses here must have had it installed some years ago. Either way (as you can see from the earlier pictures) its in a bit of a mess.

Having done some looking around in the road i can see nowhere obvious that the RWP drains too. I did find three 'manhole' covers outside in the pavement level with the rainwater pipes butt hey say GPO on so I reckon must be for telephone cables (was so excited at first - though i might be able to rod back!). The only other drain is a proper sewer manhole in the road.

Will try to attach photos.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

There are seven houses on the terrace and three downpipes. Mine effectively drains three.

As your gully effectively serves more than one property then just contact the local water company and tell them to come and sort it. If it is shared which by your description it is then it is their responsibly.

 

[bongos]

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• bongos
• 3 Dec 2014
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• 3 Dec 2014
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Sorry about the crap pics again - i promise im not getting them the wrong way round deliberately!

Freddie you've intrigued me now - i knew the water boards had taken over sewer issues but did not realise that would cover these too?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Forget that access cover, has nothing to do with drains, phone the water board.