Cracks in Victorian drain gulley

[Becky harris]

Hi, my house is Victorian, so all the pipe gutters etc are quite old. I’ve noticed some cracks in the drain gulley (hope this is the correct term)- see attached. I’m guessing I need to get these fixed but does anyone have any idea of the scale of the job? Is it a simple case of filling them in? I’ll get a professional to do it, but would like some knowledge before I get people round so I’m not taken for a ride.

the drain is on a slope so I am guessing that the pressure has caused the cracks

thanks for any help

 

[JohnD]

The concrete is a later addition, added when the gulley started to overfill.

Almost certainly, under the iron grill, is a brown glazed pottery (clay) gulley that is cracked, broken and leaking, and has been for about 70 years.

I am told that there is an old clay gulley somewhere in the country that is not cracked and leaking, but I have never seen it.

Usual thing is to dig it up and replace the broken parts with modern plastic. This is usually done by a builder as it is too hard for most plumbers.

Look at the ground, paving, concrete and wall around the gulley. Is it cracked, sunken, damp, green or patched? This is typical.

 

[Becky harris]

Thanks John! Yes it is a bit sunken, I mean it is on a slope anyway but does look a bit sunken.

we have a basement and directly below where the gutter is we have started to get a bit of wet. I’m assuming it’s linked to this?

 

[JohnD]

Very likely. More pics please.

 

[Becky harris]

Here’s some pictures of the outside, maybe it is not as sunken as I thought!

also attached are some pictures of the wet area of the basement. The big pipe doesn’t seem to be leaking so not sure whether the water is just coming up through the ground or it’s due to the drain. Just seems a coincidence that the drain is almost directly above. But it seems quite wet now and it hasn’t rained for a couple of days

 

[JohnD]

If you look at the grill, you can see it, and its surround, have sunk since the benching was built. The lower part of the benching has also sunk.

The black paint is usually applied in an unsuccessful attempt to hold back the water.

I can't make out what your other pics show, or which way is up.

I can't see if the paving bricks have sunk. Stand back and take a wider pic please. Include any airbricks or manhole covers. The paving seems to be much higher than the drain used to be when the house was built.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

It would be beneficial to sort it out properly, difficult to ascertain the condition of what's going on under there, and given there are 2 downpipes discharging into the gulley, I suspect a fair drop of water when raining. I'd find a recommended Builder/Groundworkers or Plumber that doesn't mind a bit of graft, to dig out and remove the existing concrete surround and Gulley pot, replace with a new plastic gulley, and surround, with a piece of slate fixed to the wall behind the downpipes to prevent any splashback affecting the wall.

May not solve the damp issue, but will certainly do that area of the wall a favour by reducing the effects of any moisture getting to it.