My Front down pipe is well and truly blocked!!

[S.Dhuper]

Hi there,
My front gutter down pipe is well and truly blocked with what looks like to be MUD with a very dark reddish colour, it's so bad when it rains very heavy the water goes back up the pipe to gutter on the top and it overflows, I spent the best time of 2 hours getting the mud out but I can't see where the water is suppose to go, I poured some water in it and it didn't go anywhere it's still there, one of my neighbours said cut the down-pipe from where it goes in the ground and put a bend and with a small piece of pipe on the side a bit, so the water when it rains will go in your front garden, he said he's done it! is that legal to do that I won't get in any trouble will I, or other wise call someone and have your front garden dug-up and pay mega bucks,

 

[Mr Winston]

to do it properly you should dig a soakaway about 5 m from any buildings, it should be approx 1m x 1m x 1m then fill it will hard core and put a dpm cover over the top. You need to run a underground pipe from the down pipe to the soakaway - this should be approx 600mm deep under ground level.

This way the rain water will be directed away from the house and shouldnt undermine the foundations (which is what can happen if the down pipe just discharges into the ground.

Shouldnt cost alot - just a fair old dig.

 

[S.Dhuper]

to do it properly you should dig a soakaway about 5 m from any buildings, it should be approx 1m x 1m x 1m then fill it will hard core and put a dpm cover over the top. You need to run a underground pipe from the down pipe to the soakaway - this should be approx 600mm deep under ground level.

This way the rain water will be directed away from the house and shouldnt undermine the foundations (which is what can happen if the down pipe just discharges into the ground.

Shouldnt cost alot - just a fair old dig.

Hi thanks for the reply, sorry to be a pain but what is a soakaway? and you say it has to be 5 m away from the house but in my garden on one side I've got the main water pipe and on the other side the main drainage manhole cover, it's a small garden, and 1mx1mx1m is that 1m square going in the ground? and by hardcore do you mean cement? and what is a DPM cover.

 

[masona]

what is a soakaway?

Just a square hole with small stones layer at the bottom such as pea shingle then 3/4" stone then bigger stones and at the top use broken bricks, the idea is to take the rain down to the bottom of the soakaway. The dpm is damp proof membrane or a heavy duty plastic will do and put it on the top of the soakaway to prevent rain getting in from the top to fill up the soakaway.

 

[S.Dhuper]

Thanks for clearing it up for me on the soakaway issue, but just one more thing do I just lay the DPM on top the soakaway hole? isn't it a bit risky some could fall into it, or is there a safer way of doing it, thanks again.

 

[breezer]

I would suggest you read the post again. How can some one fall in if its full of rubble, pea shingle etc?

 

[masona]

Thanks for clearing it up for me on the soakaway issue, but just one more thing do I just lay the DPM on top the soakaway hole?

When you're at the top level put in some pea shingle to backfill the bricks gap then put the dpm on top then top soil or turf or whatever you want to do with it. I have one under my patio.

isn't it a bit risky some could fall into it, or is there a safer way of doing it, thanks again.

Only if you don't fill the hole with hardcore

 

[S.Dhuper]

Thanks for clearing it up for me on the soakaway issue, but just one more thing do I just lay the DPM on top the soakaway hole?

When you're at the top level put in some pea shingle to backfill the bricks gap then put the dpm on top then top soil or turf or whatever you want to do with it. I have one under my patio.

isn't it a bit risky some could fall into it, or is there a safer way of doing it, thanks again.

Only if you don't fill the hole with hardcore

once again thanks for your help, I will do this on the weekend.