New porch. No drain for gutter. What to do?

[Colin Green]

Now most of the interior of our new house is done, I'm turning my attention to the outside. I want to build a porch by the front door (which is set back 3.5m from the "front" of the house). On inspection, there is no surface water drain nearby. The main roof gutters feed to a drain at the back of the house, or to one between our bay window and next door's.

The obvious but difficult answer would be to dig a new drain round the front of the house. But as the rain currently falls onto the floor, it seems like a lot of work for a relatively small amount of water. Can you suggest any good alternatives?

 

[^woody^]

The obvious but less difficult answer is to dig a soak-away

 

[Tigercubrider]

Water butt

My rear roof fills a water butt at the side of the house and I have a massive polypropylene tank that was left over at work, at the bottom of the garden.

I was going to dig and connect the two together, but lidl sold a water butt pump for £30 so now and again I just transfer between the two. Far less hassle than burying a pipe.

 

[^woody^]

Far less hassle than burying a pipe.

Global warming means wetter summers and winters. Plan ahead and bury that pipe.

 

[garyo]

My rear roof fills a water butt at the side of the house and I have a massive polypropylene tank that was left over at work, at the bottom of the garden.

How do you achieve water pressure from your butt - genuine question - I'm considering doing it myself any want it out of sight (i.e burried or low-down behind a bush) but still want it to work a hose pipe. How do you achieve 'head'?

 

[Colin Green]

The obvious but less difficult answer is to dig a soak-away

I like this. If the planners do to (I've got to apply for permission) that's what I'll do, thanks.

 

[Colin Green]

Looking at the rules for a soak away (5m from a building, 2m from a boundary, there isn't space to build one. Even one of 50 litres capacity, which is all I need.

 

[Tigercubrider]

My rear roof fills a water butt at the side of the house and I have a massive polypropylene tank that was left over at work, at the bottom of the garden.

How do you achieve water pressure from your butt - genuine question - I'm considering doing it myself any want it out of sight (i.e burried or low-down behind a bush) but still want it to work a hose pipe. How do you achieve 'head'?

The lidl pump attaches to a hose pipe although I have only used it as a transfer pump between the rain butt and the storage tank. I use a watering can from the big one as I added a butt tap. It sits on some beer crates.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Not lidl but similar

 

[^woody^]

Looking at the rules for a soak away (5m from a building, 2m from a boundary, there isn't space to build one. Even one of 50 litres capacity, which is all I need.

There are no rules. Just recommendations.

You are getting minimal run off from a porch, so a small soakaway is nothing. Or even an elongated drainage trench of gravel or a land drain perforated pipe.

 

[chappers]

how big is the porch roof going to be. If its small just covering the door then just run it onto the ground after all that's where the water would have gone if the porch weren't there

 

[Colin Green]

how big is the porch roof going to be. If its small just covering the door then just run it onto the ground after all that's where the water would have gone if the porch weren't there

Just under 3 m2. I might put one of those linear grids in front of the porch and drain he roof into that. In a storm, it will overflow onto the path, but would you know?

 

[chappers]

yeah or dig a hole under the outlet and back fill with some hardcore

 

[^woody^]

The soak away should not be put next to the house, as concentrated water is bad for the foundations. A couple of metres away would be best