Where do gutters run

[adders21]

Hi All,

We moved into our house 5 years ago. We had a single garage demolished at the side of the house. Whilst it was being demolished we discovered that the rain gutter downpipe didn't run into a drain, it just went about 2inch into the ground and that was it.
At the same time of the garage demolition we had a kitchen extension. After the extension we started to notice some cracks forming but just put it down to the rear of the house settling after the extension.
Recently I examined our other down pipes. The new ones that the builders put in from the extension run into the main drain, the rest shockingly just run into the ground as the garage once did.

My question, if i divert the existing downpipes to a soak away or main drain will the foundations dry out and if they are the source of the cracks, settle and stop further movements or should I seek further structural advice? Or sell and run!?

Thank you for reading

 

[jeds]

Sounds like you've had some cowboy builders around. Contact Dominic and ask him to send melinda around. She'll go to a local supplier and scrounge you up a few lengths of drainage pipe and a few fittings. She might even be able to get a couple of firemen to come and dig a 1mx1mx1m hole for you and a trench from your downpipes to the hole and then fill the hole with 100mm hardcore. (hopefully Melinda will remember to scrounge the hardcore as well) But make sure you tell the firemen make the hole 5m away from your house. If melindas busy you'll have to do it yourself and pay for the fittings.

 

[adders21]

Thank you for the reply John. If you read my original post you will see that I am aware of soak aways and how to remedy the drainage. I am asking what the long term effects are likely to be considering I am getting cracks (hairline) in the house. Is the movement likely to stop (as perhaps in a majority of cases) or is there most likely to be serious damage to my foundations that will require deep pockets.

 

[jeds]

I don't think anybody can answer that as it depends on the ground/soil conditions and the foundation. One thing's for sure though, having a downpipe running into the ground directly adjacent to the foundation is not good whatever the soil. So I think you are going to have bite the bullet and get digging. My guess is it will stabilse but depending on the ground might take a long time. 6 or 12 months, or so?