How do you build a soakaway?

[kevinspiller]

My back garden is split between a paved area running from the hous

which then meets a lawned area which is surrounded by brickwork. Th paved area runs down to the lawn, although it is not a steep gradient Where the paved areas comes up against the brick work surrounding th lawn, rain waste collects and doesn't drain away. I have heard that "soakaway" might help. If this is true, how deep should I make it, wha should I fill it with, should I replace the paving afterwards or leav it open with the fill I put into it. the width of the paved area i approx 20 feet.

Regards,

Kevi

-- kevinspiller

[Anna Kettle]

Cormaic's site does this one

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____| 01359 230642

[Rick Dipper]

You need a mini digger.

Dig trenches, fill with washed stone, then "land drain", then more washed stone, then top with soil. You end up with lots of spare soil, and you need to do lots of digging / shifting.

Rick

[Philip Wagstaff]

">>My back garden is split between a paved area running from the house

I dug simple soakaway trenches around three sides of my rectangular lawn (badminton court) by hand. Backbreaking work which took a long time to complete. We live in a relatively new home where about 20 inches down there was a compacted layer or clay and stones which was hard as concrete but only about 8/12 inches deep, but was a complete bastard to break through - now I wish I'd used an SDS drill. Once I'd broken through that it was v soft Essex clay which seemed to go on for ever (probably does) so I stopped. Bought the cheapest hardcore I could find which turned out to be an error as there was a lot of rubbish in the mix which we had to remove. According the literature what we've done is: too shallow, not graded and even if it was not has a limited life as it silts up. Five years on no sign of water problems of any kind.

If you want terrific information and advice on this and many other DIY outdoor projects start at

simply the best DIY site I have ever come across.

Hope you find this of some use. Phil

[N. Thornton]

yes, except you wont need the drain pipes, the water trickles through the stones. And crushed concrete is cheaper. The flow rate is lower with mixed lump sizes, but flow rate is a non issue in such a situ. Its a good way to get rid of building rubble.

And you can always do them by hand, if you want to get fit :)

A soakaway is a big hole filled with stone or rubble. The lawn drains into it, and the water can slowly soak away over hours or days while the lawn stays not wet.

NT