The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:24 am**

hello

I am currently considering laying a patio in the garden. the previous owner had some crazy paving build up to the patio doors. it was above the internal level of the back room so I guesss that's why he had a channel cut out of the patio so it wouldn't touch the house and had left 2 holes in the patio so the air bricks could breathe.

my project is simple. the dig out the current level so that im below damp course and airbricks and have patio sloping away from house. here lies my problem. I will need to build a retaining wall as im going down so deep compared to the lawn level. I guess 18-24 " wall height. where can I channel the water off to. I will be 3 meters from the house but don't have the gradient to run a drain back to the house for the run off water.

I was thinking of digging a soakaway at the end of patio against the wall maybe 200mm wide and 300mm deep filled with pebbles. would this work or any other ideas please?

thanks for reading and look forward to getting help

thanks guys

Posted: **Sun Oct 27, 2013 9:11 pm**

A soakaway is probarbly your best solution. Out of interest:

1. What is the size of the patio? (wondering how much water it will be draining into the soakaway)

2. What is to the left and right of the patio? (wondering if there is flower bed you can drain into)

3. Can you post a picture?

If my memory serves me correctly, the gaffer wrote a great article on soakaways, its somewhere on the main site. Well worth reading

Steve

Posted: **Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:25 am**

There's a SUDS infiltration drain for patios and driveways shown here which is simple and effective as long as you have free draining ground and the area of the patio/driveway does not exceed 30mÂ² (assuming a max width/length of 6m for the drain)

If the ground is less free-draining but not solid clay, and/or the patio/driveway is larger trhan 30-ish square metres, then an attenuation cell soakaway might be a better option

The Brew Cabin

Help with patio drainage please