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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:03 am
by confused-com-dot
Hi, this is my first post and I wish I'd found you two weeks ago before I had this work done. Please can someone tell me whether I made the right choice of 'groundworker'.
The rainwater from the gutters appeared to be going nowhere, my garden was a bog when it rained. Digging down revealed the pipes just went into the ground about 3 feet from the house. We asked a man who seemed to know about these things to replace the drains. We have a stream at the back of the garden. He has installed corrugated pipes with holes to the 2 downpipes and they now go out to the stream. He used gravel and black textile stuff (although the gravel looked more like driveway chuckies) to line the trenches. He said I wouldn't see any water coming out of the ends of the corrugated pipe for possibly 2 years. 2 YEARS?? Can that be right? Also, is it okay that he hasn't used solid pipe from the gutter downpipes just the same corrugated stuff with holes, having read previous posts, I suspect not, what will happen?
one more thing....I'm worried rodents might make nests in the pipes which just hang over the edge of the stream, is there anything I can buy to put on the ends to stop them but which won't stop the flow of water....if it ever gets that far...apparently!
I'd appreciate all thoughts.
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:46 am
by Suggers
A grill stops rodents.
What are driveway chuckies...? - as if I couldn't guess? -
Welcome mate - where you from? Oz? 
ps - a photie would be great...
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 6:53 am
by lutonlagerlout
it sounds like he has installed a land drain
a picture would be handy
maybe you could test his system by putting a hosepipe into your downpipe and seeing if water comes out when turned on
it doesn't sound bad bad, just a bit odd
cheers LLL
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:10 am
by seanandruby
holes in down pipe? Definetly not. Should'nt use filter pipe for rainwater just plain pipe. Has he formed an apron where pipe enters stream to stop erosion of the bank? He sounds like a right cowboy.
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:35 am
by confused-com-dot
I did put a hosepipe down where the downpipe goes into the drain..had it on full blast for half an hour and nothing came out the other end. When I phoned to tell him he said it would take two years before I would see water coming out!
I'm feeling ill!! Chuckies are a local slang for driveway gravel by the way.
I'd send a picture but there's nothing to see as its all covered up. There's also nothing at the end of the pipe at the banking.
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:04 am
by seanandruby
nothing will come out if it's perforated. The water will go to the lowest point which is bottom of shingle ( hydrostatic gradient ). Eventually the volume of water will start eroding the bank and your 'chuckles' will migrate down stream. You need a proper contractor to re-do pipework and install an apron to stop erosion.
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:11 am
by GB_Groundworks
ok confused dot com
if he was making a leech field/soakaway to disperse the rain water then perforated pipe would be the right choice,
to play devils advocate he might have thought he was doing you a favour by pipeing the water away and creating a land drain?
i personally would have used the half currugated stuff if this was his plan.
as for 2 years thats not true, i installed a 150mm perforated drain and it was running before id finished connecting it, some land drains that gather ground water can take a while to start running but yours with a direct flow should run instantly, sounds like his falls where off or he has low spots in his trench,
in the glorified air of cost is not an option £500m+ jobs that sean is on then yes he should have formed a outfall with a large plug of concrete and a solid concrete or clap pipe. however every client i ve priced one for as laughed at me, the only time we do them is on large river banks or our own jobs.
when we go into streams and ditches we just come out with a solid pipe, surrounded in stone then reinforce the bank with what ever stone is lying in the stream or ditch, into a pond then just the bedding stone as there is no flow against the bank to erode.
fast forward this video to 8:16 and youll see a 6" perforated drain 1 day after being installed, albeit with a large area to drain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE8bIyVdmsc
from the main page, example outfall
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1287134001
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:22 am
by confused-com-dot
Thanks for all that everyone..so whats the worst thats going to happen, clearly I've not picked the right man and paid dearly for it.
Will it cause damage to my house do you think?
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:26 am
by GB_Groundworks
no i think youll be fine, might want to get some drain rods with a wheel ont hem and run it up check he hasnt crushed/kinked it install and back fillingit. or get him to do it, but id be there, start at the house and feel your way down till it emerges at the stream end.
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:37 am
by confused-com-dot
Thanks for all the advice...wish I'd been on here before now!! Hindsight is a wonderful thing..i think some workmen just think they can pull any dodgy job over women and they won't know any different. And they're right in my case!!
So will my garden be more or less boggy than before? Hev wasn't right then in telling me the water won't come out of the end for 2 years?
Also can I buy a cap to put on the end of the corrugated pipe?
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 8:06 am
by seanandruby
GB_Groundworks wrote:ok confused dot com
if he was making a leech field/soakaway to disperse the rain water then perforated pipe would be the right choice,
to play devils advocate he might have thought he was doing you a favour by pipeing the water away and creating a land drain?
i personally would have used the half currugated stuff if this was his plan.
as for 2 years thats not true, i installed a 150mm perforated drain and it was running before id finished connecting it, some land drains that gather ground water can take a while to start running but yours with a direct flow should run instantly, sounds like his falls where off or he has low spots in his trench,
in the glorified air of cost is not an option £500m+ jobs that sean is on then yes he should have formed a outfall with a large plug of concrete and a solid concrete or clap pipe. however every client i ve priced one for as laughed at me, the only time we do them is on large river banks or our own jobs.
when we go into streams and ditches we just come out with a solid pipe, surrounded in stone then reinforce the bank with what ever stone is lying in the stream or ditch, into a pond then just the bedding stone as there is no flow against the bank to erode.
fast forward this video to 8:16 and youll see a 6" perforated drain 1 day after being installed, albeit with a large area to drain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE8bIyVdmsc
from the main page, example outfall
Giles £500mil' or £500, the job should be a goodun. When have you ever put a perforated down pipe in from the gutter? It sounds like the ground was saturated because they went nowhere. the shingle below the pipe will be the lowest point if a perforated drain is used, so the majority of water will follow that course, which will eventually erode the watercourse, stream, river whatever it is. We don't know how fast the ladies stream flows' so therefore can't assume on it. We just do the job to compliance, which is, to anchor the end pipe with concrete and protect the bank. I have, as you probably done, used sand bags filled with concrete, sometimes. Funny enough when i have mentioned work on the end pipe no one has laughed at me, more they have been concerned that they might be hit wit a large bill from the local council for remedial work to the stream. :;):
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:43 am
by seanandruby
confused-com-dot wrote:Also, is it okay that he hasn't used solid pipe from the gutter downpipes just the same corrugated stuff with holes, having read previous posts, I suspect not, what will happen?
No it's not ok. He should of used proper down pipe. The water will seep out of the perforations and quite possibly create damp problems to your walls. You need to get them changed immediately.
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 7:40 pm
by GB_Groundworks
Was it definitely perforated? As you can get smooth wall corrugated pipe as well especially if they are in another country,
Water will follow the path of least resistance which is down the pipe. Or the trench be very unlucky to track back uphill and wet their walls
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:26 pm
by seanandruby
.....Think it has been stated, by the poster, that it was perforated and corrugated ???
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 10:19 pm
by confused-com-dot
The pipe was definately black, corrugated and perforated all over...the cheapest kind I've since learned. I live in Scotland so our stuff's not that different to yours south of the border!
I've tried to get in touch with the groundwork person responsible..guess what..no answer!
I paid £1100 for about 40 metres of this pipe. Do you think it will be the same again to dig up and replace? My garden's looking like the Gaza strips. Sob!!