Path/linear drain over clay soil

Foul and surface water, private drains and public sewers, land drains and soakaways, filter drains and any other ways of getting rid of water.
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Wetguylondon
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:16 am
Location: London

Post: # 87620Post Wetguylondon

Hi guys,
thanks for all the great very useful information on this site.

I live in London and the soil in my garden is very "clayey". It also looks like I might be in a natural depression, as every time it rains my garden gets completely flooded, to shin height. This is localised to the back and thankfully near the house its not as bad - but still very waterlogged. I think i need herringbone land drainage as detailed in this website - draining into a rainwater gulley near the house.

There is a path running along the side of the house, which was covered in a layer of concrete. Water was collecting at the side of the house as the concrete had lifted slightly, forming a small permanent puddle against the wall whenever it rained.
So.. I lifted the path and now I need to re-lay one. Water does not drain freely through the clay, so i figure i need a linear drain along the length of the path, connecting into the rain gulley at the end ? Is this the right thing to do considering the clay soil, and the fact that it seems the water table is very high around the house ?
Also - considering the soil/water, should i have a certain type of stone for the path? I'm thinking 12" square york stone slabs with a red brick border to match the rest of the house.

Thanks in advance for your advice

lutonlagerlout
Site Admin
Posts: 15184
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:20 am
Location: bedfordshire

Post: # 87630Post lutonlagerlout

sounds like a plan wetguy
that water laying against your house will always cause problems down the line
an alternative is to lay the stone with a slight fall away from the house assuming you can get the correct falls 1:60 -1:80

lot of heavy clay in london and your problem is not unusual
LLL
"what,you want paying today??"

YOUR TEXT GOES HERE

irishpaving
Posts: 420
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:14 pm
Location: uk

Post: # 87644Post irishpaving

Must of had a really good read..... :D
"I'm spending a year dead for tax reasons."

Wetguylondon
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:16 am
Location: London

Post: # 87658Post Wetguylondon

Thanks for the replies. The other side of the path is all hedges. Do I need some kind of membrane there between the roots and the hardcore ?
Is there someone who anyone can recommend to do this job - who can deal with the gully/drainage as well as the path laying ?

local patios and driveway
Posts: 1568
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: Gatwick
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Post: # 87663Post local patios and driveway

What part of london are you?

Wetguylondon
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:16 am
Location: London

Post: # 87664Post Wetguylondon

North West, near East Finchley

Carberry
Posts: 1366
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: Edinburgh

Post: # 87676Post Carberry

Wetguylondon wrote:Thanks for the replies. The other side of the path is all hedges. Do I need some kind of membrane there between the roots and the hardcore ?
Is there someone who anyone can recommend to do this job - who can deal with the gully/drainage as well as the path laying ?
Depend on the hedge, how big it is and how big you're planning on letting it grow.

Wetguylondon
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:16 am
Location: London

Post: # 87791Post Wetguylondon

Thanks for all the replies so far guys.
I have had 3 different guys round to look at it, and have had 3 different solutions !!
i'll post some pictures below so you see what i'm talking about. The house is on a hill, so the ground on the hedge side is higher than the wall side, and water obviously comes onto the path from there.
here are what the different people said:
A: lay the flags over a concrete sub base, falling away from house, with linear drain right next to the house.

B: Lay the flags over type 1 / 50mm aggregate. Linear drain under the hedge, coming in to join the existing rainwater gulley at about 30 degrees angle

C: The path would only be 1 brick below the DPC, so have to lower the whole thing down, including the rainwater gulley. This would also involve a step at the beginning and end of the path (as the front driveway and patio are higher). Lay the flagstones over a concrete base falling away from house.
(this would mean that when I re-do the driveway and patio i'll have to lower them all too to match the path!)

I wish there was a bit more consistency. Any experts here have any thoughts ?
Thank you

Wetguylondon
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:16 am
Location: London

Post: # 87792Post Wetguylondon

(how do i post images here?)

Ground Level
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:51 am
Location: Oxfordshire

Post: # 87810Post Ground Level

Posting these on behalf of the OP - no problems mate :->

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Ground Level
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:51 am
Location: Oxfordshire

Post: # 87812Post Ground Level

Just to confirm I haven't visited the site and can offer no knowledge, purely responding to a request from wetguy on how to get images up. They tell a thousand words apparently :->

Cheers. Ground Level. Always lol.....

lutonlagerlout
Site Admin
Posts: 15184
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:20 am
Location: bedfordshire

Post: # 87815Post lutonlagerlout

looks straightforward from here
run a drain down the house to the garden
who has left all those bags down the side?
and am I correct in thinking that your finished floor is 4 1/2 inches above the DPC?
LLL
"what,you want paying today??"

YOUR TEXT GOES HERE

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