Do I need drainage under the raised beds?

[vineet]

Hi

I am laying pavers and at the lower slope end is the raised beds. I am sloping pavers at about 50mm for ~3m width but I am concerned that the end of the slope is raised beds so how will water drain. After laying pavers it will come to around the height of the first level sleepers. 
question- do I need put drainage before the sleepers. 

[EricL]

Hello @vineet

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's marvellous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about drainage for your paving project.

I suggest using Everhard 3m EasyDRAIN Polymer Grate And Prejoined Channel as the drain for your paving project. If you were to use a sock-slotted drain coil it will drain into the front of your garden bed and the leading edge of your paving run. This water will soften the area and will eventually sink, I believe it is better to re-direct the water with a solid drain so that no water will soak into the soil. 

Looking at the picture you posted, I suggest measuring the space you can use and the approximate height of where the paver will be once it's laid out. The drain must have a fall so that it flows away from the area and does not hold the water in place. I propose looking carefully at where you will direct the water so that it does not cause a flood and it does not flow back into the area.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: Everhard EASYDRAIN Installation   

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[vineet]

Thanks Eric, your recommendation is pretty much in line with what I was thinking. I am however struggling to connect the drain to existing stormwater pit as it is at the higher ground. beyond the fence is a low ground railway track so I think the original drainage was just to give a good slope. Now I could either transfer the water to either side of the fence which is a low ground but not sure if that could cause problems down the line. I will post some pictures later that will give a better idea, please wait for the pics.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @vineet,

@EricL and I will be looking forward to those additional images.

Mitchell

[vineet]

 

 

 

 

Hi @EricL @MitchellMc please see the pics. Like I said the stormwater pit on this side of the yard is at higher ground (first image) and the other stormwater pit is one the other side of the yard with no access to lay the pipes as it is blocked by boxed decking. 

now I think I have two options

1) lay the hard drains and dig to find the stormwater pipes and connect to it. - problem is I don’t have a map of how the stormwater pipes are laid. Is there anyway I can detect where the pipes are and then how do I connect the drainage. 

2) Simply outlet the drainage to outside of the fence. As outside the fence is steep slope, it should be fine. 

somewhere I also read about installing a smaller stormwater pit at the low point and get the drains come to it. 
please suggest. 

regards

vineet

 

[EricL]

Hi @vineet

Thank you for sharing those extra photos of your garden area. I can now see why draining the paved area in the other direction won't work. Before we go any further, I suggest checking the rules and regulations of your local council concerning connecting to an existing drain. Some states require that a registered plumber do the linkup. It would also be a good idea to ask if you can simply drain the rainwater outside to the sloped area past your fence. 

Placing a drain pit is only ideal if there are several sources of drains coming together. The drain pit actually slows down the water flow allowing the converging water to drain away at a much slower pace. Unless you are in a place that gets a lot of torrential rain, I suggest directly linking to your local drain. As to the current location of the drain pipes, you'll need to consult your local council or have a look at the original plans of the house.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[vineet]

thanks Eric. I will gather some Intelligence and hopefully will come back to report the progress

[EricL]

Hi @vineet

Please keep us in the loop and if you run into any other issues, please don't hesitate to post your question.

Eric

[TheHandySqirrel]

Hi @vineet,

another option is to use permeable pavers which drain the water into the ground below. You don't need to have all pavers being permeable, maybe just one course towards the end of the fall (which will also reduce costs). That way you don't have the issue of connecting to stormwater. However, you might have to ensure that the ground below the pavers drains well (and is not e.g. clay).

[vineet]

hi @TheHandySqirrel 

Thank you for the suggestion.

I am using Brighton masonry pavers . I was also told to get paver sealant so I suppose those won't be permeable. 

Ground underneath is not too bad and drains well. Also I suppose in laying the base for the pavers, then I should not mix any cement in the paving sand. Should I also not add cement when filling the sand between pavers. 

Ahh.. but wait, you said just one course towards the end of the fall will be sufficient then I can keep as it is. 

Any recommendations on permeable paver?