How to improve drainage?

[Kvic]

So I have been wanting to fix a drainage problem on my friends property but I wasn't sure but today the wet weather has confirmed my suspicion.

The property is a sloping block

Slopping Block

The water runs down from the highest point on the block and is surface water that turns into 3 main streams. The heaviest of the 3 runs down the south side of the block fence line and the garden alongside the fence has been washed out many times.

The first and second water flow runs into a entertainment area making lots of mess and fortunately there is a drain that was blocked today by the abundance of garden matter, luckily we were home to unblock the drain or we may have had a flood through the house itself.

I created a little dam to stop most of the water going into the entertainment area but look at the amount of water on the path and the garden behind the Besser block wall is submerged.

So what I want to do is run a drainage from north to south or across the property backyard before it runs through the living area. I though a spoon drain would suffice but that's a lot of water and what about garden foliage blocking?

I looked at the building plans and found that the drain from the entertainment area runs underground along the south side fence line and I want to run the spoon drain into this piping system to the roadway.

The drain is the dash line from the space open private down along the south side fence to a detention basin before running onto the roadway. 

This would in my opinion take the surface water from the backyard to the roadway drainage.

Watching the drain in the entertainment area was unsettling as the garden foliage block the drain and I would like to get some opinions on which type of drainage would be better and yes I will be doing this myself and will pave the clothes line area, regain the southside fence garden by replacing all the washed away soil.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nod1fCw5tJM

[EricL]

Hello @Kvic 

Thank you very much for the update on your drainage project. It's good to hear that you've managed to dig up a diversion channel for the water coming into your backyard. Just remember to get the Vinidex 100mm x 20m Socked Slotted Draincoil along with a Vinidex 100mm Draincoil End Cap to prevent soil from entering the top of the draincoil.

We look forward to seeing your next update.

Eric

[Kvic]

I have the socked 100mm Drain-coil and connectors already.

I have decided that I do not agree with the gravel being placed on the bottom or placing the pipe on top of 50mm gravel.

Gravel under pipe

The pit or diversion channel has show the water sits on top of the soil-rock-clay surface and is what is draining into the entertainment area shown by the food dye and by placing that gravel under the pipe will cause a level of water to always drain into the entertainment area. I want to place the pipe directly on top the mud with gravel to support the sides of the pipe. The water should then drain from the ground surface into the pipe and not sit below the pipe.

Maybe a 10mm furrow for the pipe to sit in so the water drains completely into the pipe. 

The side gravel is then very important to support and clear the ground from the pipe from dirt and I may widen this pit to have 100mm of gravel on each side of the pipe and 100mm above the pipe.

 Today the sun is out for a few days for me to continue the digging and laying of the pipe.

[EricL]

Hi @Kvic 

Thank you very much for the update on your drainage project. The purpose of the 50mm gravel is to prevent the drain coil from settling into the soil. However, if you've surmised that the soil is hard enough, I recommend putting in some GRUNT 1 x 10m Non Woven Geotextile Membrane Drain Mat Fabric under and over the drain coil to prevent fine sand and silt from entering. 

Eric

[Kvic]

North to southSouth side fence line

Hole dug, pipe laid, gravel filled.

 

send it down huey

[EricL]

Hi @Kvic

Thank you very much for the update, your drain layout is looking very good. My only suggestions are to move the excess soil near the drainage away from the gravel channel. I also recommend levelling and flattening the gravel near the steps going down so that the water does not form gulley's.

Eric

[Kvic]

I am trying to overcome waterflow issues on the property and while there are straightforward solutions the permissions are a bit more challenging. My partner doesn't like most of the first idea's and that has challenged me to come up with other solutions which I have to agree has worked out better.

I have a slopping block with reduced water issues after laying a drainage system across the yard.

There is still water flowing into the entertainment area which has been greatly reduced from mud and water to mostly clean water.

The water flows from under the stairs from the backyard with is on the east side fence and then because the concrete entertainment area has been laid for the water to flow to the centre of the entertainment area where there is a storm water drain.

The concrete is covered in water

The first solution was to cut the concrete with a channel to fit drainage from the steps to the stormwater drain but the aesthetic would look ugly.    

So I did lay some bricks on the surface to direct the water further along the concrete where I can direct the water into the stormwater drain.

Water and mulch re-directed

So this got me to thinking that I could go up instead of going down or somehow cutting or griding a spoon waterway into the concrete that is only 100mm thick and going up which is a tripping problem.

So I thought I would ask here for some idea's.

[Dave-1]

@Kvic 

A lot of work! And I mean a LOT. I know what you are talking about re the rain in Wollongong. (live in the area as well) and have the same type of issue as you. Tho not as much surface water from my neighbours maybe. Would love to see what your solution is like after the next rain. I run outside everytime and take photos of my solution as it is I like mucking around with drainage and digging tho get stressed when the solution is costed out. Im hopping mine holds up over the coming years. 

Just posted a couple of projects on stormwater rectification. And the landscaping and water retention will follow soon. The gravel around the pipes really seems to help subsurface water travel.

Dave

[Kvic]

A lot of work when you are 66 and carry 2 ton of blue metal from the front driveway up 20 or so steps with a large bucket on a tri wheel trolley. Digging 18 meter's of earth but the outcome is that since the job is now partly finished and we have had some rain the water has mostly disappeared down the drain and I find I can now get up out of the lounge without lounge arm support.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Kvic,

It appears that this area is capturing water. If adding a drainage channel is not an option for you, the next best would be installing a drainage pit. This drainage pit will capture water in the lower area and hopefully redirect it to your stormwater before it has a chance to build up. Also, a drainage channel could be incorporated into the system under the stairs to capture water exiting the wall.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Kvic]

So there have been advances in the drainage but I am quickly learning that when I want to do a job around the house it is never that simple for me.

Our front door is around the side of the house which leads into the backyard area and I want to clean the mould of the rendered wall of the front door area and then paint it. The mould extends not just to the rendered wall but most of the backyard so the rendered wall is actually the last thing that I need to do as I don't want to pressure clean the wall and then the pathway afterword's which would go blow rubbish all over the newly painted wall.

The pathway extends from the front of the house to the backyard and beyond so I started with the backyard.

Pressure washer the difference

So I will stain and oil these stairs but how do I clean from under those stairs.

While it looked difficult the truth is it came out fairly easy with a broom.

Mud and plants

Afterwards 

This mud comes from the backyard which was there before the drainage was put in, further up the backyard, so how has that drainage made a change, not yet as I have more to tell first.

So I pressure cleaned from the backyard steps, all the entertainment area down along the pathway to the front yard.

Well worth the effort but his uncovered further problems,

Gaps between blocks and concreteCracks in walls

I was able to put the long wood saw down between these gaps and remover the old concrete expansion joint material and replace it.

The cracks in the wall were hairline and not any loose concrete so I decided to paint the wall several times till all the cracks disappear and were well cover with the sealing and anti mold paint.

So what started out as I wanted to paint this wall turn out to be much more and I considered it the right way to do this job.

So the rain came finally and I can see the results of all this hard work.

After RainingWith the mudToday clean water

So have I come to and end, not by a long shot, there is mor to come.