Drainage For Driveways
One of the most important aspects of driveway maintenance is ensuring proper drainage. Without proper drainage, water can pool on your driveway, causing cracks and other damage.
There are a few things you can do to ensure proper drainage for your driveway.
First, make sure that the grade of your driveway slopes away from your home. This will help water run off of your driveway instead of pooling. You can check the grade by using a level. Place the level on the ground and see if the bubble is in the center. If it is not, then you will need to adjust the grade.
Second, ensure that there are no objects blocking the flow of water off of your driveway. This includes things like leaves, branches, and debris. If there are objects blocking the flow of water, remove them.
Third, you may need to install a drainage system. This can be as simple as a French drain or a more complex system depending on the size of your driveway and the amount of water that pools on it. French drains are a type of drainage system that consists of a perforated pipe that is buried underground. The pipe collects water and drains it away from your driveway.
Fourth, seal your driveway. This will help to prevent water from seeping into the cracks and causing damage. Driveway drainage is an important part of driveway maintenance. By taking a few simple steps, you can ensure that your driveway will last for many years
New Laws For Drainage
New laws have been introduced for households wanting to hard surface over their front gardens. The drains in most urban areas were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall. More water is entering the drains from new developments and paving front gardens adds to the problem.
Although paving over one or two gardens may not seem to make a difference, the combined effect of lots of people in a street or area doing this can increase the risk of flooding. Therefore, if the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area.
If you have an existing driveway no retrospective planning consent is required.
At L Murphy Construction Ltd we are experts in drainage and soakaways. In order to comply with the new legislation it is important to ensure you have the correct drainage for your driveway. The ground below your driveway must be made up of mainly sand or gravel so as to allow water to soak into it. We calculate the size of the soakaway to be used when we install your new driveway.
What are Soakaways?
Soakaways are designed to collect and store water, which can then be used to water your garden or wash your car. They are particularly useful during times of drought when water is scarce. There are many other benefits of using a soakaway too.
A driveway soakaway is a gravel-filled pit used to collect and store water runoff from rainfall or snowmelt. The water is then slowly released into the ground, where it filters back into the groundwater supply. Driveway soakaways are an effective way to prevent flooding and erosion, and they can also help reduce the number of pollutants that enter the groundwater.
They can help to improve the drainage of your property, prevent flooding and reduce the risk of groundwater contamination. Soakaways can also help to reduce the amount of water that needs to be treated at a sewage treatment plant, saving energy and money. Soakaways are easy to maintain and can last for many years with proper care. They are an environmentally-friendly way to save water and help to keep your property safe and dry.
