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  Simon Smith April 13, 2011 at 11:22pm

  Putting in land drains/ french drains would be the normal answer but in heavy clay a soakaway will be pretty useless and you can't simply break into the existing drainage to take it away. Your other post mentions a retaining wall? How is the drainage being done for it? As you potentially could run the french drains into that system whether it be weep holes or discharging somewhere.
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  Dave Sewell April 14, 2011 at 1:26pm

  Angela,

  First I think you're a bit thin on the topsoil. I'd recommend a minimum of 150-mm for that situation.

  Second digging a soakaway isn't necessarily a useless exercise, it all depends on where the clay band ends because running between the bands will be sand or gravel or even water if the water table is high. Obviously if you can get into this level any water will drain perfectly well. It all depends on where that level might be (could be 500-mm down, could be 3 metres!) Dig a test hole to find out.

  If all else fails have a loiok at where the closest downpipe on the house is and if it's a modernish house you can always pipe into that. Older properties tend to have the storm water and foul drains linked so in that case it's not a good idea to add to the load of the system

  All best,

  Dave
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  Angela Palmerton April 14, 2011 at 7:56pm

  OK Dave, thanks appreciate your advice.  6" sounds much better.
  
  Dave Sewell said:

  Angela,

  First I think you're a bit thin on the topsoil. I'd recommend a minimum of 150-mm for that situation.

  Second digging a soakaway isn't necessarily a useless exercise, it all depends on where the clay band ends because running between the bands will be sand or gravel or even water if the water table is high. Obviously if you can get into this level any water will drain perfectly well. It all depends on where that level might be (could be 500-mm down, could be 3 metres!) Dig a test hole to find out.

  If all else fails have a loiok at where the closest downpipe on the house is and if it's a modernish house you can always pipe into that. Older properties tend to have the storm water and foul drains linked so in that case it's not a good idea to add to the load of the system

  All best,

  Dave