Remedial Rain soak-away work

One of the many tasks completed this leave was a quick bit of remedial work I had to do because of how I had set up the rain water run off that runs in the patio (terrace) and then under the sleeper steps and then under the crescent part of the terrace then away down to a large soakaway. 
(Ha I was going to say French Drain but I guess they only call them that anywhere that is not France, where they become just a Drain) 
Then there is to be fitted an overflow drainage pipe from the soakaway that leads down to a rock feature and then leeches out into the field and will take all the rain water from the back of the house away. 



The flaw in my cunning plan was that I realized I had made an error, in that I had no way of reaching in to remove debris in the trap (under the join of the sleepers) so I had to rectify that before we could start the terrace.
We lifted the sleepers and the metal cover I had installed. I then cut the metal channel covers underneath in order that the length of channel cover outside (on the main terrace) would be easy to remove and then we would be able to get a hand and arm in to unblock any leafy build up. 
The pictures are self evident as to the process as I had to make sure that the drain would work on the terrace and actually take the rain water from the crescent water into the save-all.







The solid metal covering over the channels is to protect debris from falling down between and behind the sleepers and blocking the save-all. 
You can see how with the solid metal debris preventers in place it will still be possible to remove the grating from next to the sleeper and either work a hose or a hand in to remove any crud.
the idea will be to have the first two feet of the channels filled with some scrunched chicken wire which will catch the usual autumn debris and be easy to draw out clean and replace. 


Once we had put the sleepers back it was time for us to start laying the terrace slabs that MrsB had made.
Happy days indeed 

Love and Peace
Bentley