Drainage
Below-ground drainage is the least visible and most frequently overlooked cause of damage to old buildings. Blocked or broken gullies, collapsed clay drains, soakaways that stopped working decades ago and downpipes discharging straight to the base of a wall all put water where the fabric cannot deal with it, and the symptoms appear as internal damp, decayed skirtings and joist ends, or movement, long before anyone looks at the drains. The specialists here survey, trace, repair and renew drainage around historic buildings.
What this category covers
- CCTV drain survey, tracing and condition reporting
- Repair and relining of clay and cast iron below-ground drainage
- Gully, channel and rainwater discharge repair
- Soakaway and land drainage design and renewal
- Reduction of ground water and surface water at the base of walls
Lucking Utility Services
Lucking Utility Services is a water infrastructure contractor based in Brentwood, Essex, ...
Splitlath Limited
Splitlath Limited is a specialist building contractor based at Peterchurch in Herefordshire, ...
Ward Environmental Services Ltd
Ward Environmental Services are off-mains drainage specialists with thirty-five years’ experience in ...
Drainage and damp in old buildings
Look at the drains before you look at the wall. Where damp appears at low level, a defective gully, a cracked drain or a downpipe discharging onto the ground beside the wall is a far more common cause than anything requiring chemical treatment. It is also cheaper to fix.
Get the survey done properly. A CCTV survey with a plan showing runs, falls, defects and connections tells you what is actually there, which is rarely what the drawings or the previous owner said. On older properties, drains have often been altered many times.
Deal with ground levels at the same time. External levels that have risen above internal floor level, and hard surfaces falling towards the building, defeat even sound drainage. A french drain or a properly falling surface is often part of the same job.
Take care around archaeology and roots. Excavation near a historic building may need archaeological attention, and mature trees have both root protection considerations and, in shrinkable clay soils, a bearing on movement. Establish both before digging.
Questions to ask
Could my damp problem be a drainage problem?
Very often. Blocked gullies, cracked underground drains, downpipes discharging at the wall base and failed soakaways are among the most common causes of persistent low-level damp in older buildings, and they are usually cheaper to fix than the symptoms they cause.
Do I need permission to alter drainage at a listed building?
Work that affects historic fabric, or excavation within the curtilage, can require Listed Building Consent, and archaeological conditions may apply. Building Regulations also cover below-ground drainage work. Check both before starting.
Are old clay drains worth keeping?
Sound clay drainage can last a very long time and can often be repaired or relined rather than replaced, which avoids excavation close to foundations. A survey should establish condition before wholesale renewal is assumed.
All 3 businesses listed under Drainage
- Lucking Utility Services Essex
- Splitlath Limited Herefordshire
- Ward Environmental Services Ltd East Sussex
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.