I want to fit guttering and downpipes to our detached garage with a
pitched roof to discharge into a water butt on each side. Each half of
the roof is about 20 m2 in area.
What do I do about surplus water? At the moment it just runs of the roof
onto the ground (no gutters, as implied above). Do I have to provide a
soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the butts?
--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!

On Thu, 24 May 2007 19:47:08 +0100, Peter Twydell
wrote:

|!I want to fit guttering and downpipes to our detached garage with a
|!pitched roof to discharge into a water butt on each side. Each half of
|!the roof is about 20 m2 in area.
|!What do I do about surplus water? At the moment it just runs of the roof
|!onto the ground (no gutters, as implied above). Do I have to provide a
|!soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the butts?

WE just have empty dustbins catching the drips from our garage roof. When
they overflow the water runs into the tarmac no problem.
--
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On Thu, 24 May 2007 19:47:08 +0100 someone who may be Peter Twydell
wrote this:-

I want to fit guttering and downpipes to our detached garage with a
pitched roof to discharge into a water butt on each side. Each half of
the roof is about 20 m2 in area.
What do I do about surplus water? At the moment it just runs of the roof
onto the ground (no gutters, as implied above). Do I have to provide a
soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the butts?

Depends on what is around the garage.

Simply letting it overflow will turn the sides green and is likely
to undermine the pile of bricks or whatever the butt rests on. It is
generally best to provide an overflow that takes it somewhere
definite, where this is depends on the location.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

Peter Twydell wrote:
... Do I have to
provide a soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the
butts?

Do you mean legally?

--
LSR

In message , LSR
writes
Peter Twydell wrote:
... Do I have to
provide a soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the
butts?

Do you mean legally?


Yes, that's why I said 'Do I have to'.
--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!

Peter Twydell wrote:
In message , LSR
writes
Peter Twydell wrote:
... Do I have to
provide a soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the
butts?

Do you mean legally?


Yes, that's why I said 'Do I have to'.

Well if you really look at the regulations, first of all I am not sure
they apply to garages..only habitable stuff, and secondly even there
they only insist on a means of protecting the structure against being
permanently wet etc.

I.e if you DO have gutters and storm drains, then you have to build an
effective soakaway etc..but if you don't have gutters at all? :-)

Its a very grey area. By BCO started to cut up about lack of gutters on
the tiled roof, till I pointed out that there weren't any on the
thatched roof..we still haven't finished that discussion. although I
decdided to gutter and pipe it anyway.

The gulleys simply go down into a huge gravel filled moat round the
house - French drain - that is drained by a perf pipe all round and
finally a pipe to the pond.

Alla soakaway is, is pretty much the same thing..a large leaky tank
somewhere that can absorb high inputs, and store and release over a
longer period. Typically a pit full of gravel with a plastic sheet over,
covered in soil..

On Thu, 24 May 2007 19:47:08 +0100, Peter Twydell
wrote:

I want to fit guttering and downpipes to our detached garage with a
pitched roof to discharge into a water butt on each side. Each half of
the roof is about 20 m2 in area.
What do I do about surplus water? At the moment it just runs of the roof
onto the ground (no gutters, as implied above). Do I have to provide a
soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the butts?

As a slight aside...

I have disposed of the need for a tap, connecting a piece of plastic hose with a
U loop at the end. The remainder of the existing downpipe has been cut off just
below the top of the butt, such that when not in use the U can be dropped into
it.

This has two benefits.

1) We don't have to fiddle with the tap, simply unlatching the 'hook' and
dropping it into the watering can.

2) During heavy rain, the water in the butt is circulated out - well in theory -
and is less likely to get stagnant.

There is 1 definite downside...

I have made the U from 15mm copper, which I suppose is about the same as the tap
outlet and so during peirods of heavy rain, the butt overflows which is not a
problem in my particular case. I've always thought I could perfect the idea but
never bothered.

Andy