How to Hide This?!
by
Erin
+2
We recently had a French drain installed in our basement. They put a pipe through the front wall of the house where the sump pump expels the water.
Right next to my front step and sidewalk. Often, the water gushes over the sidewalk that leads to the driveway.
I'm already having visions of a skating rink as I'm trying to negotiate my way to the car in the winter months when the temps drop.
I'm entertaining ideas for disguising the pipe, redirecting the water flow and keeping people from falling on future icy mornings.
I've thought of a few things but I haven't hit on the right one yet.
Bury your drain pipe underground where it will run away from the house. making sure it has enough slope draining away from the house. I've seen where people put an extension on the pipe above ground to run the water away from the house. When they don't need it anymore the extended pipe is put away out of sight.
I would plant something or place a nice planter in front so it hides it till you know exactly how it works/what volume of water goes where. I agree you need to redirect the open end though. I am in UK but presumably you have similar products to our open soakaway drains - part-covered on top to prevent leaf and debris buildup but long like a gutter that you can maybe insert along the path edge so water flow is redirected.
It's hard to tell how large your yard is...but I think I might be able to give you some ideas...Before you do anything...do this: measure 'where' this outlet pipe is & 'what' it's for, 'when' it was installed & 'by whom was it installed'...sounds stupid, but believe me, when it comes time to 'know' where it is, you will. I'm logging ALL work done, so in the future...I'LL know Or the new owner will have a nice' log book' that tells Who, What, Where & When things were done & why.
NOW: after you have done the above...I suggest that you dig a trench that slopes down & away from your building & into your yard; once you have it about where you are comfortable with the distance, dig a hole[5" shy of the end of the pipe] straight into the ground that will accommodate a 5 or 6 gallon bucket*** & it's lid. Check to make sure that the bucket will fit into the hole; then drill a hole in the side of the bucket near the top edge so that you can fit the end of the pipe into the hole on the side of the bucket & set the bucket into the hole. Now cover the entire trench & bucket [with it's lid on] {MAKE SURE you measure the distance from the building & the depth-'future reference again'
} ***Drill several holes into the BOTTOM of the bucket so that water will drain through into the ground below.
NOW: Make the best use of the rock that is located there & get more if you need to. LANDSCAPE the area & add a pillar stand & place a fern in a ceramic pot/or a cascade of flowers...dress it up with statuary & low evergreen bushes to hide what you couldn't bury [although the pipe exiting the build CAN be buried in rock to hide it. Put a small trellis in front of it & plant lots of climbing plants to hide it. HAVE FUN!
No plants near the house. We had termites a couple years ago and the stones keep plants away from the house. This pipe is connected to the sump pump that removes water from the French drain we had installed in our basement.