My neighbor is installing that 12 inch black unlined corrugated drain pipe in a natural ditch. He put gravel around it. Is it enough before the dirt goes in?. Another neighbor (who is off on vacation for 2 weeks told me that he needs to install rebar too. Where exactly? and How? and how much? Cant ask our other neighbor advice since he is off to California for a week more.
The reason he is doing all of this is that his house is only a few feet away. He than is having lots of dirt brought in to cover pipe and get rid of that open ditch and plant grass over it Since we both have been working on our homes since 1989 ditch has gotten wider. We are both on lakefront lots. WE are do it yourselfers mostly. The ditch he is working on goes into the homongeous ditch that is behind us both and goes downhill to the lake.
Both of us are retired but pay as we go. We need to do some landscape drainage corrections too. Some of these rains have washed our gravel to ruts again. Have lots of concrete pavers we bought cheap just sitting outside waiting to install so we do not slide so much walking down our driveway. Sure wish those HGTV crews were here advising us on landscaping details and labor. Dream on.
Maybe we will finish this house before we are 60. With stockmarket so bad Hubby lost his retirement buyout and may have to go back to work.
I guess financial planners have moved to the top of the most distrusted profeesional even over lawyers!!
Thanks all
Replies
Rebar is for concrete.
Putting gravel around a culvert is a bad idea. This will allow water to seep through along the sides and eventually wash it out.
It's better to fill around a culvert with clay and compact it well.
Nonconformists are all alike.
Is that a culvert or a french drain Jean is putting in? A culvert I agree with you, But a french drain needs the gravel. However if it is a ditch for moving ground water it should be a culvert not a french drain. Agreed?
Heck, I don't know. My Wife married me for my looks, not what I know.
I assumed it was just a culvert since it's 12" in diameter. Never seen a perforated pipe that big around.
Maybe Jean will drop back in and enlighten us.
If only the good die young then what does that say about senior citizens?
I work for a geotechical lab, we do thid daily.
dig a hole
drop the pipe
fill with dirt
compact some
forget gravel, forget rebar
rebar is for concrete
job done
The reason I say not to use gravel is from experience. When you get water pushing on the surface around the pipe, it will seek out any void. Gravel around the pipe will provide just such a void.
The pressure of the water flowing through the pipe will eventually wash it out.
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
The reason I questioned the type was up in my neck of the woods the bendy type that looks like a straw is a french drain and the cement type is a culvert.
Are they trying to move water or are they trying to collect it then move it?
Edited 8/9/2002 10:07:05 PM ET by weekendwarrior