The pipes that are used to drain your garden undergo a lot of stress and most of the time problems are hidden from view until a blockage occurs or a patch of wet grass appears.
Root Ingress From Trees and Shrubs
Roots from Trees and Shrubs Cause Blockages in Wolverhampton GardensTree and shrub roots seek moisture and if a leak has occurred from a damaged drain pipe joint then the roots will be attracted to the leak. On inspection by a CCTV drain survey, the roots will appear as a mass of fibres within the drain pipe, occasionally filling the whole of the pipe. The roots will then hold debris etc within the pipe causing frequent blockages.
Pipe Displacement From Soil Movement
Clay soils, such as those found throughout the West Midlands, shrink in summer and then swell again in winter. They can move in the soil significantly and can pull with them pipes that have been laid through them. What the CCTV camera shows up is a pipe joint that has ‘stepped’ ie. one part of the pipe has moved and does not line up with the adjacent section of pipe. As debris etc. is wiped down the drain the lip of the misaligned pipe joint is caught. As more time passes the blockage will become more severe as more debris is washed down the drain and trapped.
Rodent Damage Near Garden Gullies
Rodent damage found within drainage systems. Typically rats find their way into drainage systems via uncovered gullies or broken sections of pipe. They then proceed to scrape and gnaw at pipe walls and joints in order to progress through the system. Typically signs of rodent activity are evident from the rough scraping of pipe materials, and often the point of entry.
Collapsed or Silted Land Drains
The images from older Wolverhampton gardens show clay land drains that have been collapsed or filled with compacted silt over time. These are often found beneath the lawn and result in ongoing wet patches.
Misconnected Soakaways and Surface Water Drains
A number of surface water drains have been found to be incorrectly connected to the foul sewer rather than a soakaway or watercourse. It is worth knowing which are your responsibility and which are the water company’s. A misconnection can be your liability to repair.
A useful reference for CCTV Drain Survey Wolverhampton is https://www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/wolverhampton/.
The majority of issues with garden drainage can be diagnosed with ease by carrying out a CCTV drain survey and the findings of the survey can then be used to plan the required repair in full detail.