|
Page
1
| 2 | 3 |
4 | 5 |
6 | @
This is probably the most important aspect
of any asphalt, paver or
concrete driveway!
If the
grading is not done properly you are most likely to
have a water problem.
You may have
water going into the garage, standing water
near your house, or puddles in your driveway, even ponds on your lawn.
If your driveway has any
kind of water problem, then most likely
poor pitch or grading was the key
factor.
Driveways need to be pitched away from the house and
when possible down
towards the street. It is always best to pitch the driveway in more
than one direction when possible.
For water to flow through pipe you need to have 1"
(one inch) of pitch for every 10' (ten feet) of length. But for water
to flow well on a driveway I use, 1 1/2" (one & one
half inch) to every 10' if
possible,
allowing for any imperfection or a porous mix.
What does this mean? For example, If your garage
floor is 100' away from the street, for water to flow to the street,
the
garage floor must be at least 10" higher than the edge of the road or
street that you are paving to.
Ideally 15" or more to every 100' will make
the water flow even faster & make the paving job easier.
11/2" to every 10 feet
GENERAL RULES
OF THUMB
- Never install
concrete, pavers or asphalt perfectly level, it must be tipped slightly
to allow water to run off (unless it's indoors) this term is known as
PITCH.
- Minimum pitch is
1” to every 10’, which means that if a level ten foot section of
pipe is lifted 1 inch at one end, water will flow out the low end of
the pipe. (If the pipe is level water will stay in the pipe).
- Always try to
have more than 1” to 10’ if possible because driveways and
walkways are
not as smooth as the inside of a pipe.
- Tennis &
basketball courts, patios, walks, even gravel and stone driveways,
anything out doors will need to obey this rule of pitch, (except
swimming pool installations which need the water to stay).
- When possible always
try to pitch water away from the house and towards the street. This of
course will depend on the elevation of your garage floor.
- When possible always
pitch in two directions, for example front to back and left to right.
DRAINS & DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
- Just because your
garage is lower than the street does not mean you need some sort of
drainage system. An experienced contractor can pitch the water away
from your garage door and have the water flow around your house without
having any problems and without using a drain. Unless there is no place
for the water to flow.
- Only install drains
or drainage systems when there is no other choice
.
- Always try to avoid
installations of drains if they are not necessary.
Look for alternatives to drains that could fail
and create maintenance problems.
If
you have no choice and do require a drain, then the water table of your
property will have to be considered. Some land is on a high water table
which will not provide good drainage.
Ledge can also be a problem when installing a drain,
not only when excavating for the drain but for drainage ability,
because water will not be absorbed by ledge.
Drainage systems will add a substantial cost to
your driveway project and there is no guarantee that the drain will
work efficiently enough to absorb a week long rain fall or rapid spring
thaw that might overwhelm your drainage system and cause it to back-up
into your garage.
Piping systems, overflow pipes and sump pumps may
need careful consideration because they can fail with frost and
clogging by leaves and debris. They may be fine for most of the year
until something fails and it can cause some problems down the road.
You will need a permit, and most likely be charged
to tie into a city or town drainage system if applicable. There
may be an ongoing cost associated with it but it would be the
municipality's responsibility to keep the drainage system functional.
These are just a
few of the problems you can run
into with drainage systems and that is why I tell my customers to seek
alternatives when possible!
|
|
