Creating A DIY Soakaway For Your Garden: Step-by-Step Guide
A soakaway is a great way to manage surface water on your property, such as heavy rain or melting snow. It can help prevent flooding, erosion and waterlogging, and can be easily created with a few materials and tools. Read on for our step-by-step guide on creating a DIY soakaway for your garden.
What Is A Soakaway?
A soakaway is a pit filled with gravel, stones or other porous material that water can easily sink into. This water then naturally drains away, in a process known as infiltration. Soakaways can help redirect water away from your property, preventing flooding, erosion and waterlogging.
What Do I Need To Create A Soakaway?
You will need the following materials and tools to create a DIY soakaway:
- Gravel or stones
- Hosepipe
- Shovel
- Landscape fabric
- Rope
- Pegs
Step-by-Step Guide
- Dig The Hole
Use a shovel to dig a hole in your garden, making sure you leave at least two feet of clearance around it. The hole should be as deep as your drainage pipe, and slightly wider at the top than the pipe.
- Lay The Drainage Pipe
Place the drainage pipe in the hole so that the end is slightly higher than the surrounding ground. Secure it with pegs, then lay the landscape fabric over it. This will help to prevent the gravel from clogging the pipe.
- Fill The Hole With Gravel Or Stones
Fill the hole with gravel or stones, using a hosepipe to rinse it down as you go. Make sure the gravel is evenly distributed, then tamp it down with the back of the shovel.
- Attach The Hosepipe
Attach a hosepipe to the end of the drainage pipe. Secure it with rope, and make sure the end is slightly higher than the surrounding ground. This will ensure that the water will flow into the soakaway.
What Else Do I Need To Know?
Once you have finished creating your soakaway, it should be monitored regularly. If the soil becomes saturated or there is any significant build up of water, the soakaway will need to be emptied and the process repeated.
Conclusion
Creating your own DIY soakaway for your garden is a fairly simple process. With the right materials and tools, you can easily prevent flooding and waterlogging, and ensure that your property is safe from water damage.