Groundwork & Foundations

How to rectify flooding on clay soil

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 2.53 PM

Hi We moved house a few months ago and have found that the back block paving floods completely when it rains heavily and takes a day or two of dry weather for it to go away. We’ve pumped the water away on a couple of occasions as it was near the house wall, and there was gallons of the stuff. It is really thick solid clay, so taken up some of the block paving and dug a hole about two and half feet deep and maybe 18” across, and what a job. Anyhow, it’s rained overnight and it’s full to the brim with a bit of overflow too, so will probably have to make the hole bigger to accommodate a proper downpour. But what I need to find out is what do I need to do next? My neighbour had the same problem, and has filled his hole with some kind of rubble. Surely filling it with anything is reducing the volume of water it would hold, or is there a particular material that I could use that would absorb some of the water? I realise it needs something in to support it, and I’d be so very grateful if anyone can recommend my best plan of action. Thanks so much. Brenda.