I’m putting in a walk way in the front yard. While I’m doing it I want to take the downspout water into a gravel filled hole with some geo fabric around it.
I just planted two trees on opposite sides of the walkway and would like to put the gravel filled pit in-between them under the walkway.
It seems like a good location and the roof water runoff will feed the two trees.
Can I just thicken the walkway over the gravel and maybe throw some re-bar over it for good measure?
The three pics are one frome the front porch, one from the street, and one of the patch of dirt where I want to put the pit in-between the two trees.
Replies
I would also ask that Q at: http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/
Thanks, I did that. My question was more aimed at the structual integrity of the walkway. I have gotten some good answers form the gardening forum.
What kind of walkway? I'd skip the ceement and go for pavers.
I don't like pavers as a rule. They look cheap and like a home owner did them. I'm pretty set on concrete and have already started asking about texture for it.
Edited 5/28/2008 6:23 pm ET by popawheelie
Here's a pic of the plan.
there is no one worse at outside landscaping than me. i see your plan and go wow. did you do that or did you hire a pro to design or what/i don't even know where to start on the landscape on our house.i got a bobcat i'm sur i can tear something up. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
I can design corners or little individual spots but when it comes to whole areas I'm lost. I don't have the training or experience. So I looked around and found a landscape designer that I liked.
The plants she called for are all suitable for our area and they are coordinated with each other for size and color.
I wanted our front yard to to look like it was designed by someone who knew what they were doing instead of a homeowner or someone with good intentions but little experience.
Of course I have personally tweaked it as I'm bringing it to life. Little details she missed or didn't see come up during the process.
Like lighting. I didn't ask and she didn't put it in. But I figure it should have some lighting.
And the rainwater drainage.
You should be fine running your walkway over your drywell/gutter drain. Thickening it and rebar are good ideas, but probably not needed. The real question is the percolation rate and type of the soil under the gravel. I did a very similar thing under a underground parking structure I built last year to take care of water tracked in and dripping off of cars: 12'x20'x8' hole lined with geo-fabric filled with gravel to the top, and lowest level garage slab on top of it.<!----><!----><!---->
Rob
Here's another 'thought out loud'.... (nice plan BTW).Seeing how you've got some room to play with, how about running the water into 10 to 15 feet of 3" PVC drain tile in the gravel to ensure that the water is distributed over some distance. The PVC would need to be level, so I don't know if this is possible.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
Thinking out loud ... Why not attach your drain to piping and split the piping to go to both trees? one under the sidewalk. Draining under the sidewalk ... maybe asking for roots to 'come to me' and then ruin the sidewalk regardless of how much rebar you stick in it.
Didn't your designer help you w/ this detail?
At the outset your idea of putting a gravel pocket under each tree is a good one but I think it is best to let the tree have it's spot and not try to improve on it's design. People have done stuff like that with hydroponics but I tend to stay away from that stuff. Mind you I'm not mr. organic by any means.
My main focus is to get the water from washing out areas right in front of the downspout and getting rid of the long ones that are getting the water away from the foundation.
My foundation is iffy and I want to keep it dry. But as long as I'm running pipe out I might as well try to use the water. If the trees find it great ( I "think" They will) but if they dont' that is fine too.
Initially I was just going to run pipe out to the sidewalk but I didn't want water running accross it every time it rained so I came up with the gravel filled pit idea. Most rains will be cought by the pit but big ones will still come out the other end via a pipe if they are big enough to fill the pit. I just continue the pipe through the pit and out to the nearside of the sidewalk.
From what I've heard back the walkway should be fine. I'll thicken it up a bit and throw in some rebar. I just didn't want any problems with the walkway because I'm going to put (for me) considerable time and effort into it. It should be fine.
Edited 5/30/2008 12:00 pm ET by popawheelie
I didn't say put a gravel pocket under the tree ... just route your pipe to areas e.g. w/in say even 20 ft of the tree. The roots will grow where the water is, it seems and if that is under the sidewalk ... I was thinking that it may eventually cause the potential for an issue. A landscaper knows this stuff, though, not me.
Sorry if I misunderstood you. The gravel pit will be close (10') enough for them to find it.
It just seems like the right spot. I'm doing all this by hand myself so that comes into the equation also. Easier is good.
The landscap designer was more concerned with looks than the ins and outs of stuff like this and that is what I hired her for.
We did throw in a porch with her plan and she upped the price for that. Maybe I'm in the minority here but I don't expect a designer to draw up every little detail. The plan was for me of my home so I'm not bidding on it. These extras I enjoy solving and I think they make things easier down the line.
When I drain rainwater into the gravel do I put geo fabric on top or the complete hole?
It's not that critical in this application so maybe just on top.
I'd say it depends on the climate. Filling your drainage plain in a heavy freeze thaw cycle isn't that hot of an idea.
If it were me I'd run it along one edge of your walk (whichever will
drain better) That way your incorporating it in your drainage rather
then pumping it under the walk directly.
The water has to go somewhere, make sure it can percolate well enough to accommodate the volume. If not it has to run to daylight.
eh ... no problem. Sounds like you're getting a handle on it ...
I saved the cost of gravel and buried some old galvanized hot water tanks underground for sumps under my driveway pads to route water to tree root areas.
No problems for 20 years, drive 5 ton truck over the area often.
edit PS - hles punched in HW tanks to drain <G>
Edited 5/30/2008 11:03 am ET by junkhound
Why do you want to channel your water into a pit? I would think daylighting the flow from the gutter would be better beyond the sidewalk. Why create the possibility of complications under your sidewalk?
A better solution might be to put in a rain barrel at the gutters and use the water to feed the lawn and vegetation when it gets dry.