Godalming

A large property between Guildford and Godalming contacted our Guildford office about a blocked gully that had started to subside.

The job was given to Gerry and Lester Yates, who were both familiar with the property and experienced with this type of drainage and ground problem.

After carrying out some initial testing, Lester pushed a steel pin approximately one metre into the bank supporting the main driveway. It went in surprisingly easily. The material beneath the drive was what we would commonly describe as builder’s sand or made ground. It was extremely wet, soft and sloppy.

This immediately raised a concern. The gully had been allowing water into the surrounding ground, and the bank was becoming saturated. Because this bank supports the property’s main driveway, we considered it an emergency situation. If the saturated material slipped or washed away, it had the potential to cause significant subsidence and damage to the drive.

Fortunately, the visible subsidence was still relatively small. We completely removed and replaced the defective gully, then sealed it securely in concrete, leaving sufficient room around the repair for the final making-good works. At this stage, we deliberately treated it as a temporary emergency repair and seal. The important thing was to stop further water entering the ground and then allow time to see whether there would be any further settlement. There wasn’t.

Once we were satisfied that the movement had stopped, we returned to complete the making good. The concrete edging and heavy blocks around the driveway were sealed, and the surface was finished with tarmac sealing to the joints, helping prevent water from finding its way back into the bank.

What initially appeared to be a blocked and slightly subsiding gully had the potential to become a much bigger problem. By replacing and sealing the gully quickly, we stopped the continuing water ingress before the saturated ground supporting the driveway could deteriorate further. Sometimes the drainage repair itself is relatively straightforward. Recognising what that leaking water is doing to the surrounding ground is the important part.

Services

• Drainage Repairs & Renewals
• Drainage Installations & Diversions