HawthorneVillager.com

My apologies up front if I am posting this in the wrong section of the forum. I wasn't sure whether this belonged in advertisements.

The builder located the pipe in an awkward spot and water is discharging into the middle of our back garden. Along with that the drainage/grading may need correcting. We're looking for someone reputable to perhaps even dig below the freeze level and lay the pipe. Not an expert so any direction would be appreciated in finding a professional to give us an estimate. Our google searches have not been successful.

Many thanks

If your grading might be changed/corrected it might be worth waiting to bury your pipe until after it's fixed. In the meantime you could go to Home Depot and get something like this kit. It's just a flexible hose you can attach to the discharge pipe and redirect the water where ever you want to for now.

I'm no expert by any means, but burying the discharge hose may be a bad idea, since the pipe leading down will still be exposed to the cold and potential freezing which would be bad. If the discharge pipe freezes the water that your pump is trying to remove will just keep coming back in.

The only way someone can effectively bury a sump pipe is to come out of the home with the existing pipe, add an elbow that goes straight down, install an adapter to convert the existing pipe to a much bigger 4 inch pipe, install a 4" pipe fitting with a clean-out for access, and then go straight down to the perimeter drain pipes where you would need to tie the pipe in. This is already done by some builders in town and can be seen by perusing the neighbourhoods around Pringle and Scott Blvd.

Burying a small pipe across the yard to the rear of the home usually does not work as it gets clogged with debris, animals, snow, ice, etc. where it exits.

It may be possible for the OP to divert the sump pipe to another more convenient location on the rear wall of the home and then make sure lot grade moves the water away from the home.

The Town of Milton will likely frown on someone discharging the sump to the side of the home. This is a bad idea anyways because "some" vary large builder have seemingly lost their ability to do grading properly at these location because they just cover up crappy grading practices with copious amounts of gravel.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Thank you for the replys.

We did connect the flexible hose kit which was a huge help in keeping the sump pump from goin off every 10 minutes but disconnected it when the freezing temps began. I do indeed think that we have a grading issue as well which I have tried numerous times to have addressed by both the builder (mattamy) and the Town over the last 2 years. According to the town they have visited the property and found no issue. I sent them photographs of the pooling water and they advised that they would come back to ours after a rainfall to inspect. That was last Spring! They have not returned calls to this day which has left us to have this issue corrected on our own dime. I'm afraid that the water is constantly being recycled through the system.

Thanks again

Right,,,,, another example of how "the system" that is supposed to protect new home buyers is broken.

I would suggest you call the Town of Milton engineering department AGAIN at 905 878 7200 Extension 2500 and explain your problem. They told me just now over a phone conversation that they will visit the home to inspect your grading.

Below are the Ontario Building Code rules re this issue.

Rule 9.12.3.2.(1) Grading of Backfill - Backfill shall be graded to prevent drainage towards the foundation after settling.

Rule 9.14.6.1.(1) Surface Drainage - Lot Grading.
The building shall be located on the building site graded so that water will not accumulate at or near the building and will not adversely affect adjacent properties.

_________________
For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Mine goes out about 12 feet to the rear of the back yard, but whenever it rains my sump pump is coming on every 3 minutes and ejecting a large volume of water. From about september to december, there was about 2 inches of standing water over 50% of my back yard... I've noticed that some of my neighbors have run their sump ejection piping straight out to the street instead...

Well, the towns/cities don't want to process rain water as sewage anymore...

Not only that,,,,

- Many of the pumps in sumps are installed poorly and while they may work, they do not work well. Unfortunately, these installation require some "finesse" to ensure they work properly.

- Many are set up poorly and eventually the float will not function as intended and will fail.

- Some builders, the worst IMO is Mattamy leave copious amounts of debris, mud and other crap in the pits and this can easily causes premature failure of the pump.

- Many people think that to "test" the system you just separate the 2 plugs and see if the pump turns ON, but that only tells you that the pump functions. It does not tell you whether the "system" functions properly.

- Lot grading "basic fundamentals" and "best practices" are virtually ignored by "some" builders. Heaping loads of gravel between homes IS NOT the proper way to grade water away from the home. As well, if the crappy clayish soil under the top soil is sloped towards your home then, even if the top soil is graded away from your home some water will still penetrate the top soil, go down to the clay, and then go towards your home.

Apparently the towns "engineering" department is short on staff and may also be short on the real desire to ensure that builders do the right thing and follow basic codes and best practices. But then again, it's much more important for the town to have a $150,000,00 piano at the new library.

_________________
For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

How about pouring water slowly into the sump pump to see if the pump functions aswell as the pump projecting the water out. Also, looking outside to see if the splash pad is wet ??? This would be more assuring that the sump is working well.

As for the clay......well it just sucks....is absolutely every where around these new developments. Whether your re-grading, doing a backyard patio, or digging for gardening, you will encounter this dense and heavy clay. I would suggest removing it, digging down about a foot to create a proper garden. Than back-filling it with triple mix or proper organic soil. Then your plants can grow properly and your garden will have a super fresh look to it.

Thank you Thank you Thank you! Unfortunately the forum failed to notify me when I had replies to my post, and I've just seen your message now but I will definitely give the town a ring in the a.m.

I'll keep yous posted

Please do keep us informed. I would be very interested to know how well the Town of Milton handles this.

Keep the above codes in mind. Feel free to remind them of the codes if you feel they are wavering. Remember, the codes above are the ABSOLUTE minimum requirement.

_________________
For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Spoke to the engineering department today and they advised that my property has been assumed and that a grading certificate has been issued. Apparently they visted our property a few times To inspect my claims and the inspector has deemed our property grading as satisfactory.

I really don't get it or know where to go from here.

Anyone know of a great company that they'd recommend for hire, to regrade my back yard??

Thanks again