The majority of groundworks were completed prior to the erection of the timber frame but there were a few items left over that I decided to undertake myself. These were laying the pipework for surface water drainage and also a trench for a new water connection, phone connection and power and data to lighting and gate at the front of the plot. I had been granted permission to use a field drainage ditch to the side of the plot for my surface water drainage so would not need to dig a soak away. I hired a mini digger and managed to learn how to operate it and complete the ditch easily in a day. The drainage pipe was laid on a be of pea shingle and a non return valve was fitted at the end to prevent vermin from entering it.
Surface water drainage trench.
Surface water drainage pipe laid on pea shingle.
Back filled ready for seeding. I didn’t manage to re-use the turf.
The trench to the front of the plot was quite a bit tougher as it was through a tarmac drive so I needed to break out the tarmac and concrete base and then dig through quite a bit of compacted hardcore to reach the required depth for the water pipe. I laid a grey BT spec duct for the phone line and then several more ducts for power for external lighting and automated gate and also data for gate control and any intercom that might be installed in the future. I didn’t want to have the gates automated but thought it was sensible to leave the option for the future.
The trench was then backfilled and compacted with an elephants foot compactor to ensure that it would not sink and leave an indentation in the new driveway.
Services trench to front of plot.
Checking required depth for water pipe (to avoid freezing).
Grey duct to BT spec. for phone line.
Backfilling and compacting trench.