Geotextiles

[Radian]

Helping a neighbour out with his drainage problems here.

 

He's dug out a 4" perforated pipe forming a french drain that runs along the front of his property - which is at the bottom of sloping ground that our houses are on. Thankfully I'm at the top. The ground just outside the front of his house frequently gets flooded and this drain has got clogged up yet again.

 

I suggested he puts the perf. pipe back having first lined the trench with a non-woven geotextile and then fills it with 20mm stone and wraps  the top over to make a continuous sock to keep silt out of the stones and pipe. This is my understanding of best practice - please correct me if necessary.

 

The strange thing is, I can't seem to find any local suppliers of a non-woven geotextile. SF and TS have plenty of woven ones - identified as weed suppressing, as do the local builders merchants. This seems odd to me as these textiles seem more appropriate for gardeners than for building drainage, patios and drives which are more 'buildery' things. Why would this be?

[Conor]

Weed membrane from garden centre is basically the same thing.

[Radian]

37 minutes ago, Conor said:

Weed membrane from garden centre is basically the same thing.

 

But just how open a membrane would it have for drainage applications?

 

Take the only non-woven textile I could find:

 

Screwfix apollo weed control fabric "non-woven spun bound polypropylene. Easy to use weed suppressant roll. Reduces garden maintenance. Allows water and nutrients to penetrate the soil".

 

Vs. 

 

Screwfix apollo driveway landscape fabric "Woven polypropylene designed for use in demanding, domestic and commercial applications. Blocks weed growth by shutting out light while allowing moisture to penetrate the fabric. Ideal for use under patio slabs, decking, block paving or professional planting."

 

Water vs. moisture. Sounds pretty significant for drainage.

 

 

[jayc89]

If you fancy a couple of hour jaunt, Mike Wye stocks it. 

 

https://www.mikewye.co.uk/product/geotextile-membrane/

 

I used this stuff when laying a Limecrete floor.