drainage behind stairs

edwardexternal · Mar 14, 2012

Im installing a new sidewalk with some stairs leading to a patio. If you look at the pics, the sidewalk will come down the hill on the left side of the wall. The edge of the sidewalk will be where the flags are. From the retaining wall to the flags (sidewalk edge) will be flower bed. The sidwalk will turn at the bottom of the wall (where the light is) with some stairs going down to a patio on the lower side of the wall. Im trying to figure out how to deal with the drainage on the top side of the wall, the grade is sloped towards where the new sidewalk will be and sloped even more towards where the new stairs will be. Im concerned that all the water moving towards the stairs will cause problems in the future.

Should I put some sort of french drain on the high side of the stairs with a drain pipe going under the stairs to the low side?

How would you guys deal with this?

Thank you for any help/suggestions.

Dr.NewEarth · Mar 14, 2012

It looks as though there is a berm there already. I would consider putting a drainage system from the top of the hill, and along the left of the sidewalk and divert it away from the stairs at the bottom. Then have it flow into a french drain, or away...nothing goes under the walkway or stairs for drainage. With a one to two degree slant towards the left, the sidewalk and stairs will drain away from the retaining wall.

Gilmore.Landscaping · Mar 14, 2012

Are you concerned with the water comming from the plant bed area over the steps?
I am not completely clear on the issue.

I would have the plant bed between the steps and wall something simple like river rock and grasses them you don;t have to worry about the soil washing over the steps. Maybe some quick growing ground cover can take the place of river rock but you might have some issues untill it is established.

edwardexternal · Mar 14, 2012

yes, Im concerned about the future bed area washing down over the stairs that will go at the end of the wall. the grass hill where the stairs are going to go is washing out a little right now so obviously there is a lot of water coming down along the retaining wall then pushing right (right where the stairs will be) once it gets to the end of the retaining wall.

zedosix · Mar 14, 2012

I would do a rounded retaining wall at the lower end of the retaining wall and run my steps on the outside of it. This way the water won't even touch your steps. You could run a drain pipe inside the wall and have it exit at the bottom.

zedosix · Mar 14, 2012

Sorta like this...

edwardexternal · Mar 14, 2012

Thanks for the suggestion. when you say have it exit at the bottom, do you mean the bottom of the stairs? The drain would go inside the retaining wall down under the retaining wall base and then under stairs and out the bottom stairs? If it were to exit at the bottom of the wall, it would still be running onto the sidewalk or stairs.

Do you have a drain in your picture? is it draining onto the driveway?

Nice work by the way.

zedosix · Mar 14, 2012

edwardexternal said:
Thanks for the suggestion. when you say have it exit at the bottom, do you mean the bottom of the stairs? The drain would go inside the retaining wall down under the retaining wall base and then under stairs and out the bottom stairs? If it were to exit at the bottom of the wall, it would still be running onto the sidewalk or stairs.

Do you have a drain in your picture? is it draining onto the driveway?

Nice work by the way.

I would have it come thru the retaining walls, not the stairs. Unless there is an eavestrough spilling water onto that area beside the walkway I don't think you'll get too much water coming thru the pipe. I would have a drain wrapping the inside edge of the retaining wall anyway, then connnect it to a non perf. leading to the top of the wall, this way standing water will have somewhere to exit rather than over the wall.

In my picture, there is a drain pipe that connects to the weeping tile around the home. We exposed it when excavating and as you can tell its the basement where the driveway goes into.

DVS Hardscaper · Mar 16, 2012

route the down spouts way out past the proposed steps (underground to daylight)

grade the earth accordingly so water sheets away from proposed steps.

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drainage behind stairs

edwardexternal

Dr.NewEarth

Gilmore.Landscaping

edwardexternal

zedosix

zedosix

edwardexternal

zedosix

DVS Hardscaper

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