By Matthew Baring-Gould, Kingscliff-based drainage plumber. Servicing Tweed Heads for 4 years. 5.0 stars across 173 Google reviews. Licensed NSW 383340C and QLD 15036450. ABN 74 605 392 348.
The follow-up on the steep-block job. Two Aggie pipes, three coats of waterproofing, and 8 cubic metres of pumped gravel because there was no way to get a truck up the hill.
Why two Aggie pipes
They were living on a steep block and had rivers of water running through the foundations of their house during heavy rain. One Aggie pipe would have handled a normal volume. Two pipes gave us the capacity for the worst-case rainfall. Both tied into the same stormwater outlet.
What we did
- Vacuum excavated behind the retaining wall (steep access again).
- Pressure cleaned the wall.
- Waterproofing coat 1. Waited for the weather.
- Coat 2. Waited again.
- Coat 3. Three coats over three days.
- Tunnel core (core-flute) against the waterproofing.
- Geofabric in the trench.
- Two 100mm Aggie pipes laid along the base.
- Engaged a pumping company (pumps up to 9mm gravel, 30m reach). 8 cubic metres of 9mm gravel pumped up the hill, filled the trench.
- Geofabric wrapped back over the top. Backfill.
Takeaway
No callbacks since. The two-pipe approach plus pumped gravel means we never had to argue about truck access.
Call Matty on 0447 188 394 for drainage work across Tweed Heads, the Northern Rivers, the Gold Coast and inner Brisbane.
Customer names and addresses have been withheld. Individual results vary. Drain Masters Plumbing is licensed in NSW (383340C) and QLD (15036450).
Frequently asked
Is pumped gravel the same as truck-laid gravel?
For drainage, yes. The gravel used in pumped applications is specifically sized (9mm here) to flow through the pump line. Drainage behaviour is comparable to 20mm blue metal in a shallower trench.
Three coats of waterproofing is a lot. Why?
External wall waterproofing on a hillside is a long-term fix, you only want to do it once. Each coat adds thickness and overlaps any imperfections in the previous. Three coats is standard for this spec, not overkill.
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