Rain and more rain

[Juju]

I've posted on several occasions about this before but I'm getting really mad now - when it rains a lot (as of course it has been for weeks!) cars splash the muddy puddles in the kerb up our house and it's coming under the door constantly. I've repainted and repaired the door twice in 5 years; we've got good draughtproofing etc but clearly our floorboards and the joist underneath in the cellar are starting to rot. The new wooden threshold bit looks like it's already on its last legs after just 3 years. It really annoys me that people drive so fast (should be max 30mph - I drive at 20 in our street usually with the car behind right up my bum so to speak) and so close to the kerb. From a road safety point of view, you'd think they'd realise that if they had to swerve or brake they could end up in the houses or mowing down a pedestrian! Today I opened the front door - got drenched by a passing car and the water went all up a section of hall wall and despite wiping it up, I know it will stain (seems to be a feature of my F&B Radicchio paint).
Anyway, I'll write to the relevant authorities to see if they can do something about the drains but any other suggestions? I remember someone suggesting before about investigating whether we could get a grille or something set in the pavement so the water soaks away but I'm not sure how feasible that is or what it would cost. I was seriously considering something a neighbour at the bottom of the hill has - they've been flooded a few times so when the rain is bad, they put up a sort of heavy duty plank thingy at the door. I know it's a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things but I hate the permanent puddle and mud etc in our hallway and more importantly, the damage it is doing to the house - especially as it could be avoided if drivers drove more carefully. I left the wheelie bin in front of the door today as it was bin day and that's helped a bit but not very fair on pedestrians as they then have to walk closer to the kerb and get drenched by passing cars!
Juju - feeling better after a little rant

 

[JoceAndChris]

That's awful! I really don't know what to suggest - and can't come up with any attractive solutions, sorry Juju. What a pity your threshold isn't higher than the pavement.

I battle with the same kinds of issues - we put planks against the bottom of the workshop doors on wild days to stop the leaves blowing in and setting off the alarm. And the area of slop by the greenhouse doors, where the chickens hang out, I soak up the puddles with woodshavings. And in our porch I put down newspaper when the wet seeps under the door- but none of those things are attractive or permanent. I have found that plastic backed doormats make everything ten times worse, and pure coir ones are better.

As for the driving so fast your walls inside get splashed- I can't believe it! I'd be taking photos of that and asking the council for a speed bump by your house. Appalling of them to drive like that.

 

[Carol]

Don't ask for a speed bump! It will rattle your windows and vibrate your foundations and make life difficult in different ways. Neighbours round here also have those plank dams, they seem to work well.

Has anyone else noticed it has hardly stopped raining since they declared a drought?

 

[Feltwell]

we put planks against the bottom of the workshop doors on wild days to stop the leaves blowing in and setting off the alarm.

Well I can't help Juju much, but Joce, you might like to look at fitting one of these - has worked a treat for me, stops the rain and leaves blowing under my garage doors.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7ft-6-GAR...t=UK_Home_Garden_Doors_LE&hash=item2a1c074e0d

 

[JoceAndChris]

Feltwell - you always seem to find the perfect things - thank you.

Ohh, hadn't realised that about speed bumps, I take it back then - not such a good idea!

 

[Juju]

Yes I'd heard that about speed bumps. I think my brother said in Islington they had to get rid of some because they were damaging the Regency buildings! I do think some traffic calming scheme is needed in our street but no idea what would work best. Joce - thanks for the tip about newspapers - I put some on the step last night and they worked quite well and at least Mr Juju could get in last night. Normally if I've stuffed a towel behind the door, he can't get in and is left on the pavement getting drenched by passing cars!
Juju

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh good, at least some kind of mopping up then. There are plenty of super absorbent mats to be found by googling, but I haven't tried them. A pity you can't create some kind of drain outside the door - maybe pester the council for that instead of the speed bump?

 

[AMc]

Don't ask for a speed bump! It will rattle your windows and vibrate your foundations and make life difficult in different ways. Neighbours round here also have those plank dams, they seem to work well.

I used to dislike the sound of brakes squeaking and engines revving as they passed the speed bump in front of our house and then set the controls for maximum warp before arriving at the next one 100 yards further on.
I did very much enjoy the sound of fibreglass spoilers and bean can exhausts grounding on it over the sounds of drum and bass deafening the drivers.

 

[Schoolmarm]

If there was an island/chicane thing built outside to make them slow down and give way that would move them further away and slow the traffic down.


Look a bit horrid but would work x

 

[JohnB]

If there was an island/chicane thing built outside to make them slow down and give way that would move them further away and slow the traffic down.


Look a bit horrid but would work x

If there are no yellow lines, you can make your own with a couple of cars, or a skip!

 

[another_richard]

OK So this might not be the best solution:

http://www.ukfloodbarriers.co.uk/homeowners.aspx

But the idea is there.

Upon the announcement of rain can you put summit in front of your door similar to the image on that website: Number 2 to deflect the splashing?





Edit: Sorry forgot to add I am in no way connected to the company nor do I endorse any of their products. I just used the image for illustration purposes.

 

[Keithj]

Just fit a replica GATSO camera a few yards down the road from your door. Make sure it's good and bright and yellow.

 

[MdB]

Or go to your local council offices and through a bucket of water over every person that comes out of the front door. I'm sure that they will get the idea very quickly that you have an issue. :twisted: :twisted:

 

[jocelyn plummer]

The rain actually came through our front door!! I think what actually happened is that rain driving against it all night caused the water to 'flood' along the weather shield at the bottom of the door, settled there and soaked in through the gap, and underneath onto the front door mat in the hall I have been meaning to get a proper coat of exterior paint on that door, which is still painted as we found it-- but I have chosen the colour now--blue green F&B-- serves me right for doing the kitchen cupboards first!! It did look a bit funny seeing wet on the inside of the door, soaked up like a sponge it was!!!

 

[Juju]

Sympathies Joss! Our inside door step seems to be drying out a bit now but I think we have got problems with the joist below from all the water getting in. I need to clear a path through the chaos in the cellar to get a closer look at it... I spent ages on the front of the house this morning clearing all the debris that comes along the street and muck etc that gathers at the door. So it's looking better at least. We think we can improve on our draughtproofing which we hope will improve the rain problem and might get our trusty carpenter back who did the work on the door before to see if he's got any more ideas. I don't think a flood door thingy will work after all - I mean we'd have to have it in place permanently with all this rain!
Juju

 

[Lime]

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but doesn't the front door have a water bar in the doorstep?

 

[Juju]

We don't have an outside doorstep as such just a slightly raised and slanting downwards bit of cement; the pavement is level with our door and our house is below pavement level so you step down inside the hall 2 steps. We have a rain deflector thingy on the door and a slightly raised threshold but any more and people would be tripping over it. That is part of the problem I think. We can do more with draughtproofing we've realised so we're hoping that will improve it but the real problem is people driving past too close and too fast - the spray goes right up the door, trickles down and under the door.
Talking of weather, did anyone else have those huge hail stones yesterday? We came back after a day out and found the garden covered with them and they didn't melt away for several hours! It looked like it had been snowing... There was a tornado apparently in Oxfordshire too!
Juju

 

[Schoolmarm]

You really need the chicane thing/build out to keep cars further away. It could be done in setts or cobbles and look quite nice. Have you spoken to highways?

 

[Juju]

Not yet 'marm. It's on my list of things to do! I really need to speak to the neighbours to see what problems they're suffering. Maybe it's just with our funny below ground level house! It might be good to have several of us sending letters. One of the kids wrote to our local MP a few years ago to complain about the traffic and problems of getting across the road and he wrote back saying there were plans for speed reduction on our road. Of course he has much more important things on his mind now like trying to run the country...
Juju

 

[MatthewC]

Talking of weather, did anyone else have those huge hail stones yesterday? We came back after a day out and found the garden covered with them and they didn't melt away for several hours! It looked like it had been snowing... There was a tornado apparently in Oxfordshire too!

I'm 20-odd miles from you and the rain/hail in that storm was so thick that it all went very dark here for about five minutes - I could hardly see more than a vague outline of the building 35 yards away!