Soakaways & Landscaping

Modern soakaways are modular structures built using plastic water crates or cells. They have an extremely high void ratio, allowing them to maintain their structural integrity whilst holding large amounts of water. Soakaways are generally used to dispose of rainwater on most new build projects, both domestic and commercial. Soakaways should always be wrapped in geotextile membrane to prevent soil particles from clogging up the void area.

SOAKAWAY CRATES FEATURES & BENEFITS

Soakaways are a step forward in drainage technology, replacing traditional inefficient soakaways filled with hardcore and building waste and providing a safe and intelligent solution to rainwater management. The void ratio of a Rainsmart Soakaway is 95% - this means that 95% of the total soakaway space is used to hold rainwater.

Each individual Rainsmart Double module (there are 4 per cubic metre) holds 235 litres of rainwater. Polystorm water crates (5 per cubic metre) can hold 190 litres of water. The Aquavoid Crates have a holding capacity of 316 litres (3 per cubic metre). A 1 cubic metre soakaway is generally sufficient to drain an average roof area of 50sq metres in normal soil situations.

Soakaway crates have very high load bearing capacities and can installed under driveways and car parks. Our Rainsmart Ellipse crates have a vertical crush load capacity of 24 tonnes and an industry leading lateral load capacity (side loading) of 18 tonnes. Our heavy crate systems have a vertical load capacity of 65 tonnes.

FLAT PACK OPTION

Our Rainsmart soakaway crates are available in a flat pack option for assembly on site. A standard 1 cubic metre soakaway should take around 10-12 minutes to assemble, the only tool required is a rubber mallet which we supply as part of the kit.

Flat Pack soakaways are slightly more cost effective as they are easier to and handle and transport. They are ideal for both large and small sites where space is at a premium.

Ellipse Double Soakaway Crate

VERSATILITY OF SOAKAWAY CRATES

The modular nature of soakaway crates helps builders and architects to create soakaways in a variety of shapes and designs, from shallow installations to soakaways that need to be installed in tight spots. You can even arrange the modules in a corner layout if you are very tight for space.

The outward facing surfaces of the crates should be wrapped in geotextile membrane to stop soil from entering and clogging up the system.

In order to form a 1 cubic metre soakaway (1m square x 1m deep) you would need 5 Polystorm crates, or 3 Aquavoid Crates.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SOAKAWAY SYSTEMS

Our Rainsmart Soakaway modules are eco-friendly, being made from recycled polypropylene. Well designed soakaways enhance water quality and play a crucial part in recharging groundwater supplies.

LIGHTWEIGHT AND QUICK TO INSTALL

The crates are lightweight and can be installed by unskilled labour if required, without the need for heavy plant on site.

SOAKAWAY CRATE CONNECTIONS

Our Rainsmart crates have a 160mm open pipe entry point. 110mm pipes simply rest on the bottom of this opening and we recommend that the pipe is inserted approximately 150mm into the opening. Geotextile membrane should be installed over the opening first and then a small cross should be cut in the membrane at the entry point with a sharp knife. Carefully peel back the membrane, insert the pipe and tape the membrane around the outside of the pipe for a clean joint. Pipe entry points do not affect the structural integrity of the soakaway in any way.

Polystorm and Aquavoid crates have knockout sections along the side to accommodate the incoming pipes. The process for cutting and taping the membrane around these knockouts is the same as for the Rainsmart crates.

DELIVERY OF YOUR SOAKAWAY CRATES

Please note that our pre-assembled soakaways crates incur an additional £10 delivery charge due to their bulky nature. No additional charge is made for flat packed soakaway deliveries.

DELIVERY CUT OFF TIMES

All orders are being dispatched as normal. Unless subject to exclusions, all orders received before 12pm will be delivered the next working day.

Please note, standard Cast Iron Gutter systems have a cut off time of 11am. Large or palletised orders have a cut off time of 12pm.

ORDER DAY	DELIVERY CUT OFF TIME	DELIVERY DAY*
Monday	12pm	Tuesday
Tuesday	12pm	Wednesday
Wednesday	12pm	Thursday
Thursday	12pm	Friday
Friday	12pm	Monday
Saturday	12pm	Tuesday
Sunday	12pm	Tuesday
Bank Holidays (except Bank Holiday Monday)	12pm	Next Working Day (Bank Holiday Monday orders will be delivered the following Wednesday)

*Delivery to non-Industrial Scotland, Northern Ireland, and CH, LL, and CA postcodes can sometimes take slightly longer, although this is dependent upon the exact location.

If we are unable to deliver your order within the above timeframe for any reason, we will contact you to arrange an alternative delivery day. We use overnight carriers, so we are unable to arrange or confirm an exact time of delivery.

Some special or non-stocked items on our website have extended lead-times, which are displayed on the product pages in question – see below for more details.

Whilst every reasonable effort shall be made to keep to a delivery date, we cannot be held liable for any losses, costs, damages, or expenses arising directly or indirectly out of any failure to meet any estimated delivery date.

In the unlikely event of a late delivery, we will be unable to compensate you for any consequential loss, so please do not organise any plant or labour before you have received your materials.

DELIVERY CHARGES AND EXTENDED LEAD TIMES

Orders over £1,000 excluding VAT will be delivered free of charge. Orders under this amount will incur a charge of £15.00 + VAT. This applies to most stocked items and some items that are supplied directly from manufacturers. Orders of stocked items are generally delivered in 1-3 working days.

Some stocked items will incur a bulky or pallet charge due to their extreme weights or lengths:

Bulky items - £45.00 + VAT charge placed on orders that contain one or more bulky products. These items will be marked as bulky during the checkout process.
Palletised items - £60.00 + VAT charge placed on orders that contain one or more items that need to be sent and delivered via a pallet. These items will be marked as palletised during the checkout process.

A full list of stocked items can be found here.

Certain items, usually those sent direct from manufacturers, incur additional delivery charges and an extended lead time regardless of the order value, due to the restrictions placed upon us by our carrier and the extreme weights/lengths. These charges are applied instead of the standard £15.00 + VAT charge if the order is valued under £1,000 excluding VAT.

The following product ranges have extended lead times or incur additional delivery charges. Please click on each individual range for specific details.

OUR COURIER PARTNERS

COURIER NAME	ORDER TRACKING	CONTACT INFORMATION	DELIVERY DAYS	NEXT DAY DELIVERY?
DX	Use online tracking portal	8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat Express: 0333 241 5700 Freight: 0333 241 1100	Mon-Fri	Yes
DHL	Use online tracking portal	7am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat 02476 937 770	Mon-Fri	Yes
Tuffnells	Use online tracking portal. Following recent notice of Tuffnells going into administration, please contact us if there are any issues with your order.	N/A	Mon-Fri	Yes
Magnus/Pallex	Please contact us directly	N/A	Mon-Fri 8am-6pm	Yes
Own Transport	Please contact us directly	Email: [email protected] Phone: 01206 598 860	Mon-Sat	Yes

OUR DELIVERY AREA

LOCATION	RESTRICTIONS	ADDITIONAL CHARGES	NOTES
Mainland UK	N/A	No additional charges for location, product specific delivery charges still apply	N/A
Ireland Jersey Guernsey	We are currently unable to deliver to these areas	N/A	N/A
Isle of Man Isle of Wight Scottish Highlands Northern Ireland		Additional delivery charge applies. Amount dependent on weight and length of product ordered. PBSL Group will contact you regarding this charge after we receive your order.	N/A
Scottish Isles	N/A	Additional delivery charge applies. Amount dependent on weight and length of product ordered. PBSL Group will contact you regarding this charge after we receive your order.	Many of our customers in the Scottish Isles choose to have their order redirected to a local haulier such as Woody's Express or Hebrides Haulage in Inverness.

Certain direct suppliers are able to ship outside of these areas depending on product quantity and availability. Please get in touch with us regarding any such queries.

SPLIT DELIVERIES

If you have ordered a mixture of goods that come both from us and direct from our manufacturing partners, you will be advised of this in your dispatch email. As the order is coming from two locations, you will receive two different deliveries. Delivery on direct items can have extended lead times and will need someone present to check and sign for the goods.

Occasionally, we don't have all items in stock at our main warehouse. If this is the case, we will endeavour to send the stock the same day from one of our other branches, in order to not delay delivery of the complete order. This may lead to a split delivery, dependant on the courier being used. We will contact you if there is going to be a delay due to this.

LABOUR AND MACHINERY

Please do not book machinery or labour until your goods have been received and checked over. Whilst every effort is made by our couriers to deliver your parcel within the stated timeframe, Professional Building Supplies cannot be held responsible for any additional costs incurred by delays outside of our control.

CHECKING AND SIGNING FOR ORDERS

SIGNED FOR POLICY – T&CS

All orders should be signed for. If you are unable to sign for your delivery, you can arrange with us for a neighbour to take delivery of your order. You can also advise us of a safe place where your order can be left, although we cannot take responsibility for any shortages or obvious damages.

Please ensure that you always check the number of packages that you are signing for. If there is an incorrect number of packages or any package appears damaged, you should note this on the signature panel and advise us so that we can rectify the issue as quickly as possible. Once goods have been signed for as being received ‘complete and in good condition’, any claims are not covered by the carrier’s insurance company.

Signing for goods as ‘unchecked’ makes any claims inadmissible, so please check the number of packages and look for any signs of any damage, noting any issues on the signature panel. Although the delivery drivers are busy, they are contractually obliged to wait whilst you check your delivery.

WHAT IF I CAN’T WAIT IN ALL DAY?

There is a ‘Notes’ section of the Basket review page where you can request for your goods to be left in a safe location – just tell us where to leave the order. Please not that we cannot take responsibility for any shortages or obvious damages if goods have not been signed for.

Please note that deliveries made by DHL (these are generally small orders with no pipe or bulky products) cannot be left in a safe location. You will be advised which carrier will be delivering your order by email at the point of dispatch.

REFUNDS, RESTOCKING AND RETURNS

RESTOCKING CHARGES

PRODUCT	RESTOCKING FEE (% OF PRODUCT PRICE)	COLLECTION CHARGE
Copper and Zinc Gutters	20%	£70
Storm Building Products	15%	Yes – depending on order value
Guardian Building Products	15%	Yes – depending on order value, plus return carriage charge if required
Clear Amber Products	30%	N/A
Shower Wall Cladding	35%	N/A
Painted Aluminium products	MADE TO ORDER – CANNOT BE RETURNED	MADE TO ORDER – CANNOT BE RETURNED
Cast Iron: Premier Primed Standard Rainwater, Premier Primed Sand Cast Rainwater, Premier LCC Soil, Halifax Soil & Drain Systems Fittings Only	25%	N/A
Cast Iron: Premier Extra (Black) Standard Rainwater, Premier Extra (Black) Sand Cast Rainwater, Mech 416 Soil System Fittings Only, Traditional Express Soil System	35%	N/A
FH Brundle Steel Fencing	20%	N/A

For further information and clarification of the legislation surrounding the return of goods, and associated costs, please refer to regulation 35 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

RETURNS AND REFUNDS

Please read our Returns & Refunds policy for further details.