What to do about manhole cover in driveway
justi...@my-deja.com
I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
thanks
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Don K.
>
> Hello,
> I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
Pave your driveway with asphalt instead of concrete.
Don K.
Darin Minor
> Hello,
> I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
> thanks
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
I know a guy who needed something extra from the our local power
company, when they wouldn't comply he told them to move their guy wire
off of his property. Getting any ideas?
Chuck K
Darin Minor wrote:
>
> I know a guy who needed something extra from the our local power
> company, when they wouldn't comply he told them to move their guy wire
> off of his property. Getting any ideas?
Unfortunately, almost every power utility in the country has the right
of eminent domain. That gives them the ability to TAKE whatever land or
space they need (with adequate financial incentive). In addition, they
usually get easement rights for overhead or underground wires.
Chuck
to send e-mail, drop the "HatesSpam"
OH NO, they've KILLED KENNY (those bastards)
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: Hello,
: I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
: the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
: there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
: thanks
Pave over it?
: Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
: Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
--
J.C.
}Hello,
}I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
}the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
}there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
}thanks
Take the manhole cover off and fill the hole with dirt. Then just pour
concrete over it. Problem solved...
v.
fool wrote:
>
>Take the manhole cover off and fill the hole with dirt. Then just pour
>concrete over it. Problem solved...
I HOPE that was a joke, but what if it is not..... ;-)
Jeff Cochran
>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
Umm... Discovered? You didn't see this coming?
Your architect can move the driveway to accomodate, and possibly the
city can move the manhole cover.
Now, by manhole cover do you mean the curb drain grate? If that's the
case, you definitely can move the driveway and the city can also move
the grate, though they may charge you for it.
Jeff
PaulMmn
cover is just one of hundreds of circles...
--Paul E Musselman
Pau...@ix.netcom.nospam.com
On Tue, 03 Aug 1999 22:00:39 GMT, justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
>Hello,
>I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
>thanks
Daniel Hicks
>
> Hello,
> I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
You could have that section of concrete stained dark and/or textured in
some fashion.
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: Darin Minor wrote:
: >
: > I know a guy who needed something extra from the our local power
: > company, when they wouldn't comply he told them to move their guy wire
: > off of his property. Getting any ideas?
: Unfortunately, almost every power utility in the country has the right
: of eminent domain. That gives them the ability to TAKE whatever land or
: space they need (with adequate financial incentive). In addition, they
: usually get easement rights for overhead or underground wires.
Yes, but strange things can happen in the middle of the night.
: Chuck
: to send e-mail, drop the "HatesSpam"
: OH NO, they've KILLED KENNY (those bastards)
--
BROVIAK
example at intersections of pipes and changes in direction of pipes.
Therefore it is not that easy to just move everything. Also manholes
must be placed at a maximum interval of 400 feet for cleaning and access
purposes so moving it may create too great of an interval. Anyway just
to place a new manhole would cost a few thousand dollars for the City
and then the guy would probably have a manhole in his yard and he would
be complaining about how that looks and how hard it is to mow around it.
As for the person who suggested filling it: This would prevent water
from draining (which seems like an obvious conclusion) and would prevent
anyone from using their sewer drains from their homes if it is a
sanitary manhole or back up storm water which could cause basements in
the area to back up if it is a storm water or combined sewer manhole.
With regards to the person who suggested the City had their facilities
on his land, usually the property line of the lot does not even go to
the curb of the road. In our community it can be 25 to 50 feet from the
center of the roadway. This often places the lot line well inside the
yard. Although everyone is responsible for maintaining the grass in
front of their home (common law) there usually is no ownership.
A city official
Gary Sanders
jim evans <jev...@ghg.net> wrote:
>On Tue, 03 Aug 1999 22:00:39 GMT, justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
>>Hello,
>>I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
>>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
>>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
Either find another lot, or stop worrying about it. Its not the end of
the world. It will not make you the slum of the neighborhood.
--
Gary W. Sanders g...@infinet.com
Dave
justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
> >
> >>Hello,
> >>I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> >>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> >>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
> Either find another lot, or stop worrying about it. Its not the end of
> the world. It will not make you the slum of the neighborhood.
> --
> Gary W. Sanders g...@infinet.com
What a nice suggestion...so thoughtful.
No, it won't make him the slum of the neighborhood, but it will:
- Probably eventually become unlevel (how many manhole covers have you
seen that are flush with the pavement?)
- Make rollerblading for the kids a little tougher
- Make shoveling/sweeping a little tougher
- Make sealing the driveway a little tougher
- Look strange
- Make any future repaving tougher and more expensive
All things considered, a manhole cover in the middle of your driveway is
more than a minor inconvenience.
Steve
Next - fill the hole with some obscene amount of non-perishable food.
Add 1 assult rifle.
Instant Y2K shelter!
jim evans wrote:
>
> On Tue, 03 Aug 1999 22:00:39 GMT, justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> >Hello,
> >I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> >the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> >there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
> Paint it the color of the concrete?
>
> jim
> ___
> Have a home upkeep question? Try my help page. It's sort of an alt.home.repair FAQ. http://www.ghgcorp.com/jevans/HomeRepair.htm
Brad Murray
> >On Tue, 03 Aug 1999 22:00:39 GMT, justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
> >
> >>I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> >>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> >>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
> the world. It will not make you the slum of the neighborhood.
And it will look better than if it were in the middle of your yard.
Westport Pools, Inc.
where it is so they don't dig up the entire driveway whenever they need to
look for it. Around here, storm sewer manholes are used once in a blue
moon...
--
Westport Pools, Inc.
http://www.westportpools.com
e-mail: smu...@westportpools.com
Brad Murray <BradM...@SeeSigIfThere.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.12120d20f...@enews.newsguy.com...
J. Franklin
to be taken down, along with the service and meter. Everybody wants
electricity, water, sewer, and CATV but would like the equipment to deliver it
on their neighbors property, not theirs. Got to tolerate some of that for the
services we expect.
J. Franklin
Abe Harrison (alias)
property, that means the agency has a right-of-way easement for access. The
MH was probably there before your property was developed. You could run
into legal problems not to mention the expense of restoring the site to its
original condition.
Jeff Cohen
what stage of construction or planning are you? Adjusting, if possible,
the driveway so that the cover is in the lawninstead is probably the
best option. A previous response indicating future problems with it in
the driveway had very valid points.
justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
> thanks
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
--
Jeff Cohen
itv, Instructional Television, 625 Southam Hall
Carleton University, Ottawa, Ont, Canada, K1S 5B6
tel: (613) 520-2600 ext. 8105 fax: (613) 520-4368
Abe Harrison (alias)
people trampling on your lawn, then by all means put it on the lawn.
Jeff Cohen wrote in message <37A887...@CCS.carleton.ca>...
Gary Sanders
>> Either find another lot, or stop worrying about it. Its not the end of
>> the world. It will not make you the slum of the neighborhood.
>seen that are flush with the pavement?)
> - Make rollerblading for the kids a little tougher
> - Make shoveling/sweeping a little tougher
> - Make sealing the driveway a little tougher
> - Look strange
> - Make any future repaving tougher and more expensive
>
>All things considered, a manhole cover in the middle of your driveway is
>more than a minor inconvenience.
SO back to my orginal answer, find another lot or stop worrying about it.
There is little you can do about it. Its not yours to maintain, its not
yours to change.
Gary Sanders
Brad Murray <BradM...@SeeSigIfThere.com> wrote:
>In article <7o9bop$d...@user2.infinet.com>, g...@user2.infinet.com says...
>> the world. It will not make you the slum of the neighborhood.
>
No it would better if its in your yard, better in the yard is a matter
of opinion. I would prefer my kids not be running around on the soft grass
and BING run into a metal plate. At least on the driveway you dont
go looking for softspots.
Sean or Molly Taray
drain into it. it may not look too pretty ...but you wouldn't have any
problem with water puddling.
<justi...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:7o7oq1$6po$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Benoit Evans
> justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> > I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
> > the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> > there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
Obviously, you must not restrict access to the drain. And (theoretically)
whatever you do should be in conformity with the rules of the agency that
has authority (city dept. of public works or other body).
You're surely not the first person in your area who has had this problem.
Try calling the companies who pave driveways. Ask them how they usually
handle this kind of situation, what their customers ask for, what they are
willing to do and the risks of being fined or forced to re-pave and
restore if you do certain things. Your local pavers should know what you
should and shouldn't do and what you can probably do anyway (even if
against the rules).
Regards,
Benoit Evans
James Monroe
driveway, then you'll be discharging hazardous waste into the drain. A
violation of the Clean Water Act of 1977. If the EPA finds out you'll be
fined big time.
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: Don't touch it. If there is a public agency Maintenance Hole on your
The City here intentionally or otherwise paves over manholes on a regular
basis.
--
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: I think if you don't want the guy, pole, lines ... on your property it ought
: to be taken down, along with the service and meter. Everybody wants
: electricity, water, sewer, and CATV but would like the equipment to deliver it
: on their neighbors property, not theirs. Got to tolerate some of that for the
: services we expect.
: J. Franklin
Or have your service put underground. When we were last househunting,
underground power, telephone and cable were MUST HAVES. Can't stand all
that overhead clutter. Never mind the safety issue. Yes, we know exactly
where everything is buried, including the natural gas, water and both
sewers.
: sh...@ecn.ab.ca wrote:
: > Chuck K (Chuck.KH...@Bigfoot.com) wrote:
: >
: > : Darin Minor wrote:
: > : >
: > : > I know a guy who needed something extra from the our local power
: > : > company, when they wouldn't comply he told them to move their guy wire
: > : > off of his property. Getting any ideas?
: >
: > : Unfortunately, almost every power utility in the country has the right
: > : of eminent domain. That gives them the ability to TAKE whatever land or
: > : space they need (with adequate financial incentive). In addition, they
: > : usually get easement rights for overhead or underground wires.
: >
: > Yes, but strange things can happen in the middle of the night.
: >
: > : Chuck
: >
: > : to send e-mail, drop the "HatesSpam"
: >
: > : OH NO, they've KILLED KENNY (those bastards)
: >
: > --
: >
--
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: Oooh, bad idea. If your lawn has fertilizer on it or there is oil on your
: driveway, then you'll be discharging hazardous waste into the drain. A
: violation of the Clean Water Act of 1977. If the EPA finds out you'll be
: fined big time.
Yeah? So the lawn water from every other house on the block probably runs
onto the street and into the street drains there. What's the difference?
: >Why not just cut holes in the top of it and grade your driveway and yard to
: >drain into it.
--
Abe Harrison (alias)
holes...)
Brad Murray
driveways all of the time. I just wouldn't put any holes in the cover
without permission.
In article <7oatm9$16o$1...@birch.prod.itd.earthlink.net>, n...@spaming.org
says...
> Oooh, bad idea. If your lawn has fertilizer on it or there is oil on your
> driveway, then you'll be discharging hazardous waste into the drain. A
> violation of the Clean Water Act of 1977. If the EPA finds out you'll be
> fined big time.
>
Brad Murray
Read my statement again. I was saying that the driveway is the better
place for it.
Brad Murray
drainage.
In article <7oc46e$ah$1...@oak.prod.itd.earthlink.net>, so...@noemail.org
says...
> The difference is inadvertent discharge and intentional discharge (cut
> holes...)
>
> >Yeah? So the lawn water from every other house on the block probably runs
> >onto the street and into the street drains there. What's the difference?
> >
> >: >Why not just cut holes in the top of it and grade your driveway and yard to
> >: >drain into it.
Human
In article
<kevans-0408...@modemcable200.15-200-24.que.mc.videotron.net>,
kev...@videotron.ca says...
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: holes...)
You are quibbling. The END effect is identical. Unless it is fully
absorbed into the soil, SOME of the *polluted* water ends up off the
owner's property.
: >Yeah? So the lawn water from every other house on the block probably runs
: >onto the street and into the street drains there. What's the difference?
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >: >Why not just cut holes in the top of it and grade your driveway and yard
: to
: >: >drain into it.
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >--
: >
: >
--
sh...@ecn.ab.ca
: The drains in the street intentionally have holes so they can accept
: drainage.
ALL manhole covers up here, have at LEAST one hole, to facilitate removal
of the cover. That one hole would be sufficient to drain off any
accumulation of water, albeit not as fast as a street drain.
: In article <7oc46e$ah$1...@oak.prod.itd.earthlink.net>, so...@noemail.org
: says...
: > The difference is inadvertent discharge and intentional discharge (cut
: > holes...)
: >
Brian Karas
the property line. Yes, technically my property extends 33' into the
road. Obviously in this case, the city/county has an easement, but
nonetheless it's considered to be 'my' property.
If only I could reclaim that easement and setup a toll booth :)
The truth is that once a manhole is in place, it's most likely not
going anywhere. I would be more concerned with easements in relation
to that manhole and it's access than I would be about the manhole
itself.
Do other houses have manholes on the property in this area?
[] [] BROVIAK <db...@TheRamp.net> was saying:
>With regards to the person who suggested the City had their facilities
>on his land, usually the property line of the lot does not even go to
>the curb of the road. In our community it can be 25 to 50 feet from the
>center of the roadway. This often places the lot line well inside the
>yard. Although everyone is responsible for maintaining the grass in
>front of their home (common law) there usually is no ownership.
--
Return address munged to prevent SPAM...
Home Automation and DataComm FAQ's, supplies, tools, etc available at:
http://www.FutureStandard.com
Brian Karas
utilities.
[] [] sh...@ecn.ab.ca () was saying:
>
>Yes, but strange things can happen in the middle of the night.
>
--
justi...@my-deja.com
so that it will blend in.
justi...@my-deja.com
match to "driveway concrete" and paint it. I was mostly concerned with
resale value of the house incase I move in a few years. Its an eyesore.
Although Y2K shelter doesn't sound half bad...
A Unique Name
flush and normally I cannot imagine anyone thinking twice about it. I
would paint it too.
Benoit Evans
> Thank you to all who responded. I'm just gonna find the closest color
> match to "driveway concrete" and paint it. I was mostly concerned with
> resale value of the house incase I move in a few years. Its an eyesore.
>
> Although Y2K shelter doesn't sound half bad...
That's probably a good idea. I'd wait a while until the concrete has lost
its freshly poured colour. You might want to sprinkle a little sand on the
wet paint. The cover would then be a better match for the surrounding
concrete.
Regards,
Benoit Evans
Dave
>Thank you to all who responded. I'm just gonna find the closest color
>match to "driveway concrete" and paint it. I was mostly concerned with
>resale value of the house incase I move in a few years. Its an eyesore.
>
As long as it's level with the driveway - it won't affect resale. Someone who
says they wouldn't buy your house because of that isn't a serious buyer in the
first place.
Tracey
hill and the sewer easement runs thru our driveway, so theree is a cover
right in the middle of it (and it happens to be the lowspot in the
driveweay) there is a grated (holey) cover over it. Yes you can see it, but
it doesn't look that bad...the driveway is asphalt so it doesn't look any
stranger than a manhold cover anywhere else in town. As far as it being a
problem, the only minor problem we have had with it was last winter when
there was a large snowstorm...as the snow/ice melted, it all started to
drain into the drain (that is the good part) however, at night when it got
colder, it refroze and made a small ice dam that created a BIG puddle and
later ice. No big deal since we don't use the driveway in the winter
anyway ,but we learned our lesson after that first storm. Now we know that
when tehre is a storm we have to make very sure that there is nothing
blocking the drain like leaves or silt, and we know to make sure that ice
doesn't build up there either. Having the drain there ethe rest of the time
is actually kind of convenient....we wash our car and it all drains away no
problem!
Tracey in CT
justi...@my-deja.com wrote in message <7o7oq1$6po$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
>Hello,
>I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>
>thanks
PHIL
--
.
Dave A. Homeowner
>
> How about painting ( a design ) it, so as to make it less noticeable ??
What about getting a fairly decent artist and painting some type of
picture on it, like a lizard climbing out of the hole, or a person down
below yelling for help, whatever. It would take an artist that can
portray "depth" rather well, but it would turn an inconvenient situation
into a conversation piece.
Fits the old saying, When life hands you lemons, make lemonade...
raym...@nospam.raleigh.ibm.com
This thread has generated alot of laughs, I had a good chuckle over
this last post. I think I would die laughing if I saw a painting of a
lizard climbing out of the hole.
Paul Lemieux
the driveway so that the cover is recessed a few inches then you could cover
it. Maybe even leave the hole until the rest of the driveway cures, then
pore over the manhole cover keeping it separated from the rest of the
concrete and leave small holes so they can pull it out. It would be like a
cork in your driveway but level and removable. I can't see where anyone
would complain too much about that.
--
Paul
DoD# 2154
"Any opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent Intel, Corp."
There is one terrifying word in the world of nuclear physics. Oops.
Westport Pools, Inc. wrote in message ...
>Raise the driveway 6" and pave over the manhole cover. Just make a not of
>where it is so they don't dig up the entire driveway whenever they need to
>look for it. Around here, storm sewer manholes are used once in a blue
>moon...
>
>--
>Westport Pools, Inc.
>http://www.westportpools.com
>e-mail: smu...@westportpools.com
>
>
>
>Brad Murray <BradM...@SeeSigIfThere.com> wrote in message
>news:MPG.12120d20f...@enews.newsguy.com...
>> In article <7o9bop$d...@user2.infinet.com>, g...@user2.infinet.com says...
>> > >On Tue, 03 Aug 1999 22:00:39 GMT, justi...@my-deja.com wrote:
>> > >
>> > >>I am building a house and have discovered that the manhole cover for
>> > >>the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
>> > >>there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>> >
GSS
knowingly covering their manhole-this is essentially an easement and you can't
restrict access or vandalize it. As others have suggested, you can probably
paint the manhole cover and no one will care. you'll never make it invisible so
you can either try to make it blend as best as possible or accentuate it by
putting a design (sunflower?) on the thing.
Paul Lemieux wrote:
--
To reply, remove "antispam" from the address above
John Gilmer
GSS <smithg....@freewwweb.com> wrote in message
news:37BEBCA2...@freewwweb.com...
> BAD IDEA-Do not do this!!!!-the flood control district will have your ass
for
> knowingly covering their manhole-this is essentially an easement and you
can't
> restrict access or vandalize it. As others have suggested, you can
probably
> paint the manhole cover and no one will care. you'll never make it
invisible so
> you can either try to make it blend as best as possible or accentuate it
by
> putting a design (sunflower?) on the thing.
Nope!
You sure can cover it. What you can't do is stop the city from digging it
out again.
You own the land.
In the case of sewage "manholes" they usually put a lot in just to be on the
safe side. They are often burried by later construction. Usually, they
work around the problem (as I said, they put in LOTS of manholes.)
If you cover the cover with paving, when and if they have problems with the
line they will look for the cover and when they can't find it they will
assume that it got burried. They will work around the problem and it that
doesn't work, will re-survey to find where the hole is. When that
happens, just use the Homer Simpon line: "It was that way when I got
there."
JLG
matt
would also agree that they put in a *lot*... they're repaving our street,
and just for the short section in front of our cul-de-sac they have 4 or 5
covers ready.
I wouldn't worry about it so much. Just make sure it's not service
affecting, like a meter or cut-off valve, or something like that. If it's
just physical access to like the middle of a line somewhere, then cover it
up.
John Gilmer wrote in message <37bf60b6$0$14...@mojo.crosslink.net>...
GSS
cost YOU when they have to mobilize a Hoe ram, dump truck and six supervisors
to watch one guy work, to overcome your intentional vandalization of their
property. Oh, and they're under no obligation to cover it up for you either,
after they are done. I'm not sure if this is a new manhole or one that was
there when you bought the house, but if it was the latter, you knew it was there
when you bought. As to the utility company putting in lots of manholes for this
issue, that is total BS-manholes are the single biggest expense in a sewage
collection system. They only put them where they need them. Also, while lots
of contractors may "pave over them" with an asphalt overlay, those same
contractors are required to come back and install 1-1/2" extension rings to
raise the elevation, as part of their improvement.
GSS
matt
have to get through me and shotgun to make it otherwise. I don't care about
easements, either.
It's your land, you pay the taxes on it for the rest of your life, long
after the land's paid off. They don't charge you less for your water or
sewage just because they're ruining your property. Screw 'em.
GSS wrote in message <37C336F9...@freewwweb.com>...
MidnitEvil
>cost YOU when they have to mobilize a Hoe ram, dump truck and six
>supervisors
This guy is looking out his window and notices a city vehicle and two workers
out front. One man digs a hole and moves down the street a ways, digs another,
moves, etc. While he's doing this, the second man is going behind him and
filling the holes back in. The guy goes out to ask why they are engaging in the
useless task.
"Well, I dig the holes, Bill puts the tree in and Mike fills it back in. We
sure ain't gonna lose a days pay just because Bill is off sick!"
bgo...@aol.com
> Hello,
> the storm sewer will be right smack in the middle of my driveway. Is
> there anything I can do to minimize its appearance?
>