Ideas to cover up drainage?

[gniyaz]

I have a drainage cover at the corner of the garden. Can I have some ideas to cover it? Can mulch be used on top? Is it legal to cover up ?  

 

[Remarka6le]

Hey @gniyaz , I'd keep it accessible, you never know when you/someone would need to gain access to it. If you can grab a closer photo of the drainage cover, we can get a better idea of what kind of drain we're dealing with and suggest options for you  

[gniyaz]

Thanks for your response. Find the closer photo. 

 

[EricL]

Hello @gniyaz

Thanks for sharing that photo of your garden drain. Before you cover the area with anything, I suggest calling your local council and finding out what the rules and regulations are concerning large drains on your property. Just to give you an example, here in Queensland you're not allowed to cover or impede the natural flow of water to the drain. Any structural works that you plan on doing must first be submitted to the council for approval.

If you were to build a cover above the drain that does not stop the flow of water to the drain, it possibly could get approved. For example, I suggest building a rectangular frame in treated timber and attaching the Coolaroo 1.83m Wide 70% UV Light duty Shade Cloth per Metre - Green to the timber frame itself. 

I propose placing the timber frame on top of your timber garden edging so that it's not in contact with the drain. The shade cloth will provide the necessary cover and hide your drain. The advantage of using this kind of cover is that it will still let water pass through. I also suggest having a quick look at this discussion -  How to hide a stormwater drain? by @SueGillan.

Let me call on our experienced members @Adam_W and @TedBear for their recommendations. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Adam_W]

Hi @gniyaz , so I'm assuming that there's a drain cover, not actual drain grate, in the centre of those loose bricks?
To be that sort of size it looks to actually be an access port to a main stormwater line. You can see what it is by getting plans for your block from Before You Dig. This may answer some questions.
Any access port should be left uncovered so it can be easily located. You could put something over it that is easily removable, make a timber platform to sit above and you could stand pot plants etc. on it, but just ensure it's easy to remove.

[Remarka6le]

Hey @gniyaz , cheers for providing that photo. 

That looks like an access port, we have one similar at our home that looks like this and we have had Council come and use it in the past and they needed a lot of room around the area. I agree with @Adam_W to just create a timber cover / platform concealed using the same finish you did on your garden dividers over it that can be pulled off if needed, but would be sturdy enough to host a nice pot plant on it for when it's not in use