DIY Storm Drain Repair Video

The backyard drain in our 100 yr old brownstone had failed, and it was time to do the repair. Heavy summer rains would bring water into the basement from the backyard - not a good thing - so its time for the jackhammer.

The original drains at the turn of the 19th century were cast iron and terra cotta. This was a 3" cast iron drain pipe that was originally housed in a brick storm drain. The bricks had collapsed, and someone had tried to fix it with metal flue pipe. Fun.

The only way to really fix this was to jackhammer the cement and cut the pipe, and put in a new PVC pipe & elbow. Be sure to buy the sand mix cement if you want it to match your existing back patio - learn from my mistake. And buy more cement than you think you need, it never seems to be enough once you start.