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Cleaning Outside Drains Jun 2026

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Cleaning Outside Drains Jun 2026

DIY has limits. Call a drainage engineer if:

Trapped air bubbles in the pipes often make a "glug-glug" sound after water has finished draining. cleaning outside drains

Tree roots seek water. They can crush pipes or enter through tiny cracks. DIY has limits

The cleaning process removes leaves, silt, moss, dead animals, broken roof tiles, and even tree roots that block water flow. They can crush pipes or enter through tiny cracks

In severe cases, sewage or wastewater may overflow from external grates. 2. Essential Tools for the Job

The primary role of an outdoor drainage system is to direct water away from a building’s foundation. When drains are clogged by seasonal debris like autumn leaves or sediment, water pools around the base of the structure. This stagnant water can seep into foundations, causing cracks, rot in wooden supports, and basement flooding. Over time, unmanaged water flow also leads to soil erosion, which can destabilize patios, driveways, and the land itself. 2. Health and Hygiene

About the Author

Elaine Chiew is a fiction writer and visual arts researcher. She is a two-time winner of The Bridport Prize, amidst other prizes and shortlistings. Her debut short story collection, The Heartsick Diaspora, will be coming out with Myriad Editions (U.K.). She is also the compiler and editor of Cooked Up: Food Fiction From Around the World (New Internationalist, 2015), and has had numerous stories in anthologies and journals. She also writes flash fiction (named Wigleaf Top 50 twice, along other honours). In October 2017, she was the Writer in Residence at Singapore’s premier School of the Arts. She received an M.A. in Asian Art Histories from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2017. In addition to writing freelance on Asian visual arts for magazines like ArtReview Asia, she also blogs about contemporary Asian writers at AsianBooksBlog and the visual arts on her blog, Invisible Flâneuse.

About the Artist

Fanny Cammaert is a digital artist living in Belgium. She adopted the stage name Lizzie Stardust as a member of the electro group Velvet Underwear. Since recording and touring with that group, she began working in visual media. Drawing on the kilim weaving that is part of her Ukrainian heritage, her art explores the interplay of digital patterns and electronic glitches. Thematically, her work brings digital infinity into connection with human emotions.

This story appeared in Issue Sixty-Three of SmokeLong Quarterly.
SmokeLong Quarterly Issue Sixty-Three
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  • cleaning outside drains
  • cleaning outside drains
  • cleaning outside drains
  • cleaning outside drains

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SmokeLong Fitness – The Year-round Community Workshop of SmokeLong

cleaning outside drainsIn September 2022 SmokeLong launched a workshop environment/community christened SmokeLong Fitness. This community workshop is happening right now on our dedicated workshop site. If you choose to join us, you will work in a small group of around 15-20 participants to give and receive feedback on flash narratives—one new writing task each week.