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mavlily

Ideas for hiding a septic standpipe in yard

mavlily
18 years ago

We have a pipe that comes out of our septic tank and it is very unsightly. We can see it from the house and in the patio. It has been painted green to blend in with the grass but we can still see it. I thought of putting one of those faux rocks over it but they are quite expensive and I am concerned that septic gasses might be trapped inside the rock. Any suggestions will be most welcome. Thanks!

Comments (14)

  • jkirk3279
    18 years ago

    A neighbor of mine solved a problem with erosion by stacking big rocks on his slope, and troweling cement around them.

    Now he has a solid mass of rocks stuck together and no weeds.

    You could try making a natural looking stone 'outcropping' and plant ivy at the base.

  • socks
    18 years ago

    Would you consider making a planter there?

  • MLcom
    18 years ago

    Here seen a few with wooden wind mills place over them. Looked very nice.

  • DaisyLover
    18 years ago

    I want to cover mine with a wishing well and put a hanging basket in place of the wooden bucket. The installer told me I could cut the pipe shorter then replace the curved top...then it should fit inside the wishing well. Then some shallow-rooted plants and mulch around the base...a few stepping stones leading to it and voila!...no more stink-pipe.

  • michaelhampton
    18 years ago

    This pipe is actually a rodding pipe not as much a stink pipe, i fitted one the other day

  • mavlily
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    What is a "rodding" pipe?? This pipe that we have sticking out of the ground was put in because the pipe that we have on the roof was causing us to have odors in the backyard. It is metal and looks sort of like a mushroom on top.....much like the pipe we have on top of the ground where our well is only higher.

  • DaisyLover
    18 years ago

    I don't know what a rodding pipe is either, but our septic standpipe (on our leachfield) is 6" white plastic with a curved piece on top that points back toward the ground (looks like a giant candy cane). We have a 3" pipe from the tank going up the side of the barn and when we had odor from that we were told there is a filter/cover that can be put on the end of the pipe.

    I haven't seen one like yours (although we do have the well pipe in our yard). But here are a few more ideas:

    1. If it looks like a mushroom...why not paint it like a mushroom (maybe a red cap with big white dots) and plant flowers around it? There are many things that are shallow rooted that wouldn't interfere with the leachfield.

    2. Build a raised flowerbed around it...and maybe mount a large shallow clay or plastic saucer to it for a birdbath (or sit a cement birdbath bowl on it).

    3. Put a birdhouse on it and plant around it.

    4. Sit a large nicely planted hanging basket on top of it and plant around it on the ground.

    5. Place a large obelisk over it and plant a climbing plant to grow up the obelisk.

    6. Place a three-panel lattice screen in front of it to hide it (like used to hide air conditioner units).

    7. Sit half a tree-surround bench in front of it.

    8. Place an lattice trellis in front of it and plants.

    9. Build a little pond or rock basin around it and run the water pipe up to the top and let the water trickle down it....turning it into a fountain.

    1. Etc., etc., etc.....

    There are a million things you could do. The thing is to remember you can't make it go away...you just have to think creatively of a way to make it "disappear"...in a way that will work in your yard design and tastes. It depends on where it is sitting and the layout of your yard. I agree you shouldn't completely cover it with a rock or the gases wouldn't be able to escape.

  • alotofplants
    16 years ago

    I spray painted mine to match the dirt. Hardley noticable now.

  • Scott Schluter
    16 years ago

    Here are a few products:
    http://www.presbyenvironmental.com/prod_concealer.html

    Be careful if you go with a fake rock. It must be able to vent the air or gases could build up inside it.

    I imagine the "rodding" pipe refers to a cleanout which may stick up slightly above grade. It allows access to lines to unplug them when needed. The vents are usually either "candy cane" white plastic shaped just like the name implies, or the "mushroom" style that also look like the name. Some candy canes have charcoal filters for odor control, haven't see a mushroom vent that doesn't have a charcoal filter.

  • Beeone
    16 years ago

    Use whatever creativity to disguise/cover it up that you can, but remember that these pipes are there to allow pumping the septic tank. This should be done every couple of years or the sediment in the tank will build up and eventually cause the leach field to fail. Then you'll either have sewage surfacing on the ground or the toilets overflowing in the house, and you'll have to put in a new leach field, tearing up your yard and costing you dearly.

    All of these suggestions for hiding it are great, just remember to keep it easily accessible.

  • olddawg
    12 years ago

    Just built a birdbath vent cover for mine.
    What a difference!

    $50! Pvc, clay saucer, flowers and mulch!

  • lorifgarden
    6 years ago

    My plan is to use a glass and metal lantern (the kind that are used for large candles and placed decoratively at doorways or on fireplace hearths) to hide the candy cane. I will cut the bottom of the lantern to allow the pipe to sit in the middle and look like a large candle. I will remove the pane of glass at the back of the lantern to allow air exchange and remove the top portion of the 'candy cane' because now the lantern itself will protect the pipe from snow and rain. My pipe is air intake not an outlet so it is not smelly, so I plan to place a curved stone bench and small garden around the area. Mulch will hide the at grade septic covers in the middle of the garden and look like a path to the bench with plantings on either side of the mulch path. Can't wait until spring, we just had new septic installed and it is quite an eyesore.

  • William Traut
    4 years ago

    Check out this product! Www.thedirtybird.com this thing is the best! It is made to vent, has a charcoal filter for odor control and looks awesome! You can even change it up by taking the birdbath top off and putting a sundial on it or a potted plant. It took my five minutes to install it myself. Now I can put some flowers around my vent and no one has a clue what it is doing.