Thank you for the response. It looks like flushing the system with more water will be the plan. Unfortunately, without the softener, our plumbing fixtures and toilet get a thick deposit of scale in no time. My husband is especially worried about the scale that may be forming in the pipes where we can't clean it. Thanks for the suggestion to flush with more water. Squirrel Girl

I have a really pretty large ceramic pot with no drainage, and it is an odd shape (not round) so I can't find any cache pots that sit correctly. I did read about the masonry bit to drill into pots, but this one is glazed so I feel like it would crack easily. I also don't have a masonry bit or a hand drill. To solve my problem, I went to the store and bought some rocks (~$4 for 40lbs) and some sturdy 1/2 in plastic tubing (~$0.33 per foot). I put the tubing in the bottom of the pot and layered up larger rocks around it, then put in some smaller rocks in between the cracks so that I could not see the bottom of the pot anymore. I chose larger rocks for the bottom layers to avoid clogging my tubing with small rocks, and small rocks at the top so that my soil wouldn't fall down in between the larger rocks. The total depth of the rocks was around 3-4 inches. I added soil/plants on top of my contraption allowing the tubing to hang over the side of my pot. I am hoping that the rocks will allow good drainage to my soil and that I can siphon off extra water in the bottom of the pot as it collects. I just put this together yesterday so I can't attest to how well it works, but I am hopeful since I read reference to this method earlier in the thread. As a last note, the tubing doesn't look pretty coming out of it, but I hope plants will cover it up. I am also worried that the tubing will be yanked out of the soil, so I think I will tape it down to the back of the pot.

I doubt that anyone here could give you a definitive answer on exactly what size and how many drain pipes you need, because there are so many unknowns. In my own case, I am certain that what you describe would not be adequate, because we have hard clay soil and lots of boulders. Were I in Florida, with sandy soil that drains rapidly, I would not be too concerned. Is this a custom home that's being built for you, or is it part of a production builder's development? Do you own the lot and control the money, or does the builder? That will make a difference in how your problem is resolved. You might consult with your local building authority about their drainage requirements, in hopes that the current one has not already been passed. Whatever the case, I urge you to do whatever it takes to ensure proper drainage. We only recently became aware of how badly the builder of our new (builder spec) house screwed up, and are spending a large sum to not only correct the drainage but to repair the damage done by water intrusion. Had the builder of this house done the right thing initially, it would have cost him a small fraction of what we will pay now.

I think it may be possible to divert the water coming down the gabled roof plane before it hits the flat section. Is there any where to put a collector box and downspout on either edge of the flat portion? Be aware that what I'm thinking of could only be executed in metal in my area. If you're in a less frost-prone locale, then it may not involve replacing the gable shingles with metal. As for the drainage in the courtyard, you may have to dig in a box drain around the perimeter, or at least on the low side in front of the patio doors. The gravel roof problem falls in the domain of those professionals who do hot-mopped asphalt roofs. Casey