Questions tagged [grading]
The grading tag has no usage guidance.
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How important is grading around a foundation if there is no basement?
I'm looking to put some storage bins next to our garage.
How important is it to grade the soil away from the foundation of the garage if there is no basement under it? I wouldn't run it to the garage, ...
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Should I replace the stones I dug up when regrading the garden bed next to my foundation?
I'm in the process of regrading a garden bed adjacent to my foundation to slope it away more from the house. Hopefully this will solve the drainage issue I've been seeing.
As the bed was sloping ...
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Need advice on re-grading garden beds around foundation for better drainage and if I can apply barriers/sealant to mitigate water intrusion
I'm doing some landscaping cleanup for my parents' house - for visualization, this house's surrounding layout is almost identical:
The front and right side of the house is surrounded by lawn and ...
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Is it safe to excavate soil next to concrete slab?
I'm looking to regrade the soil around my shed so water doesn't continue to damage the sill plate. The concrete slab is barely above grade, so I'm looking to remove soil to expose it another 2-3 ...
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Do sump pump basins always have a certain level of water in them?
I had a Flood in my basement and used a portable sump pump and hose to pump out the water for several days. The basin is about 2 feet deep with some gravel at the bottom.
Once i finally got the water ...
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Question on soil and grass above foundation
My wife and I just bought our dream 1960s renovation and we noticed that the yard and gravel patio area is pretty much covering up the entire foundation. Is this something we need to worry about long ...
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Is it a good idea to use dirt to grade away from foundation?
A reputable/recommended house inspector suggested that we can just pile up dirt to create a grade that will prevent water from collecting around our foundation. We have a crawl space so the dirt will ...
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suddenly below grade window
I am grading my 1965 house. Am new to this activity, and working my way around the entire house. I just removed several yews (remember how everyone planted them about a foot from the wall back then?) ...
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What are the regrading maintenance materials & technique for around home's perimeter? [closed]
Last year I moved into a new home, and I think I need to do some regrading work around the front and side of the home to bring the grading back to an acceptable standard. It appears to me like over ...
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Downspout drainage beneath flat section of yard
In the area behind my house, the ground slopes downward, creating a 2.5ft drop over a span of 12ft. After this slope, the terrain levels out for about 70ft until it reaches the property boundary.
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How thick does the impermeable layer need to be when grading a yard?
I'm grading my yard and have found a deep layer of sand (at least 2 ft) extending out about 10ft. Perhaps the sub base for a patio? I understand I need an impermeable layer to ensure rain runs away ...
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Refilling gravel under slab on a downhill grade
Our front patio was poured over an existing slab, with a significant gravel layer between them. I am digging out our water line, which happens to run just outside the edge of the slab. The plywood ...
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Will inspectors require a fix for pre-existing grading issues as I replace siding around an old house?
I am re-siding and probably re-sheathing a portion of my house. The house includes a carport framed in and converted to living space where the existing slab is only ~1" above grade. From what I'...
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concrete patio, grading, geotextile [closed]
I am about to make a concrete slab patio along the wall of my house facing the backyard (38' long house wall, 10' wide concrete slab).
To ensure proper water drainage (now, water may stay next to the ...
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Can I use logs and stumps as driveway fill?
I am making a drive in a lot with some low spots. I am curious if anyone has insight or experience using trees cut from a lot as fill for a driveway, to make a level drive.
The lot is all relatively ...
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should bottom of stringers match the slope of deck stair landing even when slope is minimal?
I'm planning stringers and deck landing for the deck I'm building, and will be laying some patio slabs to form the landing. When preparing the ground for the slabs, I will probably grade the ground to ...
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How can I keep water out of this window?
I recently moved into an old house and have been dealing with moisture issues in the basement. I am stuck on what to do with this particular window. Water flow tracks are clearly visible.
So far I ...
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How soon should I see moisture levels improve after grading?
An inspector showed me several spots in my basement where I have excessive moisture levels in the drywall along the exterior walls in the basement, and along parts of the exposed concrete block ...
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Plastic shed base - How to level soil?
I am going to get a new shed but first I need the base. I have purchased a plastic grid base system, I have measured out the area and have cleared the turf on top.
Now, I am coming a bit stuck on the ...
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Foundation water seepage?
Recently purchased a new home and am noticing that there appears to be what seems to be an issue with water seeping through the foundation in the basement. Shortly after a decent rain the wall will ...
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Exposed foundation and large egress well - need help
New to this website. I wanted to ask a question regarding our new home that is being built. There is a large chunk of foundation in one corner of the house that is exposed, along with a very tall ...
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Questions about the possibility of increasing the grade on the soil just right around my external walls
My house is about a hundred years old. I replaced the roof and gutters about eight months ago.
When it rains very heavily, we get some water in the basement, in three tiny streams from three of the ...
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How can I protect my foundation when removing old retaining walls and regrading?
I have this old and crumbling tiered stone wall in the back of my property. My deck sits on top the wall. There is a covered porch next to the deck, that’s built on top of block walls (not part of the ...
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Grading over asphalt and concrete walkway
My house is in a small city lot, it's a 1924 Craftsman with a concrete block foundation. On the north side of our house, between the wall and a fence line, the previous owner had asphalt over the ...
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Concrete patio slopes toward garage causing water seepage
As indicated in inspection report photo my concrete patio slopes toward the garage so when there’s heavy rain water seeps into the garage. Is installing a French drain the only way to fix this or is ...
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Grading under deck
I bought a house 18 months ago with some known issues. I discovered that the permit for the deck is still open (17 years old) because of the issues the contractor made putting it in. I think some of ...
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Grading a Patio in a Corner
This is a follow-up question to this post:
How would you grade this patio?
What if instead of running a 1/32" per foot along the red lines (East to West) for the full run, I leveled off after 10 ...
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Should I grade my property or put dirt against chain link fence?
I recently installed a chain link fence. It's a long story why, but our neighbor's property is about 6" lower in elevation in some spots where the chain link fence is. We installed the chain link ...
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Is this a proper way to drain water from flat area under deck so it does not penetrate basement wall?
I have a flat area under a 6 by 30 ft deck in front of my split level house. I am currently replacing the deck boards on this (Pictures are below). The soil underneath this deck is relatively flat and ...
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Grading soft white sandy soil in central Florida with only a Bobcat?
I have a 1/4 acre vacant lot in Central Florida in an undeveloped area. Two of my neighbors are about 4' higher in elevation according to Google Earth, though I stood there and don't see it or ...
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Fixing grade on concrete garage floor?
Here is a concrete garage floor that has a pitch and/or concavities that cause water to puddle inside the garage in the middle of the slabs instead of draining out the front.
What are realistic ...
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How can I prevent water from pooling against my foundation and patio pad?
When I purchased my house the builder flipped the stairs and grilling deck. I can’t figure a way to fix the grade issue at the bottom of the stairs and along the back wall. The steps lead to an ...
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Can I break up stones and overlay soil to grow lawn?
Ideally I would like to have this an all-grass yard. I am looking out a window of the house and can't add soil on top or the grade would point towards the foundation. All these rocks are 3-6 feet from ...
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Dirt Driveway Repairs
I have a long dirt driveway that is riddled with potholes. I can’t afford to have the repair done for me or even to rent a bobcat. My thought is to have a load of driveway mix/stonecrete delivered ...
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Exterior grading where brick meets stone foundation
I'm wondering how my soil should be graded where my exterior brick meets my stone foundation.
The first photo below shows my soil coming up above my brick line, while the left photo shows the soil ...
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Soil grade is above foundation
Our soil/landscaping grade is between about 4" and 8" above the foundation. I've read and been told that this is a problem. I believe the soil should be ~4" below the foundation line. We have a ...
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Back Yard Hill Drainage Issues
My back yard slopes toward my house. Below is a picture taken from my dining room to help explain things. Previous owner had a french drain installed marked by the red lines. We've had a week or so ...
- 103k
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Building a free-standing wall on top of a retaining wall
My house is well below street level. The slope from the sidewalk down towards the house is visibly eroding, to the point where I can see the entire side of many of the sidewalk slabs. The yard looks ...
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Need to fix the grading of my backyard: remove the sod or turn it over?
I want to fix the grading of my backyard. I think that I have two options: a) remove the sod, grade the soil and put the sod back AND b) use a rototiller (rent it from HomeDepot) and turn the old sod ...
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Building Concrete patio against the house with sunken family room for proper drainage
Just acquired this house with challenging problems.
When the house was built, the builder didn't care for grading the lot appropriately. One of the rooms in the back of the house is below grade and ...
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What is the best way to excavate the ground for a ground-level deck?
I am building a ground level deck. We have a bilevel, so our house is on a slab at the ground floor (no basement). There is about a 15° grade away from the back door to the yard.
I have all the ...
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Increasing grade next to house
Our house is built into a small hill, leaving a section of our basement exposed with both a small garage and a people door leading to the driveway. There are several (3-4) courses of block above the ...
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New home grading is only 6 inches below above grade basement windows, is that enough
When a new home comes with only the grading (no dirt or grass) and above grade basement windows, how far below does the grading have to be from the window?
In other words, once I add the dirt and ...
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New home grading in backyard soil stays muddy for days
I have a new construction home and the backyard grade needed adjustment late in fall. There is an area that meets in the middle that doesn't really hold static water above, but the ground stays soft ...
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Lot grading, water percolation & french drain on the property line along the fence..What is a correct drainage for this property?
I am now trying to understand if the current water drainage on my lot is wrong. The previous owner excavated the soil around the house and he probably spread the soil around the house in the backyard.
...
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How often do I need to regrade the ground around my house?
I'm a first time homeowner, and when we moved in we were told we'd need to regrade our house. I am deciding whether doing it myself or hiring someone is a better decision, and the following list ...
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Can I use 3/4" gravel to grade land away from my basement wall?
There's a portion of concrete slab that slopes towards the basement wall of my house. It is winter already so I can't really pour concrete, but I do have several bags of 3/4" gravel (crushed stone) in ...
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Is it okay to have brick below grade?
Is it okay to have brick below grade? My house was built in 1967. The walls are brick and block construction. The soil is graded on top of 3 courses of brick. One of my neighbors said that this is ...
- 32k