Questions tagged [soil]

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Fence touching soil and bark

Fence built by a builder. Coming up on one year warranty. Was thinking about long term implications for a fence that is buried at least 3 inches in between soil and bark. Unless this is not to fence ...
MethodicalMind's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
36 views

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 ...
Kyle's user avatar
  • 9
5 votes
6 answers
2k views

How to terminate a soil drain pipe into the earth and avoid blockages

Is this advised? How would I set up the end of my drain pipe so as not to get a backflow of dirt and have the pipe get clogged. I'm thinking rock, then black cover, then more rock, then dirt, with the ...
gcr's user avatar
  • 181
0 votes
0 answers
32 views

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 ...
Tenz's user avatar
  • 25
1 vote
0 answers
103 views

What's the best soil for filling around the building walls?

The ground is made of clay so we excavated and did the back filling with river sand and we have laid the excavated clay around the building walls. But I'm noticing that rain water that runs off from ...
Amogam's user avatar
  • 225
0 votes
1 answer
355 views

How can I prevent rabbits from entering my property under a vinyl fence?

The objective is to stop rabbits from wandering inside my backyard. They do it before even moving the seedlings outdoors, and survival of anything (other than spiny roses and raspberries) would be a ...
Sam7919's user avatar
  • 633
1 vote
2 answers
124 views

Above ground pool on top of disturbed soil

I need guidance about how to place an above ground pool partially on top of disturbed soil. Last year (june 2022) I removed a pond from my garden, width: 2mx1.5m approx, depth: 1.3m. I filled the hole ...
catch22's user avatar
  • 111
0 votes
1 answer
169 views

For how long is it okay for sump pump to stay broken?

There is a sump pump in the subfloor area of a basement. The sump pump has stayed broken for several months. After inspecting the sump pump recently we found that there is no water. Which is somewhat ...
Tagar's user avatar
  • 281
-2 votes
1 answer
121 views

How to make a Ø25cm notch/groove/slot, 20mm thick, 10cm deep, in the ground? [closed]

Strange need isn't it? It is to seal no bottom pots in the soil, like in the following photo but without the bottoms: It is a circular notch or a groove or a slot, not a hole. I have imagined this ...
lalebarde's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
162 views

Large Ant population in yard - problematic? [closed]

I have a significant portion of my back yard (1 acre) that is VERY sandy soil. In that area, there are a lot of ants, and between the beginning of summer and the end of summer, they make so many ant ...
Dave's user avatar
  • 455
0 votes
0 answers
71 views

How will a rutted farm road get worse if it is not repaired?

On a vacant lot in the northeast US, used for haying in the past, myself and a few other people started different farming projects on it. It is very wet and had an especially wet year in the past. ...
cr0's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
198 views

For a rutted farm road, what is needed to fix it and how much worse would it get? [closed]

On a vacant lot in the northeast US, used for haying in the past, myself and a few other people started different farming projects on it. It is very wet and had an especially wet year in the past. ...
cr0's user avatar
  • 1,345
4 votes
2 answers
917 views

How to drain grey water in clay ground in safe and secured manner

I have a building which sits on top of clay ground so I couldn't soak away the grey water. I explored solutions like leechfield,soakaway,cement ring well but all fails in clay ground. I'd like some ...
CuriousMan's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
197 views

How far should cement ring well be from building wall

I have a Residential building(India) which has no space in both front and back yard. It's a newly built two storey building( 3 houses ). There is 5 feet space available parallel to building wall. As ...
CuriousMan's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
460 views

Voltage between neutral line and soil?

I am feeling unpleasant electric shock when I touch metal water pipes or faucets. This happens also when the main breaker is off (L1, L2 and L3). This rules out my appliances (hot water boiler and etc....
3399's user avatar
  • 3
3 votes
3 answers
510 views

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 ...
Lamps's user avatar
  • 31
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

How long does it take for ground to become sufficiently compact to bear the weight of an above-ground pool?

The back of my property has a couple of drops down toward the final elevation, sort of a terraced effect. The first of those drops I retained with a timber retaining wall in order to make the ...
DonBoitnott's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
83 views

In-ground base foundation

Do not know if I’m under engineered. 4 feet in depth, individual 3000lb block to form walls (seating area), on geogrid between 6” of 1 1/2 angular stone, and on top of blackland prairie soil.. I have ...
NathanPtexas's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
132 views

How to excavate hole when only 30% of perimeter is accessible to tractor?

I need to dig a circular hole, 20 ft in diameter, and approximately 4 ft deep. The shape is important, it shouldn't be approximately a circle, but a nice clean circle. The bottom can be flat or round, ...
Village's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
1k views

How can I protect existing fence pickets/rails from raised garden/lawn soil rot

I have an existing fence which goes some way into the soil and we are cleaning and painting it then we plan on further raising the garden and lawn. What are the best ways to protect the partially ...
KCD's user avatar
  • 113
16 votes
3 answers
4k views

Any problem to build a house that covers a same-sized hole in the ground? [closed]

I have recently bought a piece of land to build a country cottage and perhaps eventually move there permanently. The terrain is sloped with only a few flat spots. The former owners dug a large ...
heltonbiker's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
26 views

42" Elevated Foundation Build in Coastal NC

What are the best practices for residential elevated foundation 42" construction in Coastal NC? I have read alot about: soil tests, compacted fill, 4" of gravel on top of compacted fill, ...
Patrick's user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
1k views

Does the quality of fill dirt matter?

Does the quality of fill dirt matter? For example, in my application, I need to fill an area where I'm planning to have a gravel patio. I picked up a yard of dirt from a local supply place and, upon ...
Wynne's user avatar
  • 1,541
1 vote
1 answer
105 views

Can bushes help keep driveway and patio gravel stable?

My front yard has a U-shaped driveway on a significant slope. The arrows in the diagram below indicate the downward direction of the slope. From the bottom right to the top left, the elevation drops ...
Wynne's user avatar
  • 1,541
6 votes
5 answers
4k views

Wood fence posts in clay

I'm installing a wooden fence around my back yard using prebuilt cedar panels and 10 ft (3+ m) 4x4 pressure treated posts buried 3 1/2 to 4ft (1+ m) deep. The posts are packed in with pea gravel to ...
psaxton's user avatar
  • 543
2 votes
2 answers
243 views

Why don't segmental retaining walls need any piers or anchoring below grade?

I have built two soldier pile retaining walls (where you slot the boards between I-Beams you sink into the ground) with good success - but that success was due to: sinking the piles at least their ...
user227963's user avatar
  • 1,030
1 vote
1 answer
545 views

Is gravel necessary for post hole drainage in sandy Florida soil?

I am installing 6’ vinyl privacy fence in FLORIDA. I would like to think the sandy soil would drain well enough. The labor and cost of digging deeper holes and buying and delivering gravel doesn’t ...
Johny Knox's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
60 views

Slope has gobbled up the retaining walls

A few tiered retaining walls were built on a slope on my property about 70 years ago. By now they have been completely consumed by the slope as you can see on the picture below where, in the white ...
Wynne's user avatar
  • 1,541
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

Cementing in around soil pipe exiting around brick wall. Is this required?

I've had a loft extension done on my house, all has gone pretty well. The last snagging point was that I spotted that the soil pipe hadn't been sealed in where it exits the wall. The guy on site put ...
gbro3n's user avatar
  • 277
-1 votes
1 answer
1k views

Using tarpaulin to stop soil absorbing to rain, trying to prevent foundation damage

There is a forecast for several inches of rain between Thursday and Sunday here. I am in an old brick home with a sandstone block foundation. The soils are clay in this area. There is a rather large ...
Al2110's user avatar
  • 99
2 votes
2 answers
12k views

Prevent Dirt Movement Down Slope Through Gap Under Fence

I have a fence that separates my land from my neighbors and I'd like to figure out how to prevent dirt from washing onto my land from the 2" gap under the fence. It's a painted wood fence with ...
Ben Willmore's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
74 views

Auto-cleaning room (CIP for the ground?)

In breweries, we used CIP (clean in place) to cleanin and sanitize vessel. Here, I have a room (a production room for beverages) with slope on the ground and a gutter all room long because I have to ...
clement's user avatar
  • 113
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

What could cause a wet soil / moisture smell on concrete slab

I have a wet soil smell coming from the living room concrete slab. I had to remove all the tile in the leaving room. A remediation company came, they removed the drywall and dehumidified the place, ...
Wizeman's user avatar
  • 11
4 votes
5 answers
9k views

How can I prevent my AC condensate pipe from making my soil soggy?

I live in a Townhouse in NC, in a community under a HOA management. I've been doing some improvements on my patio. One of them that I couldn't find a solution is what to do with the condensed water ...
graygoo's user avatar
  • 43
1 vote
1 answer
461 views

Clay and Gravel Liquefaction for Paver Installation

I have recently started digging and laying the base for a patio with pavers. Its roughly 300 sqft and the soil is made of clay. I dug around 7" deep to have 4" gravel layer, 1" sand an 2" for the ...
Mike B.'s user avatar
  • 13
1 vote
1 answer
131 views

Options to keep soil in split-grade backyard [closed]

All of the houses in our neighbourhood have a "naturally" sloping backyard, which slopes downwards from the house. The spread is about 6-8" over 15-20 feet depending on the yard. Neighbours on both ...
tendim's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Compacting soil after removing fence posts to install new posts with vibratory ram?

I have a 6 foot wooden privacy fence I am looking to replace. Several of the posts are rotting right at ground level so their concrete footings are going to have to go. A company sells a metal ...
whatsisname's user avatar
  • 2,289