It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:15 am

All times are UTC - 6 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Grading my backyard
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:33 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:22 pm
Posts: 3
Location: Fort Worth. TX
Hi everyone. I live in a small subdivision in North Fort Worth off of Bonds Ranch Rd. DR Horton didnt provide sod for the backyard and I decided to wait until March before sodding it myself. I have plenty of weeds and such in the backyard that I should have minimal erosion. Before laying the sod down, however I would like to level and restore the grade according to the plans I recieved at closing. My question is do proffessional graders have any small, portable units they use for grading if the property is inaccessible or too small for a tractor driven tiller. I ask this cause my backyard is rather small at about 1000- 1200 sq. ft. Also, I have a fence around the whole backyard with a small gate. Any help would be appreciated. Im gonna use ST. Augustine in the backyard cause I hate bermuda grass. :lol:

P.S. Also my backyard slopes towards my house. I find this unusual, but it must be ok because all the houses on the perimeter of my subdivision do this. The road that runs along the front of the subdivision is higher than where the house sets. Being that it is a new house, I'm sure they did it correctly. Just seems odd to me. :D


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: grading back yard
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 8:45 pm 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 12:45 am
Posts: 420
Location: Whitesboro,TX
You might get a small tractor in yard if you can take down a section of fence, otherwise I would suggest you meet you new best friends - shovel and rake.
If I were you I would be worried about your back yard sloping to your house and the road in the front being higher that your house. You and your neighbors are living in a hole and you may have your own swimming pool around your house with a big rain. The only thing that can save you is if you have drainage out of your neighborhood through the ditch in the front yard and hopefully the next development next to your will not block your drainage.
We had a house built and it was so low that the septic water created a fountain in the back yard in the middle of the kids sand box - every time you flushed the toliet.
Good Luck. i hope you have good drainage and flood insurance.
Robert D Bard


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 9:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:22 pm
Posts: 3
Location: Fort Worth. TX
Well, the road is slightly higher than the foundation, not the entire house. :lol: It is a gradual grade and the front yard is sloped away from the house at a very steep grade. Any small standing water dissipates rapidly after the rain stops. Also there is a ditch on the other side of the stone wall that runs along the back of my yard. :D 8)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 9:41 am 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator

Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 3:45 pm
Posts: 2884
Location: San Antonio,TEXAS
I'm having trouble picturing your place but the picture I have is not a pretty one. In college I worked for my brother in law in his finish grading business, so I've seen your problem a time or two - and you have a problem.

You'll need a small tractor with a box blade, so start planning now on which section(s) of fence you can tolerate being taken down.

What the grader will do is cut a shallow trough (called a swale) in your yard to take the water from the back, around to the side, and to the front where it can drain to the road. The land from the house will drain toward the swale and the land from the back of the property line will drain toward the swale. So most of your yard will become slightly steeper in the back in order to accommodate the new trough in the middle of it. The bottom of the swale will be about 10 feet away from the property and drop toward the side of the house. He'll decide which side of the house to drain around based on the foundation and other concrete structures (driveway, patio, etc.). He may have to cut the swale all the way around the side of the house to the front to ensure drainage. Hopefully the fence at the side of the house where any swale might go will be where he can gain access to the back yard fence.

I've seen some pretty ugly swales cut in to problem landscapes, but they could not be helped due to the lay of the land. The problem should have been fixed before hand when the original housing pads were graded in. If the swale is too ugly for you, you might consider filling it with 3 inch diameter rocks to keep the drain flowing but smooth over the 'ditch' look and make it a Zen garden! :wink:

I hope you get plenty of sun because you'll want a dense, grassy root system back there.

Also be sure your grader has insurance to cover him when he breaks the corners off your patio. Sad to say but that happens too often.

_________________
David Hall
Moderator
Dirt Doctor Lawns Forum


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by eWeblife