Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [grading]

37 questions
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4 answers

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. Also, my neighbor's property is on a higher…
MiniMe
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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 over I would like to go with b) because: -the…
MiniMe
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2 answers

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 hundred year-old house with a brick…
glenviewjeff
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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 summarizes my considerations. How often do I need to…
Frank Bryce
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3 answers

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 best way to ensure that the ground is level…
physicsboy
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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 like this: From the house, facing the…
alexw
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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 egress well (see picture below of one of us standing…
Lamps
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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 start to look damp, after longer periods without…
Greg
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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 approximate 3’ x 3’ cement pad butted up to my…
Joe
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1 answer

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 grass, how far below the window does the base of that…
New home owner
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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 common in the area (Maryland) and it's not a…
Laxmidi
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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 slope slightly away from deck (1/8 inch per…
spacediver
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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 foundation or basement walls of house. I want to…
Labarc35
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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 the issues were fixed but the biggest is that the…
George
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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 solutions to prevent the puddling of water brought in…
feetwet
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