Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia

Do you have a low spot that the water can drain to? A cheap, simple solution
would be to dig a trench or ditch from the flooded area to the lower area to
disperse the water. A more detailed solution could be added later.

If you don't have a lower area to drain the water to, you may have to be
more creative to deal with the problem. You do not say where you are, the
soil type or whether you have winters to contend with, which would help to
provide a solution. You need to keep the water away from the house and do
not raise the soil level above the bottom of the siding.

"Stacia" wrote in message
...
Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia

On Sep 19, 8:16 pm, (Stacia) wrote:
Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia

As EXT says, moving the water away from the house is the best
solution.
Overall drainage and climate have a lot to do with your possible
solutions as noted.
Ground should be 6" to 8" below the bottom edge of siding.
Some re shaping of the yard to allow drainage is your best bet.
Letting water stand is not a good idea.
If you can't re contour the ground, consider plants that will thrive
in the wet environment or a dry well.
T

Stacia wrote:
Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia


dig a trench to take the water away from the pool. It'll look like arse
but it is better than the alternative. I agree with your concerns about
dirt contacting siding; that's a bad idea because that could conceivably
provide a path for termites etc.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:16:03 +0000 (UTC), (Stacia)
wrote:

Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia



Create a dip about 6 feet from the foundation, such that the ground
slopes away from the foundation--very important. If water percolates
into the ground in 12 hours you're okay for now. You don't need any
stagnant water. Ideally, you may need to install some inexpensive
drain pipes or dry creek to get the water flowing around your house
and down the hill. A few rain downpours will tell you if your plan is
right.

(Stacia) wrote in
:

Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are
in our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front
yard, well, blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines
down to the house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation
in a 12-foot long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and
erosion. The water usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No
plants or grass will grow there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not
comfortable with water pooling there. We need the yard completely
regraded but we can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for
some temporary solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the
water pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up
covering the bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so
more dirt is out of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let
it get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do
until we can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia



My husband and I are in our first home

Is this a recent purchase?. When you purchased the home did you get a
disclosures statement from the seller? In some/all states it is
mandatory. See if the disclosure and an item about "standing water". If
the seller disclosed it then the problem is all yours. If they didn't you
may have recourse. It can become subjective as to what "standing" water
is and the wording in the disclosure. 12 hrs of standing water does
indeed blow.

Sample from NC. Item #3: http://www.ncrec.state.nc.us/forms/rec422.pdf

Stacia wrote:
Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia

Placing a front of house against hill? Against law of physics?
Sand bagging?

In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:

Stacia wrote:
Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia


dig a trench to take the water away from the pool. It'll look like arse
but it is better than the alternative. I agree with your concerns about
dirt contacting siding; that's a bad idea because that could conceivably
provide a path for termites etc.

nate

Put a few river rocks on each side and it won't look so bad! ;-)


--

8^)~ Sue (remove the x to email)
~~~~
I reserve the absolute right to be smarter today than I was
yesterday. -Adlai Stevenson

As seen on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/wacvet

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

"EXT" writes:

If you don't have a lower area to drain the water to, you may have to be
more creative to deal with the problem. You do not say where you are, the
soil type or whether you have winters to contend with, which would help to
provide a solution.

I'm in Kansas so yes, we do have winters to contend with. I couldn't
tell you the soil type, but I think we still have the topsoil if that
matters.
Someone else mentioned the house sounded like it was in the side of a
hill. It's not, but it is *on* a hill. The top of the hill is the front
yard, which slopes so that the yard near the curb is about 12 inches
higher than the yard just in front of the northeast corner of the house
where the pooling happens. The back yard continues for about 15 feet
behind the home and then ends where the hill drops at quite a steep slope.
The previous owners actually put in a pile of dirt to make a landscaping
mound in the NE corner of the front yard, which makes the grade problem
worse -- the guy who owned the house was getting a Ph.D. in landscape
architecture and should have known better.

Stacia

Al Bundy writes:

Is this a recent purchase?. When you purchased the home did you get a
disclosures statement from the seller? In some/all states it is
mandatory. See if the disclosure and an item about "standing water". If
the seller disclosed it then the problem is all yours. If they didn't you
may have recourse. It can become subjective as to what "standing" water
is and the wording in the disclosure. 12 hrs of standing water does
indeed blow.

We bought the house a year and a half ago. The previous owners didn't
disclose a thing, but the inspector mentioned a "drainage" problem on the
NE corner where the water pools. The problem was briefly noted but the
extent of the problem wasn't clearly stated, and we didn't realize it
until this spring when the rains came.
We've already had problems with the previous owners hiding mold damage
in the bathroom and the idiot inspector "missing" it. We spoke to a
lawyer and there wasn't anything we could do, since we didn't have proof
that they hid it on purpose. I'm not even going to get into fighting
about the yard.

Stacia

on 9/20/2007 4:39 AM Stacia said the following:
Al Bundy writes:


Is this a recent purchase?. When you purchased the home did you get a
disclosures statement from the seller? In some/all states it is
mandatory. See if the disclosure and an item about "standing water". If
the seller disclosed it then the problem is all yours. If they didn't you
may have recourse. It can become subjective as to what "standing" water
is and the wording in the disclosure. 12 hrs of standing water does
indeed blow.


We bought the house a year and a half ago. The previous owners didn't
disclose a thing, but the inspector mentioned a "drainage" problem on the
NE corner where the water pools. The problem was briefly noted but the
extent of the problem wasn't clearly stated, and we didn't realize it
until this spring when the rains came.


Build a Koi pond. :-)
We've already had problems with the previous owners hiding mold damage
in the bathroom and the idiot inspector "missing" it. We spoke to a
lawyer and there wasn't anything we could do, since we didn't have proof
that they hid it on purpose. I'm not even going to get into fighting
about the yard.

Stacia
--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:16:03 +0000, Stacia wrote:

Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia



Try rerouting water away from house by regrading.

By the way, think about putting in a rain garden. These are can be very
attractive and beneficial for areas with excess water.

"Stacia" wrote in message
...
"EXT" writes:

If you don't have a lower area to drain the water to, you may have to be
more creative to deal with the problem. You do not say where you are, the
soil type or whether you have winters to contend with, which would help to
provide a solution.

I'm in Kansas so yes, we do have winters to contend with. I couldn't
tell you the soil type, but I think we still have the topsoil if that
matters.
Someone else mentioned the house sounded like it was in the side of a
hill. It's not, but it is *on* a hill. The top of the hill is the front
yard, which slopes so that the yard near the curb is about 12 inches
higher than the yard just in front of the northeast corner of the house
where the pooling happens. The back yard continues for about 15 feet
behind the home and then ends where the hill drops at quite a steep slope.
The previous owners actually put in a pile of dirt to make a landscaping
mound in the NE corner of the front yard, which makes the grade problem
worse -- the guy who owned the house was getting a Ph.D. in landscape
architecture and should have known better.
==
The back of our house appears to be similar to your front. We have about 15
ft then a small upward hill.
We always had a standing water problem. We dug a trench with our Troybilt
tiller along the bottom of the hill all
along the back of our yard and ran it to our side yard which drains down
toward the road in front. We put gravel
down (the hardest part) then laid a plastic perf drain pipe on the gravel.
I believe we also laid down a drainage cloth that
keeps the perf pipe from filling with dirt. At the end of the trench/pipe,
we dug a larger hole and put a large plastic garbage
can in it after drilling drainage holes in the can bottom and about a foot
up the sides. We put gravel in and under the can
and covered the whole trench/can with topsoil and grass seed leaving a small
"indentation" in the center top of the trenched area. We did
this about 7 years ago and haven't had a standing water problem since. We
expected this to be a temporary solution but it's still working.
Don't know how long it will last. The tiller and a landscape rake are
critical tools for this labor intensive project, but we did it ourselves
in a few days with relatively inexpensive materials.

"Gini" writes:

We always had a standing water problem. We dug a trench with our Troybilt
tiller along the bottom of the hill all
along the back of our yard and ran it to our side yard which drains down
toward the road in front. We put gravel
down (the hardest part) then laid a plastic perf drain pipe on the gravel.
I believe we also laid down a drainage cloth that
keeps the perf pipe from filling with dirt. At the end of the trench/pipe,
we dug a larger hole and put a large plastic garbage
can in it after drilling drainage holes in the can bottom and about a foot
up the sides. We put gravel in and under the can
and covered the whole trench/can with topsoil and grass seed leaving a small
"indentation" in the center top of the trenched area.

That sounds like a really good idea, thanks. It's close to what we were
thinking about doing with gravel anyway, so maybe we'll try it, or a
modification of the idea.

Stacia

On Sep 19, 8:16 pm, (Stacia) wrote:
Hey all, I was hoping you guys had some advice. My husband and I are in
our first home and we've noticed that the grading in the front yard, well,
blows. The front yard is a bit of a hill which declines down to the
house, and water pools pools right next to the foundation in a 12-foot
long trench that keeps getting formed due to rain and erosion. The water
usually soaks into the dirt within 12 hours. No plants or grass will grow
there for obvious reasons.

We don't have a basement or a crawlspace, but I still am not comfortable
with water pooling there. We need the yard completely regraded but we
can't afford it for a year or so, so we're looking for some temporary
solution.

Last week we moved some dirt from a landscaping mound to where the water
pooled, but it didn't help. If we add more dirt it'll end up covering the
bottom of the siding and that seems like a bad idea, so more dirt is out
of the question.

Is it better to let the water sit in the liner or should we just let it
get absorbed into the ground? Any thoughts on what we could do until we
can get professionals to grade the lawn?

Stacia

We have a 4' x 4' below-grade "patio" right outside our basement door.
Patio pavers on sand. During torrential downpours it would hold water
and if the water got high enough it would come under the basement
door. I got a plastic 55 gallon drum from a local brewery, cut some
holes in the bottom and top and buried it under the patio blocks. It
would now take 55 gallons of water to collect in the drum before the
water would begin to fill the patio area. It's never happened in over
20 years.