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Great Lakes Gardening

yard grading question

16 years ago

We are considering building a patio and need grading help. We live in a 1962 Colonial that is brick, also a high water table area. We removed a raised cedar deck to find the original concrete patio below. On the house side of the concrete patio the grade is lower than on the away from house side. The concrete patio starts about 18 inches from the house. On the yard side of the patio is a very mature maple tree, and the grade by the tree is about 8-12 inches higher than at the house. We have had water leakage in the basement and that is what we are also trying to solve.

Here is what we want to do; raise the grade near the house not disturb the tree build a new paver patio.

Is there any way to do this without removing the concrete patio that is currently in place? Can we build the grade up against the house and against the bricks without damaging the bricks. We want to prevent water leakage in the basement. Any ideas are much appreiciated...thanks

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Comments (3)

Judy_B_ON
16 years ago
If you already have wet basement problems, you should get a professional opinion about both the current problem and changing the grade. The grade being lower near the house may be part of the problem or, with a high water table, maybe your foundation drainage system has developed a problem or you may need a sump.

Changing grade usually requires approval from your city planning department and they will likely want an engineering report.

Consult an landscape architect or engineer. Your city planning department can tell you what kind of engineer and may suggest some firms.
Carol_Ann
16 years ago
I second the need for professional input. You may not use their services, but at least have a few different people come look at the situation and give you their thoughts; otherwise, you might just be compounding the problem. Good luck!
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Thanks for the replies everyone. The grass spots are tough to get at because the property has very old trees and since the soil has eroded so much through the years, the roots are very close to the top. The guy who did the demo on the existing pavers with a bobcat said he doesn’t want to do it since that would hurt the trees. would it be a feasible solution to use kill all in the grass in hopes that the root systems will die before the regrading in hopes to expedite any possible settling prior to compacting? I don’t want to hurt the trees. Aboveis a pic of the yard.
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tracyvine
16 years ago
HI Kec01, I am not a professional but I am married to one. Bad news is yes, you will need to remove the concrete patio. Good news is you can do this yourself. Sledgehammers and a couple of Saturdays should do the trick.

Remove the concrete. Dig in some French drains line them with crushed limestone (57). Place the pvc pipe in the trenches directing the water away from your foundation. Back fill the trenches with more stone. Level the pitch away from your home and then put down a screening of sand or crushed limestone on top and begin putting in your pavers. Make sure your pavers are also following the pitch away from the house. Add or remove stone as needed while placing pavers.

This should direct the water shed away from your foundation and leave you with a nice patio. If you continue to have water leaks in the basement then please call in a contractor. You may have blocked or broken drain tiles along the bottom of the foundation that need snaking out or replacement. Usually happens with ceramic drain tile. Good luck. If you would like a more professional answer email me and I will get the hubby to answer any!

Good luck,
Tracy

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