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Landscape Design Porches & Decks Design Dilemma

Need help with back yard design/flooding/landscape

Ashley Karandjeff

2 years ago

We purchased our house last year so this is our first winter/spring and so far I am starting to panic on how to correct the major issues in our back yard. Our back yard is sloped and receives run off from the street on both sides. I put down seed and straw in the fall and have for the most part kept our 3 large dogs off of it all. The water just sits and sits for days on our patio, which is causing it to sink in the corner. The ground outside the concrete retaining walls is fully saturated and you sink when trying to walk on it. Our concrete stairs are pulling away from our home and the concrete is cracking in multiple places. We are getting our new siding this spring, and our new windows and doors were just installed. We removed a small deck off the master when we removed the sliding door and replaced with windows. Our hope was to build a deck off our addition that extends the length of the back of the house and more or less create a covered patio, however that maybe a project for next summer depending on how the siding and gutters go. I also want to get a tackle of this flooding/erosion issues now. I don't know if I will ever be able to get grass to grow in this mess, so as much as I'd like to have it if other options make more sense I'm ok with that. I did do some temp astroturf up at the top of our yard where it is flat and that is where our dogs are allowed at the current moment for potty breaks. But I want to be able to enjoy our back yard.

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Comments (9)

fnmroberts
2 years ago
Am I correct from viewing pictures that this is new construction.

IF yes, likely the backfill is settling. This may take several years to complete. It’s a real shame that you installed a patio without a designer with local soil knowledge offering advise.

As to water retention and flooding either the grade is incorrect or soil is non-absorbing. It may need supplementing or drainage installed. A good, local landscape designer would be a place to consult.
Ashley Karandjeff
Original Author
2 years ago
Oh no this is not new construction, the house was built in 1960s, we did not install any patio etc.
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fnmroberts
2 years ago
Sorry, was an incorrect assessment. But you have significant drainage and soil issues that will require professional advise. These are not new problems.
Ashley Karandjeff
Original Author
2 years ago
I figured as much, do you have a suggestion on what type of professional to call?
heathermalia
2 years ago
Did the seller disclose this? If not you may have recourse. Ask your lawyer/realtor.
arcy_gw
2 years ago
Looks like major drain tile needs to be installed. They created a walk out where the landscape didn't really call for one. Lets assume drainage was installed originally but over time it may have collapsed or filled in. Been there lived that. Sometimes of you can find the tile they can be opened up with a very long plumbers snake. If it's collapsed...that's digging and probably means taking up the pavers, to cut out the collapsed tile and replace it. There are companies that vibrate tile in so maybe they could install new w/o taking up the patio. It's worth checking into.
tfitz1006
2 years ago
Did this show up in your inspection report? As someone else said, you may have recourse to help with the expense.
fnmroberts
2 years ago
@Ashley Karandjeff

i concur with others, flooding and standing water should require disclosure, speak with a real estate attorney at once.

Have a Civil Engineer evaluate the soil and grading.

IF you reside in a Village or City providing street maintenance, consult them regarding water flowing onto your property.

IF same municipality controls building permits, find out if the patio, etc. habe been approved.

Engage a Landscape Architect to create a plan AFTER the above have been investigated.

Good luck.
3onthetree
2 years ago
It's always hard to get a read on slopes from just pictures, but here it seems pretty obvious. The water is flowing along both sides of your house to the back corner of your property, and carrying down between the neighbors to the lower street elevation in front of their houses. You just need to form your grade to allow that to continue as it wants to go naturally.

As far as your patio, it is lower than the grade. You need to dig down the adjacent area next to the plastic edging, under the trampoline, and probably remove the buried concrete "curb." Slope however needed alongside the wall of house towards the corner instead of towards under the trampoline.

It would be good to do a test dig behind one of the concrete walls to see if there is a drain tile at the bottom, I'm guessing there is not. A french drain in RED would need to be at the bottom of the wall and run to daylight.

Create a small swale in GREEN and direction of water in BLUE. Verify your neighbor's in PURPLE is not coming in to your yard.

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