landscaping

[Ranschau1]

What would be the best way to move some dirt away from my house so that the water runs away as it is supposed to?

I have a drain tile around the house, but the basement fills up with water if I'm not careful with the exterior pump and pit.

I have a L2550 with FEL, but thought someone here would have an idea on how to move dirt on an already planted lawn.

I'm not opposed to killing the grass, just wondering how to most effectively move the dirt around so I get a slope away from the house.?

Rear blade, box blade? etc.

Thanks,

 

[nbryan]

What would be the best way to move some dirt away from my house so that the water runs away as it is supposed to?

I have a drain tile around the house, but the basement fills up with water if I'm not careful with the exterior pump and pit.

I have a L2550 with FEL, but thought someone here would have an idea on how to move dirt on an already planted lawn.

I'm not opposed to killing the grass, just wondering how to most effectively move the dirt around so I get a slope away from the house.?

Rear blade, box blade? etc.

Thanks,

Box blade over rear blade in my books, any day, for what you're wanting to do.

 

[NCL4701]

Your suspicion is correct that to regrade a yard, you will need an implement/implements designed for grading, which would include possibly your front loader (if you need to move a lot from a specific area) and definitely box blade and/or back blade.

So far as killing the grass, if you’re regrading the yard, yeah the grass is getting killed in the area you’re grading. With a box blade or back blade it’s important for the dirt to flow rather than clump in big chunks. So you can’t grade mud or grass very well. Tilling the lawn thoroughly in the area your cutting down before starting grading generally works pretty well to chop and blend the grass in well enough to grade. You do not need to go deep, just pulverize and blend in the grass. If you need to cut in further, rippers on a box blade work well for that.

I use both a box blade and back blade. Box blade works better for cutting into hard pan, clay, etc. that a backblade is more likely to bounce over. If the box blade isn’t cutting in like you need, that’s what the rippers are for. Box blade also carries dirt. Box blade can be used to cut in or to smooth depending on top link setting. Backblade isn’t near as good at carrying dirt, but it is much better for moving dirt sideways in a windrow fashion.

Some more skilled than I may be able to do everything with one of the other, but I prefer both. Of course I also have about 40 different screwdrivers and at least 20 different pair of pliers.

 

[Bmyers]

As others have said, box blade is the attachment for moving dirt. The rippers will loosen up the soil and when you don't need the rippers, you just pull them up or I take them out and put them in facing up, so they are out of the way.

The thing that I have learned, take my time and do a little at time. I have a habit of wanting to just try to get it all done in one pass. You will get better results if you take smaller bites and take your time.

 

[DustyRusty]

Most people think that grading the land around the home away from the home is going to stop a problem, however, it will only work for short rain falls. Ground water soaks into the disturbed soil quickly, and many times it will be entering where the basement wall has cracks or seams at the base. We had the same problem 60 years ago at my parents home, and contractors suggested various ways to stop it, none of which worked. I told my dad that the only way was to remove the water mechanically, by digging down below the footing, and then putting in crushed stone and a drain pipe, and carry it out to daylight. The crushed stone came up about 2/3 of the foundation wall, so it could provide a quick path to the drain pipe. Eventually that is what he had done, and it solved the problem. When I built our home, I did the same thing, and my basement is dry, no matter how much rain we get. The only difference was that I did it as we were building, so the cost was minimal. I also tarred the concrete walls before it was back filled. After a torrential rain, I used to check the drain around the home where it exited in the woods, and was surprised to see water running out of that pipe for a few days after the rain.

 

[ctfjr]

I had pretty much the same experience many years ago in our first house. At the time I had a big old yellow TLB. We used to get water in our basement at every heavy rain.
I ended up digging around 3 sides of the house (4th side was garage) down to the footings. Filled back about 3' of stone with Orangeburg pipe near the bottom and covered it with black tar paper as I remember. Kept the pipe sloped towards one corner where I took it away from the house to a pit I dug.

Due to the land slope the pit was down about 7'. I dumped 3 or 4 yds of stone in there, covered it up and called it a day. Never had water in the basement again.

 

[802Driver]

I think your problems run deeper than just grading. We had to do the same thing with our last home we sold. It was a late 70's home. To do it properly, we excavated the perimeter of the basement all the way to the footing. Took angle grinders to the wall and blue-skinned from the footing all the way up to above grade, installed new weeping tile (corrugated drain pipe with a sock over it), then pea gravel to a depth of about 2 1/2 feet. Filled everything back in and graded the yard with a slope away from the house. On the inside, any exposed cracks were filled with hydraulic cement before spray foaming it in. It's a big job, but in my opinion, it's the only way to do it properly.

 

[Ranschau1]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[mikester]

Trim dozer for tight spaces or any 6 way dozer would be my goto

 

[ChristopherMcmillan]

Dealing with water drainage can be a bit of a hassle, but it's great that you're looking for solutions. If you want to create a slope away from your house, a rear blade or box blade can definitely do the trick. You might also consider a landscape rake for a smoother finish if aesthetics are a concern.

Before you start, it's a good idea to mark out the area and plan your slope. Make sure you're not just moving water problems elsewhere. Digging a swale or installing a French drain might be good complementary solutions to manage the water.

Also, if you're open to professional help, consider reaching out to a local landscaping company Waterloo. They can provide expert guidance and even take care of the job for you.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

HOW is the water entering the basement ? Sounds like the basement walls were never waterproofed. That would be tar/poly/tar/ dimple sheets. Is it poured concrete or blocks ? Any window wells? Are they connected to the drain

Now assuming no trees for 30' from the house or other obstabcles, you could rototill that area up, then just pull a rear blade that is tilted and angled, starting at the foundation,you go round and round, moving away from house. You'll get a very nice 'professional' slope away from house in an hour or so.

Downspouts need to have 4-8' extensions on them !