Land Grading Might Be The Right Solution For Protecting Your Foundation
Posted on: 29 November 2022
If you've been fighting wet basement problems and you're concerned about foundation damage, it's time to find out why your property is having drainage problems. You might use a level to check your property yourself or call in a land grading contractor for help. If your yard isn't sloped so rain drains away from your home, poor drainage could be a big problem that leads to expensive home repairs. A land grading contractor can fix this problem for you. Here's how.
They Survey Your Land And Develop A Plan
The contractor may start with a survey so they can visualize the elevations and depressions in your yard. They need this information to calculate the slope that allows for drainage and to determine if the slope is steep enough to need a retaining wall.
Once they have this information, they'll bring in the heavy equipment needed to do the work. A skid steer may be all they need if you have a small yard and don't need a lot of heavy work that requires bigger machinery.
They'll Remove Topsoil And Move Dirt Around
The contractor may start by removing some of the topsoil and hauling it away. Then they can move dirt around by taking out hills and filling in depressions. They'll also want to get the top of your land flat so you can grow sod once their work is done.
Depending on your yard, they may need to take out landscaping and trees to get your yard in the condition it should be in for good drainage. They may even need to bring in more topsoil to build up an area.
They Might Add A Buried Drain
In addition to sloping your yard, the land grading contractor might install a drain near your house to catch rain so it is immediately routed away from your foundation. Installing a drain requires digging a trench, placing the drain in it, and backfilling the trench. When it rains, the rain will fall in the drain and flow to the street rather than puddle up around your foundation and leak in the basement.
When the work is finished, your yard will have a natural slope that lets water drain away from your house instead of toward it. You'll be able to plant seeds or sod and install landscaping. However, you'll want to be careful when installing landscaping that you don't make mounds that block the drainage of water, or else your wet basement problems may return. That's why installing a drain along with land grading could be the best way to ensure your basement stays dry.
For more information, reach out to a land grading contractor near you.
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