One of the main purposes of yard grading is to make sure that water flows away from your home’s foundation. The grade of your yard can be the difference between runoff that flows away from your home and water pooling around your home’s foundation and causing serious problems. Experts recommend that the minimum slope away from the foundation should be two to three inches for every ten feet, or about two percent to prevent drainage problems, and no steeper than 12 inches for every four feet to prevent erosion. Here’s how you can properly grade your lawn.
1. Measure the Existing Grade
The first step to grade your lawn is to find out how large or small the existing slope is. You can do this by using two stakes, 10 feet of string, a hanging string level, and measuring tape.
- Tie one end of the string around the first stake and pound it into the ground right next to your home until the string is ground level
- Measure 8 ⅓ feet away and pound the second stake into the ground just enough for it to stand up and tie the other end of the string around this stake
- Hang the level at the approximate midpoint of the string and adjust the height of the string on the second stake until the bubble is in the center of the level
- Measure the distance from the ground on the string on the second stake
- Divide this measure by 100 to find the land grade measurement
- Repeat at several other places around your foundation
2. Rebuild the Slope
If the current slope of your yard is too shallow, you’ll want to raise the ground level near the foundation and smooth out any other high spots. If you need to drastically change the slope of your yard, you’ll need to use heavier machinery like a bobcat or a mini-excavator. However, for smaller changes, you can use things like a power tiller, a landscaping rake, a wheelbarrow, and a sheet of plywood.
3. Measure the New Grade
Once your soil is in place, repeat the measuring process with the string and the two stakes to check your work. Experts generally recommend a slope between two and five percent. If your new measurements aren’t between two and five percent, that will be the time to make any corrections you need.
Leave it to the Experts
Lawn grading can be extremely difficult and tedious work. That’s why people tend to leave it to the professionals. Vin’s Total Care Landscaping is here to help you properly grade your lawn. We have an extensive background in lawn grading and can guarantee that your home’s foundation will be protected once we’re done. Click here to schedule an appointment.
