Rain can be extremely stressful to deal with, especially for those who haven't already invested in yard-grading.
Hey, friends! It's Stacy, and I have recently learned a handy DIY trick that prevents your residence from excessive water damage during the rainy season.
Long story short - a few years ago, my husband and I finally began our much-needed backyard renovation, and that's when I learned how to grade a yard by hand.
Although professional help is very convenient in these cases, grading a yard is not rocket science. For those DIY home renovation bugs searching for smart tips, I hope this comprehensive guide stands useful.
Now, without any further ado, let's get started!
Yard Grading - A Comprehensive Guide
Before I begin, let's understand that the bigger the yard, the harder the job. If you're not confident about pursuing this job by hand, it's wise to seek professional guidance. However, if you like to take on new challenges, this may be perfect for you!
1. Marking Utility Lines
Safety comes first, and taking proper precautions before starting an intensive job never goes out of trend. Before you begin, ensure that you've marked out all of the utility lines in your residence to avoid inconvenience.
In case you're confused - utility lines refer to the essential pipelines/connections that supply the resources needed in your day-to-day life, such as water, gas, and electricity. Make sure to mark these connections with bright colors/flags so that you don't accidentally damage them while grading the surface.
2. Get Yourself A Permit
Although it's rare, some cities require you to be permitted by the authorities to grade your yard. To be safe, have a word with your local city council to check whether you'd require one of these permits. If yes, then obtain a Digging Permit without fail, otherwise, it can land you in some legal trouble.
3. Locate The Nearest Drain
Hold on - the marking isn’t over yet! Once you're done identifying the imperative utility lines in your yard, it's time to find out which drainage area is the closest to your humble abode.
Why is it necessary? Well, grading a yard is all about channeling the clogged water out of your property to avoid the underlying damage. Consider yourself lucky if you find a nearby local public drain to use; otherwise, you have to build your own by diverting it towards your yard's edge.
4. Begin The Hard Work!
Here comes the most intense part of the job - grab the shovel and start digging. Speaking from experience, you can get the best results if you dig up to eight inches of topsoil across the yard. Here's a pro tip - don't sweep away the dug soil - it might come in handy sometime later.
5. Level The Surface Out
It's highly imperative to establish a level surface, mainly because it helps in smoothing the water flow throughout the channel. The surface wouldn't be properly even right after you finish digging - and that's when you take care of the minor imperfections.
Remember my pro tip in the previous instruction? Yes, it's about time to use the extra dug soil to level the uneven surface for uninterrupted flow. Make sure that there are no bumpy regions - if there are, level them out with a shovel.
6. The Marking Continues
For this step, you'd need some high-quality paint that'd be required to create a pair of stakes. For the first stake, drive it approximately 12 inches from your residence's foundation. Then comes the second stake, for which you'd need to drive it 12 inches away from the drain you'd be utilizing. After taking care of that, carefully connect these stakes with a string to make out the grade of your lawn.
7. Create A Downward Slope
Be careful in this step, as this is where you actually initiate grading the yard. Here, you're required to arrange the leftover soil to create a downward slope in your lawn. Mind you, anything less than 90% accuracy here can make all your efforts go in vain.
To be safe, run a periodic check to ensure the slope's accuracy, as it helps in avoiding failure. To make it easier, I'll share how my husband and I maintained high accuracy despite doing it for the first time. All we did was keep a 2x4 board above the slope we were creating.
To be precise, you have to create a minimum of 2% grade for perfect drainage. This can be measured by raising and lowering the 2x4 board until the level shows signs of 100% leveling. If the board is 2 inches above the surface, you've acquired a 2% grade.
8. Raking And Tilling
Now that you've done all the hard work, it's time to add some finishing touch by raking the surface. This step will make the result appear a bit more professional and considerably smoothen the water flow. Also, use a tiller and utilize the leftover subsoil for blending with the topsoil for 100% detailing.
9. Plant Some Grass
Congratulations! You've successfully graded your yard. Now, please wait for a few days till the soil settles down on its own. Once it's done, bring life to your DIY creation by planting some grass for decoration.
Last but not least, don’t forget that a 2% slope will only absorb a partial amount of clogged water, the rest of which will be drained away.
Final Words
Grading a yard yourself can be tough, but there's nothing that can't be achieved with a little expert help. And when it comes to issues such as water damage that hit you both personally and financially, it’s better not to take any chances.
That being said, I hope that my experience and step-by-step breakdown has helped you learn a tad more about yard grading.
I'll see you soon with more informational guides. Till then, stay tuned!