How to Grade Your Yard

A yard that is perfectly flat up to the foundation, can cause water problems inside.

When you have consistent basement water issues with no visible foundation issues, it may be a problem with the soil around your home. To decrease the problems in your basement, you need to improve you yard's drainage. Grading the yard, making the soil level higher around the house and allowing it to slope down where water can safely drain is the solution.

Things You'll Need

• Stakes
• Hammer
• String or twine
• Measuring tape
• Skid loader
• Rake
• Grass seed
• Straw bale

Instructions

1. Pound a wooden stake into the ground right next to one of the corners of the house with a hammer. Make sure it is at least 12 inches off the ground. Pound another stake in at your property line. If you have a sidewalk, make sure the stake is right next to the sidewalk. Keep the stake height at least 12 inches off the ground. Repeat the process on the same side of the house, but on the opposite corner.

2. Tie string lines around the stakes by the house and attach them to the stakes by the property line. Do not connect the string lines by the property line, as you need an access point. Make the string lines level. Use a hammer to pound in the stakes to adjust height until the strings are level all the way around.

3. Measure off the line to the ground to determine the pitch of the ground. If the measurement goes up as you get away from the house, the ground is sloping away from the house. If the measurement is going down, the ground is sloping toward the house. To move water properly, you need a slope of 1/4-inch per foot. When you have a shallower slope, you need to re-grade your yard.

4. Rent a skid loader. This machine looks intimidating, but is simple to operate once you get used to it. Have the rental company drop it off and give you a quick tutorial on how to operate the machine. Once you have the hang of it, go into your staked area, and lay the bucket flat against the grass and move forward, tearing up the surface of the grass. Dump all dirt by your driveway's curb for easy clean up later.

5. Measure from the line how far you need to dig down. Adjust your bucket and move forward. As you move forward, slowly raise the bucket as you want the area next to the house to be taller than the area you are digging up. If you have a sidewalk, remember that you can't go lower than your sidewalk. Repeat this process across the marked area.

   Now, starting as close to the house as you are comfortable getting, drag your bucket on the surface to flatten it out. Repeat this all the way across. If you notice humps, drag across that area again or dig the area out. Continue until you are satisfied with the slope of the yard. Check often.

6. Pull out the stake from one corner of the house and move it it to another corner of the house. Repeat Step 1 to make a new working area. Repeat the grading process until the yard has been completely re-shaped. If you need to add any dirt to areas, use the dirt you are shaved away to create the low spots.

7. Turn the soil and loosen the top layer with your rake. Make sure you are taking out any high spots while at the same time making sure you do not take too much out of any area. Stand back every so often and look at your yard. Fix any undulations with your rake. Check your lines one more time to make sure everything is proper, then pull out your stakes and reel up your line.

8. Rent a dump truck or dumpster. Spread your grass seed with a drop spreader. Cover the seeded areas with straw. Simply take a bale of straw, pull parts of it apart and shake it over the grass seed.

9. Set sprinklers up in as many places as you can. Water daily for six weeks for 20 to 30 minutes a day in 10 to 15 minute intervals. As the grass comes through the straw and you can lightly rake the remaining straw away once. Do not mow grass for two months after seeding.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need to, make a swale to direct water, dig down 6 to 10 inches with the skid loader in a straight line. This allows the water to move through the swale.

• If you do not have gutters on your house, this method will not fix your water issues. Get gutters installed or install gutters yourself to move water from your roof out into your yard.

• Always use caution when operating heavy machinery.

• This is not a race, the machine will do the work whether you drive fast or slow.

References

• Washington State University Extension: Home Lawns
• Missouri University of Science and Technology: Lot Drainage