Originally Posted By: five.five This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
did an inspection last night, and the rear of the home, the backyard lightly slopes toward the home, the grass was so tall and THICK it was difficult to “feel” how “extreme” the slight slope was.
I did write this up as need of repair, but don’t know who to recommend evaluation.
I am in Texas, (Houston) and was wondering if any local inspectors here could provide some input.
As Houston has more flooding concerns, especially in the area this particular home is located.
I don’t want to “over recommend” (if that is possible), but also want to recommend a qualified professional to evalute.
Thanks for your input !
Sincerely,
Darren Davenport
Texan Inspection
T.R.E.C. # 8126
Originally Posted By: mboyett This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Darren,
I sometimes point out that the slope of a yard could contribute to drainage problems around a home and that the ideal is that the ground should slope 6" within the 1st 10’ from the foundation. I don’t recommend who should further investigate that but if I did I would probably say contact a certified landscape professional. In our case, someone certified by the Texas Association of Landscape Contractors. An alternative would be a landscape architect licensed by the Texas Bd of Architectural Examiners and as an overkill, last resort recommend a licensed civil engineer.
Originally Posted By: jonofrey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Sorry, didn’t see this until now or would’ve tried to help. I’m curious what you mean by how extreme the “slight” slope was. Not trying to split hairs here but that seems to be a contradiction in terms. To me, either the slope is extreme or it’s slight. You can’t have both ways five.five (if that is your real name)
So for the sake of argument what you have is a negative slope towards the back of the structure. State it as such and say that it needs landscape or drainage corrected. With some older properties, it is impractical to try to achieve an optimum slope. French drains may suffice but that's not our call.
I write them up like this sometimes:
Negative slope towards back of structure, needs landscape and drainage corrected. I recommend that you consult with a competent, qualified, professional landscape contractor to determine the best method for repair, estimate cost and perform the repair. (some credit to Erby here)
Of course, the way you described it above, you may not really have a problem there. Usually if you have a drainage problem the grass doesn't grow so well there. I have been known to throw a digital water level out on the yard to check the slope for sure. Looks can sometimes be deceiving, when it comes to other peoples money, can you afford to give them bad advice? That one is your call!
Originally Posted By: five.five This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks gents for your replies…
I suggested to have a qualified landscape / drainage specialist look in the back yard to review the grade.
I didn’t think the grade or slope was severe enough to require an engineer, but a qualified landscape / drainage company could confirm or reject my suggestion and findings.
Thanks again, have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Darren Davenport
Texan Inspection
T.R.E.C. # 8126
