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Backyard/Between house drainage

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  • Jul 20th, 2015 1:04 pm
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Deal Addict
May 31, 2004
1825 posts
111 upvotes
Mississauga

Backyard/Between house drainage

Hello,

I'm looking for some "landscaping advice".....The ground between my house and my neighbour's property always seems to be soggy. There's no grass or anything. It's to be a mix of dirt, gravel and mulch on my side.
My neighbour has a concrete backyard right from fenceline to fenceline and his side is slightly higher than mine. I know for a fact that when it rains all the water will run off onto my property. From there the water drains to the end my property and into a park/marsh. The field is sloped and the storm water drain is at the bottom of the hill.

I don't plan on growing grass or anything along the side of my house because I wouldn't be able to get a lawn mower into the space. However, the ground is extremely soggy and things like weeds and moss are growing.

I'm assuming this extra moisture can't be good for the house and the random growth of weeds and moss is a bit unslightly so I was thinking of dumping some more 3/4 crush back there to help with the drainage. Would it make more sense to actually install a perforated tube / weeping tile along my fence line to help the water drain from the side the house to the back where it can run off into the park?

Thanks
12 replies
Deal Addict
Feb 2, 2011
1617 posts
270 upvotes
Ottawa
Whatever you do you better check with the city and get the proper permits for something like this. Last thing you want to do is change the drainage in a way that impacts something else and you have to rip everything up.
Deal Addict
Nov 21, 2007
3433 posts
1386 upvotes
Scarborough
Picture/sketch speaks a thousand words....

This much you assumed right is the current grading is not good for either of you. Need to grade and divert the runoff away from the house. I don't think that "3/4 crush" is a good choice for it's still porous.
Deal Addict
Jun 27, 2015
2281 posts
437 upvotes
East York, ON
First of all, by design the lot grading and the drainage should have been taken care by the builder, and this is usually addressed properly when they build the houses
Any modification that an owner does to his property and that could affect the drainage MUST follow one rule: keep your water inside of your property

If too much water gets there then either the design was bad or it was altered by you or your neighbor.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jan 27, 2007
5115 posts
984 upvotes
T.
Yeah...neighbours always f-up the grading. Whether it be stupid gardens heaped up against fences or poorly designed interlock patios.

Dont bother with the city. You neighbour didnt when he redesigned his backyard with all the concrete- probably.

You need a slope from back to front towards the front yard. Remove earth from the front and leave the back as is, but strip the grass. Lay down good landscape fabric and cover with river rock until level from front to back. Obviously will need more rock at the front as it will be lower.

Also reconfigure downspouts or use rain barrels. Amazing the amount of water that comes off roofs.
[QUOTE]I know you are, but what am I.... ;) [/QUOTE]
Member
Jul 26, 2004
202 posts
54 upvotes
A newbie's question...
Can I use tube sands to build a wall at fence line? Will this keep most of neighbor's water at his yard? and mine at my yard? a tube is better and can look better than typical sandbags? If it works, I can paint them green to match sod :) ))

http://www.lowes.com/pd_58362-215-NA_0_ ... Id=3067709
Deal Addict
Apr 26, 2003
2759 posts
1825 upvotes
GTA
simon0t7 wrote: Hello,

I'm looking for some "landscaping advice".....The ground between my house and my neighbour's property always seems to be soggy. There's no grass or anything. It's to be a mix of dirt, gravel and mulch on my side.
My neighbour has a concrete backyard right from fenceline to fenceline and his side is slightly higher than mine. I know for a fact that when it rains all the water will run off onto my property. From there the water drains to the end my property and into a park/marsh. The field is sloped and the storm water drain is at the bottom of the hill.

I don't plan on growing grass or anything along the side of my house because I wouldn't be able to get a lawn mower into the space. However, the ground is extremely soggy and things like weeds and moss are growing.

I'm assuming this extra moisture can't be good for the house and the random growth of weeds and moss is a bit unslightly so I was thinking of dumping some more 3/4 crush back there to help with the drainage. Would it make more sense to actually install a perforated tube / weeping tile along my fence line to help the water drain from the side the house to the back where it can run off into the park?

Thanks
You sound like you're in the same situation as me. I live in a freehold townhouse and my neighbour interlocked his backyard fence to fence, which causes all the run off to pour onto our lower graded backyard. Their lazy contractor didn't dig down like you're supposed to and then grade the interlock, but put it all on top, so their yard is several inches higher.

Long story short, the city didn't do anything and I was left to put in a remedy myself. Google "French drain" and you will find the solution that we used. We put in a french drain along the fence on our side of the property to help drain the water away from our house and to limit the amount of water that came off his interlock into our yard. You are lucky that you have an outlet for the water at the park/marsh, so that should remedy your issues.
Deal Addict
Nov 21, 2007
3433 posts
1386 upvotes
Scarborough
exrcoupe wrote: .... my neighbour interlocked his backyard fence to fence, which causes all the run off to pour onto our lower graded backyard. Their lazy contractor didn't dig down like you're supposed to and then grade the interlock, but put it all on top, so their yard is several inches higher.
Long story short.....
Don't know your neighbor...
I would have a talk with that neighbor prior to completion of interlocking, giving him a question of doubt that he just doesn't know. NOBODY can do end to end paving without providing a venue for drainage. 3-4 feet around the fences should have been left exposed to absorb the runoff. If he won't heed the concern then I would just dam the bottom of the fence with a row of 2x8 pressure treated. Watch him exposing the ground as soon as the water starts pooling at his backyard.
Deal Addict
Apr 26, 2003
2759 posts
1825 upvotes
GTA
Samwfive wrote: Don't know your neighbor...
I would have a talk with that neighbor prior to completion of interlocking, giving him a question of doubt that he just doesn't know. NOBODY can do end to end paving without providing a venue for drainage. 3-4 feet around the fences should have been left exposed to absorb the runoff. If he won't heed the concern then I would just dam the bottom of the fence with a row of 2x8 pressure treated. Watch him exposing the ground as soon as the water starts pooling at his backyard.
Left those details out... of course we talked to the neighbour once the drainage issues arose. They had it done several years ago and we never noticed any issues until 2014 spring when the thaw left 4-5 inches of pooled up melt water in our backyard. They got their contractor out to look at it and he blamed my shed in the backyard which had been there for years before they did their work. Long story short, they did nothing for over a year even after multiple discussions and the city by-law guy telling them they had violated the by-laws. The by-law guy said he couldn't do anything and told me to go to civil court to handle it, but what does it matter if they get fined, I still have drainage flooding issues. Suffice it to say, they did finally cut back the interlock by about 10-12" and put in river rock around 80% of the edges, but it was the french drain that helped more than anything. My wife also dammed up our side of the fence with plastic to minimize the amount of water that came under the fence.
Deal Addict
Nov 21, 2007
3433 posts
1386 upvotes
Scarborough
Jeeze. Would it kill your neighbor to have a 3-4 feet of soil for flowers, tomatoes??

Your wife smart. :)

Invest in a few pieces for 2x8 and then let them chase after you...
Deal Addict
Apr 26, 2003
2759 posts
1825 upvotes
GTA
Samwfive wrote: Jeeze. Would it kill your neighbor to have a 3-4 feet of soil for flowers, tomatoes??

Your wife smart. :)

Invest in a few pieces for 2x8 and then let them chase after you...
We already have about 16ft of 6x6" post blocking the edge of the fence. It's super overkill, but when the flooding happens anything helps.

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