I have a retaining wall in my back yard because my yard is a few inches higher than the house level. This is my first winter in this house. In a corner of my yard is a low spot. Due to the retaining wall the water cannot drain. I tried drilling holes through the brick so the water can drain out. It did not work. Does anyone have any other ideas?
Jon from Carlin, NV
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Just moved into my first home. The home sits at the bottom of two hills and yard is somewhat not level. Which has caused puddling and softening of soil in back yard due to water runoff from neighboring yards. It's a huge mess and with a limited budget. I need some temporary fixes that can by me time!
I'd look to both the previous owner AND any agent who helped them to sell it to you. You should NOT get stuck with this problem that is likely to not be repairable! Your state Attorney General's office can tell you if you have a chance to recoup your money and find a better home withOUT this problem. It's a bigger problem than you know, and the previous folks KNEW it!
It seems to me that they dumped it onto an innocent buyer....and should have had to sign a "Seller's Disclosure Statement" that described the whole of any problems they knew about for your
consideration. If they failed to mention it, you should have a case. See an attorney who will take the case on a "contingency", being paid only if you win the case, but do this only after contacting the Attorney General of your State, usually located at the Sate capitol and perhaps online, with the problem first.
I'd do NOTHING to try to fix the problem until then, just deal with it the best you can and don't make it worse in any way. Take down names, numbers, addresses. Have your title papers/closing papers in your hand when you begin. Send copies if they are needed to present your case.
Take pictures of your lot and home from many angles when the wettest, and have any original pictures of it when dry to show for comparison. Attach any Realtor statements in writing/print, or ads about it from the newspaper if sold "by owner". A photo is worth a thousand words, remember. Good luck and God bless and help you. : ) (01/27/2007)
By Lynda
I have a yard that slopes toward the house and there is no drain. Is there anyway to fix my drainage problem without tearing out the entire yard and patio and putting in a drain? Thanks.
MP from Newport Beach
My next door neighbor had the same problem. He put a small pipe underground on each side of the yard that was underground in the back yard and above the ground in the front yard. It ran under the privacy fence gate and it solved the problem. They had water run into their home in the back door several times before that. The pipe was very inexpensive and it was maybe 6 inches round and maybe 6 feet long. (02/18/2005)
By Amanda Cope
You don't have to 'tear out the entire yard'. Leaving a flat area behind the house of a few feet, dig a trench at the base of the slope and insert agricultural drainage pipe to collect the water and divert it away from the house. I have a sloping garden at the back and am putting in a low retaining wall, (approx. 1, rising to 2 feet as there is also a lateral slope), at the edge of the veranda to stop any soil wash off and a drainage pipe the garden side of the wall to drain the water off to the side of the house and into a neighbouring paddock.
Regards
Jo (02/18/2005)
By Jo Bodey
Oops - forgot - I'm in Australia where water is a scarce commodity and in one area of driveway I am digging a gravel filled trench across, (at right angles to), the driveway to stop wash outs and divert the water, a valuable resource, to a garden bed so if its possible try to divert the water away from where you don't want it to where it can be utilised on another area of the garden.
Regards
Jo (02/18/2005)
By Jo Bodey
