How to Repair Grading in the Yard

Every yard lies at a slight, or sharp, angle, and this angle helps drain excess rainwater from your house to the runoff drain. Incorrectly repairing faulty grading that allows rainwater to gather along your foundation where it can erode soil and potentially cause foundation problems can worsen existing problems. Additionally, it can lead water to neighboring yards or cause water to pool. Correctly regrading your yard will alleviate drainage problems and keep your home's foundation sound and solid.

2 36-inch wooden stakes
Rubber mallet
100 feet of twine
Orange spray paint
Tiller
Tractor with grader blade
Rake
Grass seed
Straw

Instructions

- 1
  Hammer one stake in the yard that needs grading repair 12 inches away from your home and the other stake at the far end of your yard using the rubber mallet. Hammer them to a depth of 18 inches to keep them solidly fixed within the ground.
- 2
  Tie the twine from stake to sake, keeping it taut.
- 3
  Spray paint three "depth marks" on the twine at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 intervals using the orange spray paint.
- 4
  Calculate your "finished depth grade," knowing that for proper rainwater drainage, the grade should descend away from your foundation at a decline of 12 inches every 50 feet. If your yard measures 100 feet long then the end stake should equal 24 inches, the 3/4 mark will measure 18 inches, the 1/2-way mark will measure 12 inches and the 1/4 depth mark will measure 6 inches.
- 5
  Till the entire yard with the tiller. Tilling loosens the soil, so you can grade it evenly without the tractor's grading blade tearing up large tracts of turf.
- 6
  Grade the soil in one pass from the house to the first depth mark using the tractor fitted with the grading blade.
- 7
  Measure the depth between the twine at the 1/4 depth mark and the soil, making sure it equals 25 percent of the finished depth grade. For instance, if your final depth grade equals 100 feet, the space between the twine and the top of the soil should measure 6 inches because at 100 feet, the final depth grade should equal 24 inches and 6 inches equals 25 percent of 24.
- 8
  Regrade the 1/4 depth mark section of the yard as necessary until you reach the desired depth using the tractor fitted with the grading blade.
- 9
  Grade the 1/2 depth mark section until you reach the desired depth.
- 10
  Grade the rest of the yard, section by section, until you have graded the yard to the finished depth mark.
- 11
  Stand 10 yards away from the twine, noticing the smoothness of the decline from the house to the final depth mark.
- 12
  Rake uneven spots as necessary until the entire yard declines away from the house at a depth of 12 inches per 50 feet.
- 13
  Reseed the yard with grass seed at a rate of 4 to 6 gallons per 100 square feet.
- 14
  Cover the reseeded yard with straw.

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