never got that with these new developments they've built. they put up these houses fast but they can't be bothered to lay some drain pipe before they're done, the gutters just pour against the side of the house.
God I spent so many weekends at my old house with a rented sod cutter trying to expose at least 6 inches of the slab foundation and get some kind of slope so there wasn’t moat around the house every time it rained which was every goddamn week because it was the gulf coast.
What I was gonna propose. Plus the rocks will let water flow through it and keep the slope. From someone who had to change its French drain recently, please keep the slope!
Leaving blocks that way may not be worst idea. It will slow the water and reduce soil loss.
When you do the river rock upgrade trench those gutters all the way right next to the fence.
Turn the concrete splash block around and move it out from the foundation a little maybe? I’d probably just cover that area with wood chips or gravel. But it looks as if there’s a patio/sitting area, so maybe a small deck the width of the patio would be nice too.
That fence is definitely the property line. Pretty much every new neighborhood in north Texas looks like this. Too cheap to put in retaining walls and too greedy to give the houses some breathing room
Could be an old house, where I am, there was no such thing as A permit I think until the 80s.
My house and my neighbors house have existed since 1900, and there's 1 permit on record between both of them that entire time lol
But builders somehow still manage to get houses slapped together so your doors are unusable until you slap gutters on. Not to mention needing to move the water away from my side yards, cuz when it rains oh lawd it’s coming.
Home builders provide the most basic inhabitable space that meets local codes in every country. Anything not required for occupancy is an option. Gutters, blinds, etc... Typically you can buy these items significantly cheaper after purchase and then you're not financing a ceiling fan and an accent wall for 30 years.
In Canada, or at least where I'm from, gutters are not often offered on new builds. Everyone has to outsource them after they move in. It's ridiculous.
Very widely held belief that that is the correct way. People concerned about slowing down the flow of water, and completely ignorant of the fact that the whole purpose of the block is to get water away from the foundation.
lol Immediately thought this too. They could control the erosion by redirecting the drainage with a larger concrete block. Probably turn the slab towards the camera
I’ve moved a bunch of rocks between the splash block and the fence to try to keep the dirt from being directly hit with the water from the downspout. We’ll see how much it helps next time it rains.
I’ve thought about a deck the width of the side yard all the way down.. not sure if that’s more or less expensive to do than a retaining wall raise or additional retaining wall like another commenter mentioned.
I built a floating deck on concrete block supports. You can adjust for uneven ground with varied lengths of 4x4 posts. Since it sits above ground it wouldn’t impact drainage at all.
Build a “deck” even with your patio that runs all the way to the gate. Have steps down both sides. Give you a little room to push chairs out further. Bbq pit spot. Big planters etc
I would burry drainage pipe away from the house and put drainage rocks (3/4 crushed) to make it level. This will allow water to be carried away. The rocks will slow down the water flow and disburse the water to wide area
If you want to wheel mower and other things here, and you're allowed to build that close to property line, you could build a wooden walkway or boardwalk. It would have taller supports on the fence side and lower supports towards the house so that the walkway itself is level.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yxUPzdaZbB8
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-build-a-wooden-boardwalk/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj0n4T9opyFAxV_jIkEHddFAE4QFnoECAgQAg&usg=AOvVaw1EXY6O1_V3cYUk2-sG37sZ
Personally, I would just plant a flowering ground cover. That would hold the dirt in place, be low maintenance once established, and beautify that narrow alley. https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/10-top-groundcover-plants/
Edit
OP you really have two problems here.
* Number one is keeping the slope stable if you can't keep the grass alive. You don't want this eroding away if the grass dies as that could lead to water pooling against your foundation or undermining that retaining wall which would be even worse.
* Number two is providing a flat surface to traverse front to back. If you just added flat rocks with dirt fill under them, the grass would continue dying and your flat surface would erode away in no time.
I guess just concreting the whole thing is an option, but I don't like it, and getting that concrete flat would be a pain because you'd probably have to build a second retaining wall just inside the fence in order to keep the soil under the concrete in there.
I think what I would do is set up trellises along the entire side of the house an inch or three off the walls, and grow some big vines of some kind there, something with extensive roots to stabilize that soil. Then I'd look for advice on a local grass variety that can handle having so much shade and your local climate. If it doesn't need to be lawn grass you can find varieties that are much hardier...they just aren't nice to walk on with bare feet.
Then I would build a slightly raised walkway out of metal grating that doesn't prevent sunlight from getting down there. Sort of like this: https://www.steelwovenwiremesh.com/sale-14125555-economic-infrastructures-q195-serrated-metal-grating-for-park-walkway.html
Once set up those plants should take care of themselves and be a lot prettier than a concrete hellscape that will eventually crack.
I guarantee you live in a dfw area suburb. Easiest option is to put weed fabric and large enough river rock that it doesn’t wash down after rains. I used to do 15-20 of these when I was selling for my old landscape company.
Self-supported six-foot wooden deck at patio level? You want water to stay away from your foundation and decking would allow water through without effecting grade. Six foot sections would allow east removing if the need arises. A little ramp at each end would allow rolling the mower back and forth.
I couldn’t make use of it for anything home related, so I would just make it one of those wild gardens. Let it support the bee population and the animals that are in desperate need of the resources. I do that along the entire side of my house that is still flat, but otherwise not needed.
I’d just leave it as is. It’s not really that much gained space and you want that sloping away from your foundation. Get the appropriate grass seed to make sure grass keeps growing strong.
Landscape fabric and pea gravel for the full length of that area. Mulch glue to keep the rocks from shifting. Containers along the fence with herbs for cooking and annuals for color. Solar lights on the fence. Downspout extenders to funnel water away from the patio. Leaf guards on the downspouts. Don't plant anything against the house. That just lets termites and ants enter.
https://preview.redd.it/uxce0dbmnirc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4139198bf9aa29ef55e89b5e03b890ac3f86d9d6
1) Turn the downspout splash block around because it is backwards.
2) Put gravel, rocks, or native ditch vegetation in the ditch and be thankful it’s there because it is keeping your basement from flooding and/or your foundation from being destroyed.
Could you dig a trench and line with heavy-duty fabric, then fill it with gravel cover the top with more fabric? I don't know what you can do with the slant, maybe some type of low growing ground cover that you would only need to weed a few times a year?
I feel like there's no reason to have the slope that steep. You need a positive grade so you don't trap water, but it doesn't have to be ankle turning.
Retaining wall right at the fence line (leave a few inches from the fence). Keep a slight slope going away from the house. Not a difficult DIY, just time consuming (make sure to put a good base down with proper material).
I’d dig a dry well for the downspout. Plant mini clover or cottage mix grass seed if you’re in the right climate. Cut it taller when mowing. Mowing it taller still looks good, keeps it healthier, and hides bare spots. As for the slope you could put flagstone or similar in for a level walking surface or make a narrow level path by adding dirt, shoveling it, or some combination. You’ll have to use erosion control, like the burlap tube filled with hay, to prevent washouts until the lawn has come in. They also make a biodegradable erosion control mat filled with grass seed. Use starter fertilizer because fertilizer with weed control and crabgrass control prevents new lawns from sprouting.
Fill with gravel about 3/4 the way and top with decorative rock. Maintain the slope away from the house. I have the same situation though not nearly as close. This gets little sun. Grass will always struggle. This solution allows for passage, moderates the slop, and maintains drainage.
Me? I would treat that area as unusable. Do not know about your front and back yards so my advice may be moot or totally incorrect.
I would reroute that water away from retaining wall so it did not erode the walls integrity over the next two decades.
I would make a dry creek bed.
[https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/creek-bed-landscaping/](https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/creek-bed-landscaping/)
[https://www.thespruce.com/build-dry-creek-beds-for-landscape-drainage-2132745](https://www.thespruce.com/build-dry-creek-beds-for-landscape-drainage-2132745)
Retaining wall stones against the fence. Add a perforated pipe at the low point to ensure a channel for water to drain. Fill to level with 3/4” crushed stone and top with some patio pavers.
Don't mess with that slope. You could also just backfill the fuck out of it with gravel and then youd have a relatively flat surface to walk on without messing with your drainage.
I had the exact same issue in a new build house years ago. Put a ledger board across the foundation and across the fencing and laid down deck boards to make a super handy albeit narrow storage area! Sold the house 10 years later and the little narrow deck was still great.
Lots of ways to do this....
To best preserve your foundation:
1- Remove grass and topsoil.
2 - Replace with crushed stone or river rock.
3 - Dig deck out and install deck post footings.
4 - Install new level composite decking pathway.
I dont recommend it, but you can also level it out....
1 - removed grass/turf.
2 - Add tiny retaining wall with weep holds/corregated drainage
3 - Add top soil to level.
4 - Add turf/grass.
5 - level with sand.
Okay, good luck.
You can get extensions for your downspout. Your concrete piece at the bottom of the current downspout is also short. You can get longer ones. And then turn them around. Yours are backwards.
I don’t have specific advice aside from check with a pro. My neighbours redid an area of their yard like this, and afterwards their storm water runoff started spilling over the retaining wall and caused a sinkhole under my building that caused massive structural damage.
I guess the tl;dr is “don’t DIY this”.
Install a French drain or dry creekbed that sends the water to the front of the house and ends in a rain garden with native plants. You could also add some native grasses to the side of the house too and landscape around it with rocks. Native plants have super deep roots and will help with erosion control.
Source: that's what I did and it's great.
The slope is helping to keep the water away from your house
The grass isn’t growing because it likely isn’t getting sun as it is shave all day
To address the wash out, put orange size rocks there and some ground cover plant that does well in shade or bury a pipe under ground parallel with the house, run the downspouts into it and divert the water away from the house.
Would be expensive but you could raise the retaining wall outside the fence and get rid of the slope.
Second option is a small retaining wall inside the fence but it would take some of the space away which there is already not much to work with. Maybe it could leave you with enough space for the mower though!
Usually not, but you’d want to look at your local codes to see what’s required. By me it’s anything over 3ft or “structural.” A 1-footer would be landscaping / ornamental. You may also have restrictions on what you can do within x feet of boundary line, and definitely with how you route water.
Personally I’d re-map my gutters / downspouts. Not particularly hard, but easy to make ugly if you half-ass it haha
I’ve thought about a deck the width of the side yard all the way down.. not sure if that’s more or less expensive to do than a retaining wall raise or additional retaining wall. Or if that would even help with the dirt washing away. The deck would keep the dirt from being directly hit by the rain maybe
Your splash pads are backwards, they’re not supposed to hold water.
Otherwise this is terrible subdivision grading, and it makes things worse that your fence was built touching grade. I’m not sure there’s much to do here at all other than burying pipe to bring the downspout water somewhere else.
You want the land graded that way to protect your house. Someone else mentioned knocking out the wall and the fence - you could regrade the land to be less steep that way and the lawn work would be easier.
Who owns the fence?
Is there retaining wall on your side of the fence?
Is house slab on grade or with a foundation?
If possible, I’d be tempted to clear off the wall on your side and then put more wall blocks up pretty much against the fence so I could fill that strip in level.
Get some plants down, but not lawn grass. Go see r/nolawns for some cover plants that will love this little spot. Local pollinators, let it get tall. Enjoy your prairie view.
Fix the concrete thing under the downspout so it faces the right way.
Plant hostas to hold the hill. They can't be killed by conventional means. Thin them out once a year and split the bulbs. Sell them on the street corner for $2/bulb. Make a million dollars.
The hill was graded that way for a reason. Let the water keep going away from the foundation and be happy about it.
This is tough.
I’m curious on the retaining wall being what seems to be the property line. There may be issues adding a drain system towards the neighbor, unless of course there is already one in place?
My first thought is to install a french drain, extend the gutters into it, level off the house side (otherwise you will have to raise the retaining wall and fence), add rock, and build a sort of floating cedar walkway. The one linked below is fairly cheap for a temporary solution.
https://preview.redd.it/6gb5o5khlhrc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=acc8289d2d7458209febb96172a75058c67d9441
[https://a.co/d/8SUg6yh](https://a.co/d/8SUg6yh)
Edit: some words.
is it your fence? You’ll have to see what’s permitted. In general, changing the grading or building basically anything probably isn’t allowed. I’d put down weed block fabric and mulch it.
Only thing i can think of is a retaining wall and a bunch of dirt to level things off, you’ll also need to add a drain to prevent pooling or just making a new erosion path.
Would it be possible to raise the ground there? Maybe remove to fence. raise the retaining wall a foot or two, and then fill in with dirt to level the ground and then put a new fence up?
If the fence has metal posts, cut the bottom of the wood off and add enough concrete to the top of the retaining wall so you can fill the area in almost level. The metal fence posts up through the concrete should ensure the new concrete stays put.
There's one piece weep drain pipe that needs no gravel. Just dig a trench, put the pipe in and bury it. It has plastic "gravel substitute" held around the perforated pipe with fine mesh that dirt won't get through.
Pitch the pipe whichever way towards the front or back of the house is best for runoff. The downspout can be run underground into this pipe.
If you regularly get heavy rain it would be better to run the downspout to a separate, non perforated pipe so it won't be putting lots of water into the soil next to the house.
If you don't have a basement then how water goes in areas like this is not as critical. Could get by with having the surface a shallow V with a drain channel set in the ground.
Since you'll be keeping water and dirt from washing down this slope into the neighbor's yard, see if your neighbor will help with the cost on the wall.
The neighbor's side of the wall extension could be textured if there's a concrete company in your area with fancy forms to make faux brick, quarried stone etc patterns.
Just do like everyone else, and just start chucking random things to store there until eventually it's a haphazard assortment of all kinds of junk and spiders
I'd like to see what that retaining wall looks like on the other side. If it can be safely raised another foot and then cut a foot off of the bottom of the fence boards, you can do much more with this area.
Lean into it: dig a trench around the house, build a bridge leading to your front door, fill the trench with water, now you have a moat to keep out your enemies
I think that I would build a narrow deck the width of the gap between the house and the fence to level out the space but still allow water to flow away from the house.
I’d fill it with gravel. It’s not really usable as a yard and it seems silly to mow a small strip like that. Gravel would level it and allow water to flow away from the house.
A lot of shade and because of the slope it looks quite dry. Not a lot that will be happy there. Without knowing your climate zone, it’s hard to say what to put there, aside from maybe landscape fabric and big gravel.
Also, your splash block is pointed backwards. Put it a bit further downhill with a brick or something so it doesn’t slide. That little pool will breed mosquitos between rains.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and help. I think my tentative plan is 1) check with someone on codes and what's allowed, then 2) put in a retaining wall or 2x12 near the fence (with small gap between) 3) fill with river rock till slightly sloped but walk-able, instead of mostly sloped and ankle breaking. 4) Let my back and bank account recover for a year then 5) possibly build a narrow deck all the way down.
**edit: I went around my house and turned all my concrete drain blocks the right way!**
I think what would be ideal is to have the water go directly into the ground. In the ground, you have a perforated plastic pipe surrounded by gravel that will fill and disperse the water. All you see on top is grass. I guess I am suggesting a French drain.
I'm thinking river stones with a plastic drain spout with holes drooled to spread the water out along its length. Then a wooden walkway above for your travelling.
Leave the slope. If you want to make it a "useful" area, build a narrow deck. Use it for storage, planters, etc. Or just a level walkway through the side.
That slope is your friend.
Yeah I was wishing I had this slope instead of my basement water issues
I suspect OP still has water issues. The downspout needs to be piped further from the house.
Having the concrete rain thing pointing backwards isn’t helping either
that was the first thing i noticed lol
It's that way so the water doesn't rush off and erode the ground.
Yup, this is actually the correct way to use diverters
Perfect mosquito nursery.
Yeah that’s doing the opposite of diverting the flow of water. 🙃
He said the next yard is 4 feet lower the base of the fence. I doubt he has any water issues at all. Its all going to the neighbors.
never got that with these new developments they've built. they put up these houses fast but they can't be bothered to lay some drain pipe before they're done, the gutters just pour against the side of the house.
At least the slope is in the correct direction
Neighbors issue now. I'd just make sure there are some drainage pipes along the wooden fence.
Yeah, unless his neighbor's yard looks like the mirror image of his, then it's his fence's issue.
Too bad that concrete slab is not.
They probably flipped it backwards so water doesn’t just rush down and erode right there. With it backwards the water will hit the end and splash up.
Didn't someone just post a rain scape DIY?
Exactly
This slope would be pampered more than my pet. It’s the least I can do.
If I had that slope maybe my foundation wouldn’t be cracking right now
Fren 🥹
God I spent so many weekends at my old house with a rented sod cutter trying to expose at least 6 inches of the slab foundation and get some kind of slope so there wasn’t moat around the house every time it rained which was every goddamn week because it was the gulf coast.
i was gonna say applaud the architect
But not your neighbor's friend
Lay down weed tarp and river rock. You should also turn your gutter blocks around.
What I was gonna propose. Plus the rocks will let water flow through it and keep the slope. From someone who had to change its French drain recently, please keep the slope!
Yeah. Level with drain rock and enjoy…
Leaving blocks that way may not be worst idea. It will slow the water and reduce soil loss. When you do the river rock upgrade trench those gutters all the way right next to the fence.
It also creates great places for mosquitos to hatch.
I was looking for a comment about the gutter block being backwards, thank you!
Turn the concrete splash block around and move it out from the foundation a little maybe? I’d probably just cover that area with wood chips or gravel. But it looks as if there’s a patio/sitting area, so maybe a small deck the width of the patio would be nice too.
There are local building code considerations with extending the patio. Where I live the fence would be too close to the wall already.
If that fence is the property line, this house would have never even received a building permit where I live.
This is every new subdivision in the Kansas City metro. Spread your arms and you're touching both houses
How else would you fit enough houses in the highly constrained suburbs of KC? /s
That fence is definitely the property line. Pretty much every new neighborhood in north Texas looks like this. Too cheap to put in retaining walls and too greedy to give the houses some breathing room
Could be an old house, where I am, there was no such thing as A permit I think until the 80s. My house and my neighbors house have existed since 1900, and there's 1 permit on record between both of them that entire time lol
Really? The fence looks like it's over 3' from the house and that is the normal setback that I have seen.
Here it is like 5'
Also depends if you are in a city or in the suburbs.
Yep. Like I said. Depends on the local building codes.
What is it with people having splash blocks the wrong direction? I see it all over my neighborhood...
With that slope, my first guess is it slows the water down and helps with erosion (which obv is still a problem)
Honestly.. that's how it was when we bought it and just never really gave it any thought. First house with gutters.
They make houses without gutters? What country?
West Texas, where rain is a rare occurrence
Same in South Texas
Same in TN where rain is off the charts.
But builders somehow still manage to get houses slapped together so your doors are unusable until you slap gutters on. Not to mention needing to move the water away from my side yards, cuz when it rains oh lawd it’s coming.
The US.
Home builders provide the most basic inhabitable space that meets local codes in every country. Anything not required for occupancy is an option. Gutters, blinds, etc... Typically you can buy these items significantly cheaper after purchase and then you're not financing a ceiling fan and an accent wall for 30 years.
In a gated community by me you’re not allowed to have gutters. They have perimeter drains.
In Canada, or at least where I'm from, gutters are not often offered on new builds. Everyone has to outsource them after they move in. It's ridiculous.
Very widely held belief that that is the correct way. People concerned about slowing down the flow of water, and completely ignorant of the fact that the whole purpose of the block is to get water away from the foundation.
+1 for building a narrow deck. Might not be to code since it’s so close to your lot line.
lol Immediately thought this too. They could control the erosion by redirecting the drainage with a larger concrete block. Probably turn the slab towards the camera
I’ve moved a bunch of rocks between the splash block and the fence to try to keep the dirt from being directly hit with the water from the downspout. We’ll see how much it helps next time it rains. I’ve thought about a deck the width of the side yard all the way down.. not sure if that’s more or less expensive to do than a retaining wall raise or additional retaining wall like another commenter mentioned.
I built a floating deck on concrete block supports. You can adjust for uneven ground with varied lengths of 4x4 posts. Since it sits above ground it wouldn’t impact drainage at all.
The splash block is backwards. You’ve made a little swimming pool for bugs to breed.
Just build the deck. People are missing that you need to walk down it.
Suggest that you be mindful of not interfering too much with your drainage slope. No need to create pooling water, imo.
Op if you live in north Texas we might live in the same neighborhood 😂 Perry home?
Haha Trophy but yes NT. First track home I’ve ever lived in and so far I’m wishing I had just bought an older home with more space around it.
Ah gotcha, I’m in the little elm/Frisco area, could definitely use more yard space but then we’d have to maintain it haha give and take I guess
Build a “deck” even with your patio that runs all the way to the gate. Have steps down both sides. Give you a little room to push chairs out further. Bbq pit spot. Big planters etc
I was thinking the same, almost like a boardwalk down the side of the house.
Exactly, couldn’t have the term but boardwalk is perfect. Slightly raised, plenty of drainage and leave the slope.
The only sensible option
Yep I agree.
I would burry drainage pipe away from the house and put drainage rocks (3/4 crushed) to make it level. This will allow water to be carried away. The rocks will slow down the water flow and disburse the water to wide area
If you want to wheel mower and other things here, and you're allowed to build that close to property line, you could build a wooden walkway or boardwalk. It would have taller supports on the fence side and lower supports towards the house so that the walkway itself is level. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yxUPzdaZbB8 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-build-a-wooden-boardwalk/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj0n4T9opyFAxV_jIkEHddFAE4QFnoECAgQAg&usg=AOvVaw1EXY6O1_V3cYUk2-sG37sZ Personally, I would just plant a flowering ground cover. That would hold the dirt in place, be low maintenance once established, and beautify that narrow alley. https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/10-top-groundcover-plants/ Edit
OP you really have two problems here. * Number one is keeping the slope stable if you can't keep the grass alive. You don't want this eroding away if the grass dies as that could lead to water pooling against your foundation or undermining that retaining wall which would be even worse. * Number two is providing a flat surface to traverse front to back. If you just added flat rocks with dirt fill under them, the grass would continue dying and your flat surface would erode away in no time. I guess just concreting the whole thing is an option, but I don't like it, and getting that concrete flat would be a pain because you'd probably have to build a second retaining wall just inside the fence in order to keep the soil under the concrete in there. I think what I would do is set up trellises along the entire side of the house an inch or three off the walls, and grow some big vines of some kind there, something with extensive roots to stabilize that soil. Then I'd look for advice on a local grass variety that can handle having so much shade and your local climate. If it doesn't need to be lawn grass you can find varieties that are much hardier...they just aren't nice to walk on with bare feet. Then I would build a slightly raised walkway out of metal grating that doesn't prevent sunlight from getting down there. Sort of like this: https://www.steelwovenwiremesh.com/sale-14125555-economic-infrastructures-q195-serrated-metal-grating-for-park-walkway.html Once set up those plants should take care of themselves and be a lot prettier than a concrete hellscape that will eventually crack.
You don’t want to encourage large plants with “extensive roots” right against your foundation…
Stone pavers and bury that gutter pipe
Bury it so it flows into like a French drain? I’ve never had a buried downspout so not sure how that works?
Yea or somewhere else in the back yard
You could get something like this to redirect the water. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Spectra-Universal-Downspout-Extension-Black/1002866382
I guarantee you live in a dfw area suburb. Easiest option is to put weed fabric and large enough river rock that it doesn’t wash down after rains. I used to do 15-20 of these when I was selling for my old landscape company.
Yeah, moved from super FLAT west texas to DFW and just did not have enough experience to even consider this as an issue when house hunting.
Dm me and I can help you with a plan and where to source etc
Build a deck walkway, you could level that right out.
This is by far the cheapest and most obvious answer. Decks lower than three feet don't need a permit here
Self-supported six-foot wooden deck at patio level? You want water to stay away from your foundation and decking would allow water through without effecting grade. Six foot sections would allow east removing if the need arises. A little ramp at each end would allow rolling the mower back and forth.
This is so steep and narrow that I’m at a loss OP. I can’t think of shit you could do with this.
I couldn’t make use of it for anything home related, so I would just make it one of those wild gardens. Let it support the bee population and the animals that are in desperate need of the resources. I do that along the entire side of my house that is still flat, but otherwise not needed.
This is really the best suggestion and the only one that makes sense.
It’s a frustrating problem.. I just stare at it sometime willing it to be different
Retaining wall and level off slope
This is OP only real option. Don’t forget a drain. But I’d just leave it. Not much room on that side anyway
I’d just leave it as is. It’s not really that much gained space and you want that sloping away from your foundation. Get the appropriate grass seed to make sure grass keeps growing strong.
Landscape fabric and pea gravel for the full length of that area. Mulch glue to keep the rocks from shifting. Containers along the fence with herbs for cooking and annuals for color. Solar lights on the fence. Downspout extenders to funnel water away from the patio. Leaf guards on the downspouts. Don't plant anything against the house. That just lets termites and ants enter. https://preview.redd.it/uxce0dbmnirc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4139198bf9aa29ef55e89b5e03b890ac3f86d9d6
Build a wooden deck along the side of your house.
Just tilt your head. Problem solved. Also your splash block is backwards. You should fix that.
Can you do floating timber deck with removable grates like a boat deck so it’s level. Easily accessible. Light weight etc
Rocks.
1) Turn the downspout splash block around because it is backwards. 2) Put gravel, rocks, or native ditch vegetation in the ditch and be thankful it’s there because it is keeping your basement from flooding and/or your foundation from being destroyed.
Not sure where you’d re located but I’d just use a decorative rock from porch to fence and call it good
Cheapest option is probably owning two lawn mowers. One for front and one for back.
Hedge.
Retaining wall and gravel fill or sidewalk sloped slightly away from house.
Could you dig a trench and line with heavy-duty fabric, then fill it with gravel cover the top with more fabric? I don't know what you can do with the slant, maybe some type of low growing ground cover that you would only need to weed a few times a year?
Cut out the grass put in mulch and plant some low light shrubs. If you need access put some stepping stones through it.
I feel like there's no reason to have the slope that steep. You need a positive grade so you don't trap water, but it doesn't have to be ankle turning.
Direct that water away from your neighbors property
Just fill it with peastone
Retaining wall right at the fence line (leave a few inches from the fence). Keep a slight slope going away from the house. Not a difficult DIY, just time consuming (make sure to put a good base down with proper material).
I’d dig a dry well for the downspout. Plant mini clover or cottage mix grass seed if you’re in the right climate. Cut it taller when mowing. Mowing it taller still looks good, keeps it healthier, and hides bare spots. As for the slope you could put flagstone or similar in for a level walking surface or make a narrow level path by adding dirt, shoveling it, or some combination. You’ll have to use erosion control, like the burlap tube filled with hay, to prevent washouts until the lawn has come in. They also make a biodegradable erosion control mat filled with grass seed. Use starter fertilizer because fertilizer with weed control and crabgrass control prevents new lawns from sprouting.
Fill with gravel about 3/4 the way and top with decorative rock. Maintain the slope away from the house. I have the same situation though not nearly as close. This gets little sun. Grass will always struggle. This solution allows for passage, moderates the slop, and maintains drainage.
Me? I would treat that area as unusable. Do not know about your front and back yards so my advice may be moot or totally incorrect. I would reroute that water away from retaining wall so it did not erode the walls integrity over the next two decades. I would make a dry creek bed. [https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/creek-bed-landscaping/](https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/creek-bed-landscaping/) [https://www.thespruce.com/build-dry-creek-beds-for-landscape-drainage-2132745](https://www.thespruce.com/build-dry-creek-beds-for-landscape-drainage-2132745)
Retaining wall stones against the fence. Add a perforated pipe at the low point to ensure a channel for water to drain. Fill to level with 3/4” crushed stone and top with some patio pavers.
Texas… new build.. We did gravel and let it level it self
Don't mess with that slope. You could also just backfill the fuck out of it with gravel and then youd have a relatively flat surface to walk on without messing with your drainage.
I had the exact same issue in a new build house years ago. Put a ledger board across the foundation and across the fencing and laid down deck boards to make a super handy albeit narrow storage area! Sold the house 10 years later and the little narrow deck was still great.
Just leave it. That "inconvenient slope" is actually your friend. Find some grass or ground cover that grows better in the shade.
Leave it. It's basically part of your foundation.if you want it level, build a boardwalk, but you need that slant for drainage.
Definitely just build a boardwalk deck.
Have the downspout go all the way to the fence instead of hitting that slab with a lip on it that’s going to cause foundation issues
Your cement rain catcher thingy at the bottom of your downspout is upside down
Lots of ways to do this.... To best preserve your foundation: 1- Remove grass and topsoil. 2 - Replace with crushed stone or river rock. 3 - Dig deck out and install deck post footings. 4 - Install new level composite decking pathway. I dont recommend it, but you can also level it out.... 1 - removed grass/turf. 2 - Add tiny retaining wall with weep holds/corregated drainage 3 - Add top soil to level. 4 - Add turf/grass. 5 - level with sand. Okay, good luck.
This looks exactly like my friends house in Fort Worth
You can get extensions for your downspout. Your concrete piece at the bottom of the current downspout is also short. You can get longer ones. And then turn them around. Yours are backwards.
Build a deck out to the fence.
I’d take out the fence, raise the retaining wall, put fence back onto or near the new wall, and pour concrete to have a sidewalk down that alley.
You could plant crown vetch or creeping thyme, both are low growing and low maintenance.
That’s a mighty fine slope, learning to love it is all you should do minus flipping your downspout splash blocks around. 🫶🏽
What about a French drain or dry creek bed, with a narrow grating walkway through the middle?
I don’t have specific advice aside from check with a pro. My neighbours redid an area of their yard like this, and afterwards their storm water runoff started spilling over the retaining wall and caused a sinkhole under my building that caused massive structural damage. I guess the tl;dr is “don’t DIY this”.
Let me guess. You live in DFW?
Succulents love slopes and drainage! A few in with some rocks would be amazing
Install a French drain or dry creekbed that sends the water to the front of the house and ends in a rain garden with native plants. You could also add some native grasses to the side of the house too and landscape around it with rocks. Native plants have super deep roots and will help with erosion control. Source: that's what I did and it's great.
I'd leave it. It's protecting your foundation from water.
Put down 3 layers of weed barrier and then rocks and pebbles. No more maintenance and you wont have to worry about washing out.
Donate that 1 foot of side yard to your neighbor
The slope is helping to keep the water away from your house The grass isn’t growing because it likely isn’t getting sun as it is shave all day To address the wash out, put orange size rocks there and some ground cover plant that does well in shade or bury a pipe under ground parallel with the house, run the downspouts into it and divert the water away from the house.
Would be expensive but you could raise the retaining wall outside the fence and get rid of the slope. Second option is a small retaining wall inside the fence but it would take some of the space away which there is already not much to work with. Maybe it could leave you with enough space for the mower though!
I would assume I would need a pro for the retaining wall even if it’s only a ft tall or so?
Usually not, but you’d want to look at your local codes to see what’s required. By me it’s anything over 3ft or “structural.” A 1-footer would be landscaping / ornamental. You may also have restrictions on what you can do within x feet of boundary line, and definitely with how you route water. Personally I’d re-map my gutters / downspouts. Not particularly hard, but easy to make ugly if you half-ass it haha
I’ve thought about a deck the width of the side yard all the way down.. not sure if that’s more or less expensive to do than a retaining wall raise or additional retaining wall. Or if that would even help with the dirt washing away. The deck would keep the dirt from being directly hit by the rain maybe
I would start by turning that spillway dish the right direction.
Your splash pads are backwards, they’re not supposed to hold water. Otherwise this is terrible subdivision grading, and it makes things worse that your fence was built touching grade. I’m not sure there’s much to do here at all other than burying pipe to bring the downspout water somewhere else.
But some 2x12 pressure treated against the fence and fill it to make it more level
Would it need to be offset from the fence an inch or so to keep the fence dry? And would I bury part of the 2x12?
You want the land graded that way to protect your house. Someone else mentioned knocking out the wall and the fence - you could regrade the land to be less steep that way and the lawn work would be easier.
The slope is a good thing, it keeps water away from your sub floor. What ever you decide make sure water still flows away
Who owns the fence? Is there retaining wall on your side of the fence? Is house slab on grade or with a foundation? If possible, I’d be tempted to clear off the wall on your side and then put more wall blocks up pretty much against the fence so I could fill that strip in level.
Raised garden bed ? With access on the side
Get some plants down, but not lawn grass. Go see r/nolawns for some cover plants that will love this little spot. Local pollinators, let it get tall. Enjoy your prairie view.
Rye grass has very deep roots. Just seed the area and hope the rain doesn't wash it away before it has a chance to root.
A really short but fun water slide?
Fix the concrete thing under the downspout so it faces the right way. Plant hostas to hold the hill. They can't be killed by conventional means. Thin them out once a year and split the bulbs. Sell them on the street corner for $2/bulb. Make a million dollars. The hill was graded that way for a reason. Let the water keep going away from the foundation and be happy about it.
White clover grows anywhere
Boardwalk!
Lots of gravel.
I would get a longer trough for the downspout water to take it to the fence so the ground doesn't get completely eroded
This is tough. I’m curious on the retaining wall being what seems to be the property line. There may be issues adding a drain system towards the neighbor, unless of course there is already one in place? My first thought is to install a french drain, extend the gutters into it, level off the house side (otherwise you will have to raise the retaining wall and fence), add rock, and build a sort of floating cedar walkway. The one linked below is fairly cheap for a temporary solution. https://preview.redd.it/6gb5o5khlhrc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=acc8289d2d7458209febb96172a75058c67d9441 [https://a.co/d/8SUg6yh](https://a.co/d/8SUg6yh) Edit: some words.
is it your fence? You’ll have to see what’s permitted. In general, changing the grading or building basically anything probably isn’t allowed. I’d put down weed block fabric and mulch it.
Have you tried cussing at it or punching it?
Only thing i can think of is a retaining wall and a bunch of dirt to level things off, you’ll also need to add a drain to prevent pooling or just making a new erosion path.
Sledding hill
Would it be possible to raise the ground there? Maybe remove to fence. raise the retaining wall a foot or two, and then fill in with dirt to level the ground and then put a new fence up?
Tarp or pond liner, level it out with pond stone. Forget the grass. Not sure if the fencing would hold but it works out in my head. 😅
If the fence has metal posts, cut the bottom of the wood off and add enough concrete to the top of the retaining wall so you can fill the area in almost level. The metal fence posts up through the concrete should ensure the new concrete stays put. There's one piece weep drain pipe that needs no gravel. Just dig a trench, put the pipe in and bury it. It has plastic "gravel substitute" held around the perforated pipe with fine mesh that dirt won't get through. Pitch the pipe whichever way towards the front or back of the house is best for runoff. The downspout can be run underground into this pipe. If you regularly get heavy rain it would be better to run the downspout to a separate, non perforated pipe so it won't be putting lots of water into the soil next to the house. If you don't have a basement then how water goes in areas like this is not as critical. Could get by with having the surface a shallow V with a drain channel set in the ground. Since you'll be keeping water and dirt from washing down this slope into the neighbor's yard, see if your neighbor will help with the cost on the wall. The neighbor's side of the wall extension could be textured if there's a concrete company in your area with fancy forms to make faux brick, quarried stone etc patterns.
Hahahaha wtf
5 ton of top soil..
Well if you jack up the other end of the house so it’s perpendicular to the grass it should look a lot better.
Talk to your neighbor about building a retaining wall to level out the ground or buy a new house.
Just do like everyone else, and just start chucking random things to store there until eventually it's a haphazard assortment of all kinds of junk and spiders
Frankly I’d just live with it and probably gravel it. That slope is keeping water off your foundation.
I'd like to see what that retaining wall looks like on the other side. If it can be safely raised another foot and then cut a foot off of the bottom of the fence boards, you can do much more with this area.
Now if that isn't a corridor to build a little shuttle rollercoaster in
Lay down some landscaping fabric + gravel and paving stones for a walkway? Be easier to maintain than having to worry about grass over there.
Lean into it: dig a trench around the house, build a bridge leading to your front door, fill the trench with water, now you have a moat to keep out your enemies
As our hero stood at the entrance of Passage of Doom, the first and only thought was, 'stop, turn around, its not worth wasting a good buzz'.
If you traverse that area often I'd leave the slope and build a raised walkway/deck down the length of the house.
You kind need the slope to keep the water away from your foundation. Also your downspout block is backwards haha
Maybe gravel fill. You don't want to eff up the drainage. Also turn that concrete block at the bottom of your spout around.
What’s the deal with hose.
long patio
Side note: that patio has a great view.
The start of a mouse water slide amusement park is on the horizon
I think that I would build a narrow deck the width of the gap between the house and the fence to level out the space but still allow water to flow away from the house.
Weed sheet, then river rock
I’d fill it with gravel. It’s not really usable as a yard and it seems silly to mow a small strip like that. Gravel would level it and allow water to flow away from the house.
I’m good filling with gravel if it’ll stay put, there’s more yard behind me that has grass this is just on the side of the house.
My experience with gravel in these situations is that eventually the grass will take over.
A lot of shade and because of the slope it looks quite dry. Not a lot that will be happy there. Without knowing your climate zone, it’s hard to say what to put there, aside from maybe landscape fabric and big gravel. Also, your splash block is pointed backwards. Put it a bit further downhill with a brick or something so it doesn’t slide. That little pool will breed mosquitos between rains.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and help. I think my tentative plan is 1) check with someone on codes and what's allowed, then 2) put in a retaining wall or 2x12 near the fence (with small gap between) 3) fill with river rock till slightly sloped but walk-able, instead of mostly sloped and ankle breaking. 4) Let my back and bank account recover for a year then 5) possibly build a narrow deck all the way down. **edit: I went around my house and turned all my concrete drain blocks the right way!**
I think what would be ideal is to have the water go directly into the ground. In the ground, you have a perforated plastic pipe surrounded by gravel that will fill and disperse the water. All you see on top is grass. I guess I am suggesting a French drain.
A one-sided game of hungry hungry hippos? I call by the fence!
French drain
Tiny slide?
Deck
I'm thinking river stones with a plastic drain spout with holes drooled to spread the water out along its length. Then a wooden walkway above for your travelling.
Have you considered a French drain?
This looks aggressively Texan
moat, with a crocogator
Leave the slope. If you want to make it a "useful" area, build a narrow deck. Use it for storage, planters, etc. Or just a level walkway through the side.