Severe Slope

[Borsenik9]

Anyone dealt with something this severe? Need some ideas for steps/ walkway/ wall going down from entry door to lower yard. Have done a lot of this before, but not with this severe a slope and factors. By the way, we are talking 8' of rise over 12'. Thanks, and pics would be appreciated.

[RockSet N' Grade]

By "entry door" do you mean the garage entry? If that is the case, take the existing stoop out, create a larger landing and turn the walkway over to intersect the drive area to the right. Retain the area directly in front of the door with a stepped-down planter arrangement with product of your choice.

[Borsenik9]

yes, i agree that removing the exisiting 4'x4' pad is a must, but what would you recommend using to get from the garage entry door down to the lower yard?

[STRINGALATION]

ROCK SET those where my thoughts exactly. a quarter moon patio with now lower level access. and a terracing effect to the lower grade. maybr run a conduit from that gutter to the bottom.. remember a rookie has spoken here

[lawnpro724]

Did the customer give you any ideas on what they would like it to look like or did they just leave it up to you. I like to get some input from customer so I have an idea on how they plan to use the area and what their tastes are. There are several way's to approach this but I would think you would want to get some customer input. We have done several walls like this and steeper and there are many way's to approach the layout depending on customer likes and dislikes.

[Borsenik9]

yes, they did. he likes the belgard celtic series, but i know that his budget won't allow that and anything else (i.e. grading, sod/seeding, planting,etc.) so I am exploring other options.

[skidster32]

I'm suprise'd that concrete pad hasnt washed away..

[ChampionLS]

Thats a really bad design of a home for that type of grade. I'm surprised it even passed getting the C of O.

[SpruceLandscape]

If I was the home owner I would have flipped a gasket over how that window was placed and the siding zig-zagged around it:hammerhead:. Even if the homeowner requested that, the builder should have known better and talked them out of it or talked them into moving it further down the wall. The siding should have been kept further up the house to the corner of the wall, then tapered on the back side to the grade. This would have made for a much better transition out of the garage. Its going to be tuff to make that side of the house not look like a cluster unless you can hide that bottom siding edge behind some plants. Oh well, whats done is done. I would definately document this one with as many photos as possible because you've got a chance to make a believer out of many would-be customers in the future if you can make this look nice. Good luck:waving:

[SpruceLandscape]

One more thing... not to sound like a know-it-all, because I definately am not, take a close look at exactly how much water is going to be coming down that ONE downspout! There are three segments of roof on that house that all drain into a single gutter and then into a single downspout! Make sure you address that properly so that it drains really well, otherwise these people are going to have major headaches with ice backup on that roof come winter. Actually, come to think of it, they will probably have that no matter what so make sure to point out that you are trying to address that problem as best you can to the customer so they don't come back on you.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread, but my family has been in the contracting business (specifically roofing and siding) for 4 generations so its kinda hard for me not to notice things like that.

[Majesticman]

Terrace it up the hill and house then bring back the siding guy to fill it in. You can build your steps into the terraces. Remember most of that area will be fill.

Also have the siding guy to drop down another panel around the garage.

Spruce is right about the gutters and downs.

Be sure to tar that wall or you will get blamed for a wet basement.

[TerraVenture]

The builder should be shot to have built it like that. I have run into situations like that time and again. If it was me and the homeowner does not have enough money I would eliminate the door. You would need to put some sort of drain or eroision protection in the corner because in a heavy rain with that valley the gutters will be overrun and the water will wash out the hillside. Then just smooth the hillside out install a few plants and some boulder accents possibly small tree and cover with bark mulch or stone mulch.

[SOUTHERNGREENSCAPES]

not to hijack the thread, but is 4ea. 4x4's enough to hold up that deck? around here i would expect to see 6x6's. Esp. with that kind of height.