Wanting suggestions for slightly sloped sideyard?

[idleman]

This is one of my sideyard. About 1.8m x 12.5m. The entire street has a slopy aspect in successive homes, so I'm on the lower side w.r.t my neighbour. I have just cleaned up weeds and thinking to put a weedmat , some pegs and top it over with some ki-karma 20mm salt and pepper gravel. Worried a bit about the slopy aspect and gravel rolling inward to the house; looked at gravel locks, too expensive.

Option 1 Can I just put an aluminium gravel edge 2 inches before the bricks, and fill the gravel in.

Option 2 Can I level the slope without affecting the neighbour and going beyond termite barrier.

Am open to any inexpensive solutions please 🙂

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @idleman. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about a sloped side yard.

I'd suggest taking this opportunity to try and minimise the slope as much as possible. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the retaining wall doesn't go too deep, but you are good at least lowering the ground to the bottom of the lowest sleeper. You could level the area entirely, but that depends on how high the concrete footers are for the retaining wall posts. Ideally, it would be great to establish a level similar to what I've marked below. Additional sleepers can be attached to the wall once you've lowered the soil's height to prevent undermining.

Alternatively, you could dig a trench next to the house wall and install draincoil. Backfill this trench with drainage gravel and install a one-row high retaining wall 100mm out from the house wall. You'll then be able to shift soil from the right to the left to level the area.

Once you have a level area it will really open up the functionality and options to choose from. Check out our Top 10 most popular side yard projects.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[EricL]

Hello @idleman 

Here is a photoshopped picture of your side yard with a paved walkway in pebbles to give you inspiration and an idea of what it might look like.

Eric

[idleman]

Thanks @MitchellMc 🙂

[idleman]

Thanks @EricL 🙏

[idleman]

Hi @MitchellMc 

I've started levelling out the side yard. Regrading the drain coil, am planning to get 65mm one. Wondering, how do I connect the drain coil to storm water. There are a couple of storm water inlets, but the mouths both of them will be at ground level, should I engage a plumber to put a hole into the storm water a feet below and connect.

The third option will be to just leave it on the downhill slopy backyard and see in rainy season if the drain coil actually emits large quantities of water that it needs to be connected to a storm water pipe.

Any advise please 🙂

 

[MitchellMc]

That looks great @idleman!

I'd certainly install the drain coil now. You can monitor it and see, but it would be best to connect to the stormwater line below the surface level. Once the drainage is sorted, you will be free to landscape the space.

Mitchell

[idleman]

Project completed ✔️

Numbers for others reference:

Sideyard size : 12.5m x 1.6m

KiCarma Iceberg gravel : 28 bags

Bastion 10mm Bluemetal (for drain pipe) : 16 bags

Weedmat : 25m

Pegs: mix of plastic and steel pegs

Drain coil - Used 12.5m of 20m (65mm coil)

Adapter to convert 65mm to about an inch and attach to storm water

Brighton pavers 300x300 - 18

[EricL]

Hello @idleman 

Thank you very much for the photo update. Your side yard looks fantastic! 

Eric