Landscaping Questions

[Jesterarts]

Hey all.

I need some advise in regards to doing my landscaping out the back.

Currently the back yard has a 20cm odd rise from my back door to the rear fence which is 7.5m back. The earth is pretty much clay and there is terrible drainage. To make things worse, the property next to me is a bit higher up.

I currently have a swimming pool on one side of the house.

So, things I want to do are:
- Level out the terrain,
- Put up a 300mm retaining wall 500mm from the fence around all 3 sides and
- Put AG pipes in.
- Put in a basic watering system.

But I have no idea what I should start with first.

I was thinking of doing the retaining wall first, then leveling and then doing the AG and sprinklers. That way as I'm doing the leveling I can dump the excess dirt aka clay to fill the area behind the retaining wall.

I'm more than capable of doing each of the above tasks by themselves, but I don't know which order to do it in.

Thoughts?

[Rufys]

My advice would be to get someone to come and give you an "obligation free quote". From the conversation with them, you should be able to work out the best way to go about it if you're still keen to do it yourself.

[vicarious]

^^ most contractors won't say what they do first as they get people picking there brain & never hear from them again, thats why most are starting to charge a fee then get you get that reimbursed when you hire the contractor. To the OP take a look at this site which may help you Home Renovation & Building Forum • Index page

[gopher]

i would start with the retaining wall.
then some drainage gravel and then agi pipe

why are you building it 500 mm from the fence?

. That way as I'm doing the leveling I can dump the excess dirt aka clay to fill the area behind the retaining wall.

is this the space between the fence an the retaining wall?
if it is then you probably shouldn't backfill against the fence

[Drawnnite]

if it was me.

i would get it properly levelled out. (with a bobcat. and get rid of excess not needed.)
then trenches dug for pipes. and watering system. and lay pipes etc to where they need to go. (leave pipes longer if they go into retaining wall area. or half do it and come back to it later. dont fill over these. also cover them up)
get the dirt for retaining wall put into spot (leaving the space around watering system in retaining wall)
build support for retaining wall (etc sleepers)
finish watering system in retaining wall. and then fill over those pipes left longer before. (which should now have been cut to length)

and gopher i believe be means it rises up from front to back.
so the retaining wall would be the height of the bottom of the fence (100mm higher, but thats nothing).
and the rest of the area would be all level.

[Ed]

Hey mate, im only an apprentice landscaper, but heres what i would do.

Seeing as the drainage is bad, start by shaping the clay in the direction you want so that water will run off towards where the retaining walls will be. I would do this prior to the walls just so you can actually test and see that the waters definitely going where you want it to.

Next would be the retaining wall, pretty straight forward there... just make sure you put "screenings (Scoria i think its spelt), Rubble or anything that is porous so the water will run through to the drain without the soil getting through as easy) and obviously make sure the ag pipes connected to the storm water!

Depending on the watering system you would now either;

a) lay some pipes down and put SPRINKLERS in where you want them to be, test the spray and that its working, then bring in some top soild and level that out

B) put down some top soil, Level it out and lay DRIPPERS along the surface to plants etc once you put them in.

And no matter the watering system flush the lines before plugging it.

Then finally mulch it.



Hopefully that helps mate

[Jesterarts]

i would start with the retaining wall.
then some drainage gravel and then agi pipe

why are you building it 500 mm from the fence?


is this the space between the fence an the retaining wall?
if it is then you probably shouldn't backfill against the fence

Pretty much, the retaining wall is being put in so the top if it will be about 100mm above the level with the bottom of the fence. The fences are sitting a bit higher than my "ground" level due to the properties to my side and behind being higher.

The reason I'm doing it only 500mm from the fence is because I can't do it flush up against the fence since it's concreted into the ground. Plan is to make it quite narrow and put some climbing type plants up there.

if it was me.

i would get it properly levelled out. (with a bobcat. and get rid of excess not needed.)
then trenches dug for pipes. and watering system. and lay pipes etc to where they need to go. (leave pipes longer if they go into retaining wall area. or half do it and come back to it later. dont fill over these. also cover them up)
get the dirt for retaining wall put into spot (leaving the space around watering system in retaining wall)
build support for retaining wall (etc sleepers)
finish watering system in retaining wall. and then fill over those pipes left longer before. (which should now have been cut to length)

and gopher i believe be means it rises up from front to back.so the retaining wall would be the height of the bottom of the fence (100mm higher, but thats nothing).
and the rest of the area would be all level.

Correct.

Can't fit a bobcat in. Only passage to the back yard is a standard doorway at the back of the garage. So I'm thinking like a dingo mini digger or something.

Hey mate, im only an apprentice landscaper, but heres what i would do.

Seeing as the drainage is bad, start by shaping the clay in the direction you want so that water will run off towards where the retaining walls will be. I would do this prior to the walls just so you can actually test and see that the waters definitely going where you want it to.

Next would be the retaining wall, pretty straight forward there... just make sure you put "screenings (Scoria i think its spelt), Rubble or anything that is porous so the water will run through to the drain without the soil getting through as easy) and obviously make sure the ag pipes connected to the storm water!

Depending on the watering system you would now either;

a) lay some pipes down and put SPRINKLERS in where you want them to be, test the spray and that its working, then bring in some top soild and level that out

B) put down some top soil, Level it out and lay DRIPPERS along the surface to plants etc once you put them in.

And no matter the watering system flush the lines before plugging it.

Then finally mulch it.



Hopefully that helps mate

Thanks mate, very useful info.

Be expecting some PM's in the future too! haha!

Now, in regards to the AG pipe. Would I put it on the inside or outside of the retaining wall?

I will make sure I put the screening in so from a cross section view it will go retaining wall, screening, dirt behind wall.

In regards to the material I am using for the wall. I plan on using 200x50x2400 Treated Pipe sleepers.

Someone on another forum mentioned they think I should use a 75mm min. Thoughts?

[Drawnnite]

yeah if you can fit a mini dingo go for that instead.
from memory a standard door is 820 wide. however with new regs that are planned. or have gone in it could be 920 wide (wheelchair access ruling)
make sure one fits in before you hire it =P

or you could always get Ari around with a lighter fluid bottle and a bonfire...
might make a divot though.... =P

[Ed]

Now, in regards to the AG pipe. Would I put it on the inside or outside of the retaining wall?

I will make sure I put the screening in so from a cross section view it will go retaining wall, screening, dirt behind wall.

In regards to the material I am using for the wall. I plan on using 200x50x2400 Treated Pipe sleepers.

Someone on another forum mentioned they think I should use a 75mm min. Thoughts?

Ag pipe on the inside, as someone said earlier avoid stacking soil against the fence as it will rot it...

I will make sure I put the screening in so from a cross section view it will go retaining wall, screening, dirt behind wall. PERFECT

umm 75mm sleepers will obviously be stronger and a bit more resistant to twisting out of shape, but if you really want to use 50mm sleepers you can, just make sure you put "fake" uprights inbetween the real uprights to act as a brace and reduce the twisting effect. Also make sure you have the Real uprights in atleast the same depth as the height of the wall will be, if not a touch deeper. I think that's about all, just make sure the ag pipe is also at the bottom of the wall...have seen them above the bottom of the wall, and they dont work that way!

[Jesterarts]

Yeah, won't state dirt against the fence. Justin looking to bring it to or just a touch hirer than the bottom edge of the fence. Trying to "dog proof" it a bit.

Plus the fence is colorbond so it shouldn't rot.

[greenacc]

Yep, as everyone said bring in the dingo and remove the excess dirt. Then prepare the holes and agline, build the wall, backfill with screening gravel, dirt, plants, grass. Glad its you and not me

[Jesterarts]

Yep, as everyone said bring in the dingo and remove the excess dirt. Then prepare the holes and agline, build the wall, backfill with screening gravel, dirt, plants, grass. Glad its you and not me

Haha... tell me about it!

The fiancee seems to be under the impression I enjoy this stuff.

[Drawnnite]

are you going to build anything out back like a deck or so on?
if so you may aswell get an auger bit and drill the holes for the uprights witht he mini dingo.

then again i guess you would be doing this for the uprights of the retaining wall =P

and if you werent thinking it.
you now are =P

[Jesterarts]

are you going to build anything out back like a deck or so on?
if so you may aswell get an auger bit and drill the holes for the uprights witht he mini dingo.

then again i guess you would be doing this for the uprights of the retaining wall =P

and if you werent thinking it.
you now are =P

Haha, was thiking to use the dingo for the uprights.

Yeah, Deck going in down the track. Just grass for now though. I'm not made of money... lol

[Jesterarts]

Ok, just another quick question.

The ground level relative to the house. How high can I go?

Should it be level with the slab? Higher? Lower?

[dzach23]

the house should have air holes or vent's in the brick work, that should be you max height.

lowest height would be level with the house slab

[vicarious]

Ok, just another quick question.

The ground level relative to the house. How high can I go?

Should it be level with the slab? Higher? Lower?

i think the termite people recommend it to be a couple inches lower than the top of the slab

[Jesterarts]

the house should have air holes or vent's in the brick work, that should be you max height.

lowest height would be level with the house slab

Cheers, tha makes sense. Our drain holes or whatever they are called are the 2nd run up bricks from the top of the slab so technically I could have the soil go half way up the first run.

i think the termite people recommend it to be a couple inches lower than the top of the slab

We've got some termite protection thing around the house. I'll have to contact the termite people and ask them their recommendations on this.

Cheers.

[dzach23]

Half way up the first run would be ideal.

The termite protection thing, Should not be a problem to cover over

[vicarious]

Half way up the first run would be ideal.

The termite protection thing, Should not be a problem to cover over

if its temimesh, the dirt should not be higher than it, and the dirt should not be higher than the damp course barrier