Questions re Trench?
I have a house which has no basement. It is on a concrete slab. The landscraper has suggested a 18" trench around the house filled with river rocks. He is going to line it with filter cloth. I wondering if this is a good idea? We have received 25" of rain in the last two weeks. Could this cause a problem with standing water or water getting in the house?
25" in a couple of weeks is a lot of rain. You did not mention where you live or the type of soil you have. If your soil is clay based then you may have more problems then you solve. if the soil is sandy then this may help draw some water away from the house.
If this trench is for drainage then I would suggest installing a 4" drain tile about 6 to 8 inches down starting at the highest point around your house and every 10 feet or so it should drop down another inch in a gradudal slope till you reach the lowest point then have it trail off away from the house and into the yard. Make sure that there is an inch of geavel on the bottom and backfill the trench to the top with gravel. If you run the drain tile out to the yard the last two or three inches can be backfilled with topsoil as long as you cover the gravel with landscape matting (filter cloth). Then the grass will cover it and it will not be noticable.
This is how we drain sports fields by the way and if you notice the grass grows very well on them and so it will on a home lawn.
If The trench is purley decorative then as long as it is lined with matting that is pourus and alowos for the exchange of water and gas it should be no problem. Never use plastic as a liner it holds water the rooots grow near the surface as the rock heats up it actually bakes the roots and will kill your shrubs that is why we use the woven landscape cloth now.
Glenn Bronner
My Home Page
https://glenns-garden.com
If this trench is for drainage then I would suggest installing a 4" drain tile about 6 to 8 inches down starting at the highest point around your house and every 10 feet or so it should drop down another inch in a gradudal slope till you reach the lowest point then have it trail off away from the house and into the yard. Make sure that there is an inch of geavel on the bottom and backfill the trench to the top with gravel. If you run the drain tile out to the yard the last two or three inches can be backfilled with topsoil as long as you cover the gravel with landscape matting (filter cloth). Then the grass will cover it and it will not be noticable.
This is how we drain sports fields by the way and if you notice the grass grows very well on them and so it will on a home lawn.
If The trench is purley decorative then as long as it is lined with matting that is pourus and alowos for the exchange of water and gas it should be no problem. Never use plastic as a liner it holds water the rooots grow near the surface as the rock heats up it actually bakes the roots and will kill your shrubs that is why we use the woven landscape cloth now.
Glenn Bronner
My Home Page
https://glenns-garden.com
How high off the ground is your slab? The house I had with a concrete slab was nearly two feet off the ground.nathudd wrote:I have a house which has no basement. It is on a concrete slab. The landscraper has suggested a 18" trench around the house filled with river rocks. He is going to line it with filter cloth. I wondering if this is a good idea? We have received 25" of rain in the last two weeks. Could this cause a problem with standing water or water getting in the house?
I agree with gbronner's points as well. Sandy soil will not have a problem with the landscape cloth or the rocks. Clay will just hold it and you'll need that trench to drain somewhere away from your home.