Help, dirt keeps running on to my deck!!

[arctanx]

Here is my problem. First of all, my yard is really sloped funny...it angers me every time I think about it. It's like the builders had no regard for anything. My yard slopes toward my house and pool, except in the front.

So basically every time we get a heavy rain, I end up with clumps of dirt on my deck, on all three sides. It's very annoying. It's screened in too. It's actually getting between the little gaps at the bottom.

What can anyone recommend to help stop this. I was thinking landscape with rocks around the edges of the deck. Or is there some type of shrubs I can put on the outside to help this? My neighbor doesn't have this problem, his yard slops away from his house.

 

[divepool]

Best to post a picture, but sounds like the best solution but not the cheapest is to call in a landscaper, and possibly build a retaning wall.

 

[landmark218]

Have you considered installing drains in the yard around the deck? Or you may have to have the yard graded away from the house / pool.

 

[sevver]

I would suggest one or a few retaining walls. Depending on how much material we are talking, digging it out all the way to your property line and retaining the dirt back there is probably ideal. you could then slop it more to the sides and swail it out to the front, or even dig in some drain tile and connect it to the one you would put in behind the wall and run it out front. Builders who all the house to be built with the dirt draining drastically in towards the house should be sued in my opinion. Whatever you do will probably require alot of work, and a considerable amount of money. But doing it right is going to be your best solution. Or else you get to make a mess all over again later. If you can do it, then do it yourself. Rent a bobcat or two and get a pile going, once you get a load or two call a truck in to haul it out for you. Make a dirt ramp so you can load it and have all the dirt close. They will probably insist on being paid by the hour getting loaded by a bobcat, but when it is all said and done it may be cheaper than paying someone else.

 

[arctanx]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I was thinking the retaining wall/bobcat idea too. I agree this will be a lot of money, I think we will try to do a little at a time and do a lot of the work ourselves.