I have a problem with the height difference between front and rear yeards. The house is a walkout, and the grade difference between front and back is about 7.5'. The original plan was to get some kind of retaining walls in quickly, but the full basement finish project came first and took over two years
The yard was going to wait until the basement was complete, and then get it regraded some, retaining walls, and a paver patio. Financial difficulties have put it off even further.
However, the hill is streadily eroding and the ground in the patio area rising, and above the slab level and up against the walkout sill in some cases, so I must do something to at least correct that even if the rest will have to wait.
My first question is materials in the Fox Valley or Green Bay, WI areas. I see a lot of you from this area, including Stonehenge
I know from doing my basement that I often found materials at a lower cost from area businesses than at the big box stores. As for block, since it will be rear facing and largely planted I am not concerned too much with asthetics, just function and price. I also want to keep the blocks at a max of 50 lbs, and the lighter the better otherwise, while still sturdy enough for what I need. So, I'm looking for what brand/style would be the cheapest per sq. ft. in general, and local sources I can get pricing from.
Next, it the plan. I will attack a crude drawing at the bottom. The retaining walls are the red lines. Three on the South side, two on the North. (Big green blobs=Norway Spruce, little green blobs Arbovitea, pink blobs=colored bushes for wife, brown blobs=existing stand of Popple). Each wall will be 2.5' in height to terrage the slope. There is already a shallow swale running along South property line to a creek (Dark green line). 1. Is it ok for the retaining walls to run up flush against the basement walls (only concrete section, not the framed walkout)? 2. From the first wall from the back corner, to the second wall along the back they will be seperated by only 3 feet to not get too close to the egress window, and then 7 feet to the lowest wall. Is 3 feet too close? Nothing is to scale in the drawing
First wall from corner will be about 25' long, the rest obviously longer to account for the curve and angle of lot. On the North side the ground slowly slopes around the side so only two will be needed and taper off away from the house.
The existing swale I intend to turn into a dry creek between my neighbors trees and my own, leaving a width for my truck to be able to use it for access, and each wall will have drainage directly into it as well. The North side will also have room for equipment access, but would entail going through the wife's garden.
The brown section in the middle will be a paver patio 30' long, undecided how far out from the house to take it. This I am not going to even attempt. I would never manage to even get it smooth over that broad of an area. However, for planning purposes to know when I'm getting CLOSE to being able to afford it, can anyone thow a wild guess at cost of, say 30' x 15', no fancy patterns and whatever you would consider to be basic pavers? I don't want to call Stonehenge, or anyone else, for them to waste valuable time doing up a more formal quote when I have no clue when finances will allow it, so looking for a VERY rough, wild guess. Will get quotes when I'm near the ballpark.
Due to the current finances, I would also like to just worry about stopping the buildup around the back and do the rest when ready to make it look pretty. Would building just the lowest wall on each side be a possible problem at 2.5' but with the slope still behind it? Just to contain it for now?
The whole plan may change 100 times, but figured I would start trying to prepare, and finding this site I figured it was a good place to start since the one likely to get stuck doing the patio eventually is here, so I don't create too big of a mess needing fixing at that point.
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