Depth of the flower garden next to the concrete wall ? - DIY Chatroom

cprao · 10-26-2009, 02:02 AM

I have 2.5 ft and 25 ft rectange flower garder next to my house concrete wall. Recently some one told me that the dirt in the flower garden should be below the level of carpet. This concrete wall is protecting 2 bed rooms.

Today I started digging the dirt until I found the division of the wall and the concrete..

Is this right ?
Is the dirt has to be below the floor level/carpet level ? If yes, why is that so ?

**Scuba_Dave** · 10-26-2009, 10:16 AM

There should be a min of 6" between the wood walls on the house & any dirt
As long as a concrete wall is sealed properly it will be OK
Concrete wall or concrete block ?
Any pic ?

cprao · 10-26-2009, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba_Dave

There should be a min of 6" between the wood walls on the house & any dirt
As long as a concrete wall is sealed properly it will be OK
Concrete wall or concrete block ?
Any pic ?

Thank you Dave. I don't know whether it is a concrete wall or a block. I recenlty purchased the house and also layman in understanding these terms.
I lost my my camera connector to PC to upload photos.. I am shopping for a new one. Once I have that I can upload photos to explain what I am really asking here..

sdsester · 10-26-2009, 11:13 AM

Obvious perhaps but make sure whatever the height of the garden that it is graded and drained away from the house.

cprao · 10-26-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdsester

Obvious perhaps but make sure whatever the height of the garden that it is graded and drained away from the house.

Thank you. I didn't think about this. Does that mean, when I dig and level the flower garden, I need to make sure the slope is on the other side of the wall/house so that the water flows away from the house.

**Scuba_Dave** · 10-26-2009, 11:34 AM

Yes - the dirt should be higher near the house
That way water will flow away from the house

Did you put the flower garden in, or already there?

cprao · 10-26-2009, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba_Dave

Yes - the dirt should be higher near the house
That way water will flow away from the house

Did you put the flower garden in, or already there?

The flower box is alreay in. I was just making sure whatever is there they are in good shape..

**Scuba_Dave** · 10-26-2009, 12:40 PM

With 2.5' width you really shouldn't get a lot of water in the garden
Unless you don't have gutters & roof run-off is going into the garden
Or if a gutter is dumping water right into this garden

cprao · 10-26-2009, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba_Dave

With 2.5' width you really shouldn't get a lot of water in the garden
Unless you don't have gutters & roof run-off is going into the garden
Or if a gutter is dumping water right into this garden

I will post the picture in a couple of days so that it makes sense what I am talking about..

downunder · 10-27-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Recently some one told me that the dirt in the flower garden should be below the level of carpet.

I presume that this is not a typo for carport. Notwithstanding termite considerations, I have never heard of this theory. For termite protection no soil should be within 6 inches of any of the wood framing, as already pointed out. Same for the slope that was already noted.

Going way out on a limb, maybe someone intended that advice in regards to interior flooding in the case of heavy rains. Do you know if your house is built on a concrete slab or is the flooring traditional lumber?

cprao · 10-27-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downunder

I presume that this is not a typo for carport. Notwithstanding termite considerations, I have never heard of this theory. For termite protection no soil should be within 6 inches of any of the wood framing, as already pointed out. Same for the slope that was already noted.

Going way out on a limb, maybe someone intended that advice in regards to interior flooding in the case of heavy rains. Do you know if your house is built on a concrete slab or is the flooring traditional lumber?

No. It is not a typo. I am not sure whether the house is built on concrete slab or lumber. I believe it is on Concrete.

downunder · 10-28-2009, 07:14 PM

My reason for asking about the slab or lumber is that with lumber your floor is the distance of the joists' width above the grade. With a slab, your floor is just about ground level, give or take. So if that is the case, and if there is not a very good joint seal between the foundation, exterior wall, and slab, it would be reasonable to expect that water could leak onto the carpet. But, my knowledge of concrete slab construction is very limited other than the fact that this is one of the reasons I don't like it.

cprao · 10-29-2009, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downunder

My reason for asking about the slab or lumber is that with lumber your floor is the distance of the joists' width above the grade. With a slab, your floor is just about ground level, give or take. So if that is the case, and if there is not a very good joint seal between the foundation, exterior wall, and slab, it would be reasonable to expect that water could leak onto the carpet. But, my knowledge of concrete slab construction is very limited other than the fact that this is one of the reasons I don't like it.

I think when I post the pictures you probably understand whether my foundation is slab or lumber.