Please help me make a backyard SAFE for a family.

whiteh2okayaker · Feb 23, 2008

I am starting my landscaping/stone masonry business and a nice lady would like more info on how to make her back yard safe for her family. They bought a 100+year old home with a lot of burried trash in the hilly(not steep) back yard. From the pics it looks like about 1/2 grass 1/2 dirt mud. She would like it graded to fill in many problem holes/ uneven spots but the glass and trash will be spread out through out the yard. My first thought is to grade and remove a few inchs of soil/trash and bring in a load/loads of topsoil and spread or just cover it with top soil and reseed the whole yard? What is the best/most cost effiecent way to give this family a safe place to raise a family. If pics are needed I can post them as well!!

My tools, Kubota L3240, FEL and box blade. Are there any implements I would need for this job that I am unaware of?
Thanks for your help! I am excited about helping these people out with this problem. It would be a very rewarding 1st job!
Eric

ccdck20hst · Feb 23, 2008

Hats off to you for wanting to tackel what might be a very involved project. I reckon you have a lot to consider here. Here are some thoughts that may or may not be helpful. Does she have a well or do her neighbors have wells that might be polluted by "trash" buried underground? I would be tempted to walk the area, foot by foot so to speak, and do some probing before even agreeing to any serious work. Sharp trash could punture your tires and viods could cause a tractor tip over. Can you appropritately dispose of any unusual stuff you might unearth? Getting past these thoughts my next thought would be to gather up all the suitable trash (that will not harm ground water etc.) using a harley rake or other rake and bury it deep in one out of the way spot and then fill that spot in. When it comes to hills and houses draingae is always a consideration. Are there drainage problems you could also solve when you solve the trash problem? Perhaps geotixtile fabric, underneath six to ten inches of top soil might stop trash from migrating to the surface and make the ground more stable when you are done. Good luck.

whiteh2okayaker · Feb 24, 2008

Very good points! The fabric is a great idea
as well as probes!
Thanks,
Eric

Western · Feb 24, 2008

I've been there before...House built on a lot where the old frame house burned.
What we did, first we spent half day just picking up anything we could find glass, wire, cans, ect tra. Then I used a huge magnet I rented, I wired it to my 3 pnt arms just so it was about an inch off the ground. You wound'nt believe all the nails and metal we missed. Then we pushed the top 3-4 inches off to the side and repeated the magnet didn't get much but did find one 1940sh steel penny.
Some of the dirt that had more debri we built a screen box with 2 differant wire sizes and used the fel to dump dirt through, that got alot of chard plastic, some glass and misc stuff. We figured by the time we hauled the old dirt off and bought top soil the time spent was break even so...
We then bladed the dirt back in, improved a couple grade problems and checked agian with the magnet (nails where our biggest concern) fertilized and seeded.
This lot was only about 100x100 . One thing we wish we would have done is put in underground watering system when we had the dirt pushed off. 1/2 as much to water the lawn from below.
Good luck in your new business

billbill1 · Feb 24, 2008

Starting the business, I would think a Harley rake and a boxblade will be something that you will use a great deal. Do you have a loader? The boxblade will get things somewhat level and the rake would put the finishing touches on the dirt. A loader will also dump the dirt where you want to work it from. Buried trash will try and work it's way to the surface, at least the rock on my property does, it would be best to get rid of it if possible and then add good topsoil and reseed. The rake would probably help set the seed as well. I don't have a rake but will get one in the future. Sorry, I reread and see you have a FEL and boxblade. The rake would be great too.

whiteh2okayaker · Feb 25, 2008

Thanks guys great info! I hope to walk, measure and probe their backyard torward the end of the week. I am very curious if it is years of litter or dumping. Where do you rent a magnet that can suck nails from the ground? Harley rake huh, with the last name Davidson I cant wait to see what a harley rake is. If any one else has any thing to add I do appriciate it!
Thanks again,
Eric