How To Find Grade | Drainage And Landscaping
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- Опубликовано: 26 апр 2021
- Finding the grade or slope of your yard is critical for proper drainage, landscaping, decks, foundations, and many other projects. One of the oldest and easiest techniques is to use a couple stakes, string, line level, and tape measure. This video will walk you through an example where I need to measure the elevation change in my yard for a downspout and sump pump drain pipe I will be installing.
Essential Craftsman RUclips Channel: / @essentialcraftsman
Tools Used
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Хобби
Line levels don't go through an extensive quality control process. Remember to check your level. Once it indicates level, flip it around and see if it still indicates level. This has saved my fanney on a few occasions.
Interesting... That probably would have saved me time going round and round and round to check the level of my intex pool. It's only an inch off and I've never done anything like this before but that will still be helpful. I'm gonna do a patio.
Wow...pro tip. I like that. I've used those bubble levels for many years and never even considered they could be off. Thanks!!
@@fredve3984 empire are the worst. I am a mason by trade and can tell you. When you go to the store. Stack the levels on-top of each other. Most won't read the same level. Now do what this guy said and flip the levels and look again. The one that is constant is the most true. Also as a mason i do that same for plumb. A level can read level perfect but be off on plumb. It's crazy I've seen levels fresh out the store off a quarter inch over 4 feet. Now imagine that over a longer spand. If you use a level all the time for your work spend the money and get a stabilia level kit. The most accurate of all. German made and guaranteed for life unless bent. Not trying to sound arrogant. Just trying to help a fellow working bee. I've seen To many young masons buy a cheap level and cant figure out why they are never quite level or plumb. Most times it results in them going back to labour and staying out the wall. Cheers brotha.
i bought 5 of those on amazon, amazingly all five were showing different level
I use the rise over run method. Rise (change in height) divided by the run ( distance). So a rise of 24 inches over a run of 30 feet ( 360 inches) would give a slope of 0.067 or a slope of about 7% rounded. (24 /360) .
Your videos help in wiping the fear about sump pumps and it gave us peace of mind in case we are faced with the problem which is most likely because we have three sump pumps because of the size of the house. Again thank you.
Excellent presentation! Concise but thorough, articulate, good photography. Thank you!
I agree, I have been watch Scott of the Essential Craftsman for years and learned a ton. Well rounded guy.
Fantastic. And very helpful for my ongoing 90’ drainage project.
Love the closeup of knots.
I came to find the level and learned so much more!!!! Well done sir!
Essential craftsman is a master at everything, love watching him .
I found his string & knot explanations months ago too ... fantastic!!! And used these methods in the garden couple weeks ago.
Right on !!! Keep yer helpful videos coming
Will do and thanks for the support!
Thank you, you are very well spoken and easy to listen to, not to mention informative
This is a great landscaping tip. Thanks!
Thanks! Putting to use today on purchasing my first home, to check drainage away from the house
Love your channel - quick, to the point, great content, no fluff or hacks.
Thanks!
Very clear explanation, the close ups help a lot. Congratulation!
Another outstanding post just in time to help me with my son's house. Thanks a million Scott!!
Happy to help and best of luck on the project!
For those trying to do the math on slope, you need at least 1-2%. The easy math is a 10 ft pipe is 120 inches so 1% = 1.2 inches in 10 feet. 2% is 2.4 inches in 10 feet. Maintain this pitch and your water will always drain away.
Very helpful!
The 2
TY FOR THIS! :)
@@MichaelChismToday BTW, similar pitch for sewer pipe. If you have too much pitch the water drains before the solids float down.
@@rupe53 Ty for this! I am building a new place and was wondering if a greater slope was better! Now I Know! :D
This was really, really useful! I'm building my own board-on-board fence and I learned a lot just from this video. Thanks!
Perfect application 👍 best of luck with the project!
I think this May help me setting up my new pool..😮😮😮 .. it’s been quite the project!! Thank you
Very nice. I hope you show us the installation of the irrigation system. Thank you for sharing
Really good tips on those string line knots. Thanks for the video.
Explanation easy to follow. Audio and diction is superior to a lot of videos out there that are virtually impossible to hear or understand. Great job of teaching useful skills and methods!
great video clear and easy to follow--thanks for the help
Very good video, straight to the point.
AMAZINGLY HELPFUL!!!
Thanks for showing the knobs
Thank you man, you’re a lot of help!
Thanks for watching 👍
Straight up MacGyver simple n effective my Man got my sub ✅🎯💯🤙🏽
You're a genius mate!
Fantastic. So simple
might try a clove hitch on one end and a taughtline hitch on the other. I'll try the cow hitch sometime, looks intriguing. That's a great tip to rub dirt on the line to scuff it up some to make it hold better.
Great! Well done man 👍👏
Wow thank you for posting this
Super helpful! Thanks.
I dont know, but you have a wide range of knowledge and the hands, dont look now, you are a Pro, and you have the stones to try new things, "Everyday Pro". Good job.
😁 thanks Steve!
Nice shirt. We lived in Champaign for 5 years!
Nice! It’s a good town, especially now that winter is over 😉
Thanks for your information and video 📹👍I appreciate you
And I appreciate your support 👍
Nice work!
When Adam Wainwright retires from the St. Louis Cardinals and pursues his passion of starting a youtube channel! You are his doppelganger!
Let's see ya dig it!
Great Video!
Picking up the supplies now then it is time to 😓
Your content is so immensely helpful and always presented so clearly. And now I see you’re a fellow Illini alum? Oskee wow wow! 🧡💙🧡💙
Thanks so much! Yep went to UIUC and also actually live in Champaign. ILL!
@@EverydayHomeRepairs I N I!!
VeryGood way to leval a Mobile home too!
Thanks for the knot tying tip
You Bet!
Good tips. Thank you.
My pleasure!
yes EC its a good youtube channel
Many thanks Scott !!!
You bet!
Thanks so much
Thank You Sir 👍
Thank you!
New subscriber. Thanks for the video from Davenport Iowa
Welcome Charles, I used to spend some time in Davenport back in the day.
It's also possible to get a very accurate level with a length of clear vinyl tube. Fill with water so there is no air in the line and the level of water will always be exactly the same at both ends of the tube. You can do it with a hose but it's easier with a clear tube because the water level will be more visible.
I get ya. Thanks.
Great and simple video. I have 2 questions. I am going to grade my 60 feet by 30 feet backyard. If I grade the yard from the back of my house wall till the end of the backyard wall, will the foundation of my backyard wall not become weak?
My second question is.. doesn't grading make you feel as if you are going to tumble?
thank you
Thanks!
This may be OK for a short run. But if you check the level all along a LONG string you MUST be exactly halfway, no matter how tight the line, or it will slope toward the middle (look at power lines). A "professional" septic designer used this method to put my drain field VISIBLY slightly uphill from my sand filter about 100-feet away (design was completed before I purchased the land). The installer caught this, and we found his broken sewing-thread tied to stakes. I contacted him about it but he wouldn't even come out observe my findings with a laser. Because the permit was already accepted by the county, he wanted cash-up-front for a redesign. I hired someone else to modify the design, and ended up with a big mound for the sand filter, which probably should have been all along, given the terrain. It looks like some mysterious ancient ceremonial feature in an Irish landscape (with a manhole on top).
Agreed
Add stakes in the middle so each string section is short enough to have nominal sag. Just make sure each section is not only level between the stakes but at the same height on each stake. Close enough is good enough for most - not designing space shuttles.
Awesome video, I have a yard that is about 120' x 120' and when I bought the house it had plenty of trees and bushes, I rented a skid loader to remove them the only thing I could not remove was a few stumps. But when I got filler dirt and it rained I noticed it had a slope going away from the drain that was towards the front of the yard so I had a pond pretty much. I have a concrete slab in the center of the yard and wanted to know what would be the best way to fill the back and have the water go around the concrete to drain.
Hope somebody has given you some help, it can be a big pain to drain in a negative situation. Water has this weird property of always wanting to flow in the direction that it has always flowed. A lift station is the only thing I can think of that would enable you to do this unless there is actually a lower elevation towards the front of where the water is and where you want it to go, it would then mean digging a dry well, as a collection point, then from there a line with a slope to the low point.
Quality!
For the most accurate reading of the line level bubble, the line level needs to be positioned on the line midway between the two stakes (equal distance from each stake).
Holy Moly, you are exactly the guy I need to do such measurements without the sophisticated tools. Tools I wouldn't know how to use because they are too sophisticated...hahaha
Can you do a video on how to make a water collection with 55 gallon drum from gutter?!
Personally I use a transparent hose filled with water. the water level is the same from left to right. Thank's for your nice vidéo.
Nice! I actually really like that method as well. Can be super handy if you need to measure multiple points and not just on a single line 👍
A little dye in the fluid makes it easier to see as well. I think food coloring can stain the hose and then it is harder to see again but wash it out when you are done and it should be fine.
@@MrBswede Nice thank's
@@MrBswede Or windscreen wash will stop it from freezing
I would recommend not corgated pipe, specially for burying down spouts. Leaves and stuff will build up eventually in it. I recommend pvc. Still economically friendly for small projects like these ❤️
One way to make this easier is to tie the first line at a simple to use height, like 10 inches or 20 inches. Mark the stake then tie the line at the mark.
By the way, there is always a small amount of sag in every horizontal cable or in this case string no matter how much you tighten them. I won't go through the Physics of why unless someone really wants to know and asks. I taught Physics for 33 years before retiring so I assure you this is correct. Yous sting is light enough and the distance short enough so it is not enough to worry about, but it is there, nonetheless.
ty
I have extensive water damage in my condo, can you use this trick inside?
How do you dig the slope with the string line above the base of your trench?
There's an easier way. Just use wooden stakes with 1 inch increment markings. Measure the distance then you have you rise over run. You can convert to percent. Done.
❤ OMG YOU HAVE SOME A MY AMAZING EYES. AN THANKS FOR THE INFO ON THE GRADE AN THE KNOTS,
So wood u run the corrugated pipe at the level of the top soil to keep in line with that 12 inch slope?
My yard is quite small, literally about 10 feet, rectangular, and about 60 feet along a fence line. It slopes gently downward from the home, and at about the 1/2 way point, maybe just a little less the drainage exists. I have an increase of hill dirt after that drain line that I want to take away but leave enough rise to prevent water ponding on a finished patio I'm planning. In some ways, I feel like I can "eye ball" this, but really want to do this correctly. Can this method work, and I'm wondering how much slope I should shoot for? Thanks for any advice.
For drainage pipes, when I worked at the DOT we had a minimum design slope of 0.5% to help reduce the possibility of material buildup in the pipes. Just FYI. Your video example has plenty, 2.77% if I did my calculations correctly.
Thanks for the feedback and your math looks good to me. I plan on targeting 1% but just wanted to make sure I had enough elevation change in my yard. Looks good and now on to digging!
I'm just getting into projects liked these and going back to college so I'm reviewing some math I've forgotten and learning new equations I never encountered in high school. Will you kindly share how you calculated his slope and/or recommend a resource where this is explained? I'll be looking in the meantime, but through asking, you may share something if not otherwise come across. Thank you.
@@SeanHayesParleys Slope is calculated as (rise/run). I likely assumed a one-foot drop in elevation, a "negative rise" if you will, over the 36-foot length which gives approximately 2.77% slope. I did construction surveying for a number of years (and mostly land surveying after that), there used to be a couple of good textbooks out there. Also, some state DOTs might have a survey manual PDF with the essential formulas and methods.
Very nicely filmed and edited.
Scott, great video! I was wondering, if there is no positive slope from the house to where you want the discharge, can you create this slope underground???
That's more or less what he is doing, except he is fortunate enough to have the discharge significantly lower already. Look at his other video, where he shows what he's doing on a white board to visualize it better.
If you have the 1st half of a 125' run with nearly 0° of slope, but the 2nd half with 5° slope, will the 1st half still flow?
If your aim is bad/to prevent splintering wooden stakes I like to use a 2x4 to set flat on top of the stakes. I do landscaping and often have to drive hundreds of stakes in a hurry so I’m not sure if anyone else has that problem lol
thanks for the cow loop, but isn't there the 'professiona' engineers loop that EVERYONE uses? - and that I still can't figure out how to tie it!
A clear tube with water running to both sides can also do this
Did you have leakage in your basement prompting this fix? Wondering if this fix will help some minor leaking in my basement. Great video.
Extending my downspouts definitely helped slow the water going through the french drains at the bottom of my basement foundation wall and into a sump pump pit.
👍👍👍
I need to grade my yard down some. I just had a new expanded driveway added and it is almost 8 inches below the grade or top of the soil. can someone tell me how to DYI issue?
I have two very large trees, and in the middle it's become very swampy . What basic question I should asking?
Hey Tanya, jump over to our Facebook group “Everyday Home Repairs Community” and post some pictures with your questions. That will help a ton to ensure we give you more targeted feedback to your specific situation. 👍
Water level. 20 ft clear 3/4” clear pipe at $0.50 ft. Gives perfect level every time
the string line will sag in the middle, so having the level near the end of the string line will not give you an accurate reading, to get an accurate reading the level has to be in the middle of the string line.
So since you have 36ft long and 12 inches of change. How do you know what your slope is for drainage ?
For every 4 feet, it needs to slope 1 inch
How do you figure what height to tie your string off on the stakes ?
I don't think it matters at what heights the string is tied to each stake are. What matters is the difference between these heights. These are the steps as I understand it: 1. Put in a stake in the ground, and tie one end of the string to it at some arbitrary height 2. Put in the second stake in the ground at some distance away (Z feet), and then tie the other end of the string to this stake 3. Make sure the string is tautly stretched and LEVEL, by adjusting the height of the string on the second stake 4. Measure the height of the string at the first stake (assume it was X inches), then measure the height of the string at the second string (assume it was Y inches). Then the slope is calculated as the difference between X and Y, divided by the distance between the stakes in inches (Z feet x 12)
So if im connecting multiple drains from dofferent gutters do i slope each trench i dig or just the main pipe for drainage?
All should be sloping to ensure the water will flow from the branches to the main line and then to the discharge
I can't get my line taught enough. I'm guessing I'm having trouble because my stakes have rounded edges...
👍🏻
For those looking to build a foundation without a laser and have a slope going away I expand on what he did.
1) follow these steps to establish your current slope.
Math for you: rise/run×100=%slope.
2) use Pythagorian theorem to find your hypothneus using your dimentions. (a2+b2=c2). Using 2 tape measures. (1 run the length/width (depending which one you measured first)) then cross that with the hypothneus will create a square measurement for your 3rd spike. Repeat for the 4th spike. Use this so you don't have a crooked square. Running a tape measure point to point without the hypotheus as a second will not give you a squared measurement.
3) use string to level remaining stakes. I draw a line where it is.
4) calculate your %slope and measure either up or down from your level by your %value. Make new mark on the grade stake.
5) add a stake halfway between each of your corners and find your grade from string. Mark it
6) find your center by crossing hypotneus of both tape measures with the value by 2 (since the tape measures cross at the halfway point. Stake and string across. Mark line for grade.
7) using a tenths ruler measure from ground level to your marks. Write the value on the stake. I use tenths of a foot rather than inches since you can add/subtract really easy with it. If you want to learn tenths and converting to your inches diesel and iron had a great youtube video that explains it. You'll find it's much easier and faster using tenths than a std tape measure.
8) add up all the foot values you wrote and divide by #of stakes. That's your avg
9) take area (LxW) times volume (your avg) to get expected cubic feet
10) divide by 27 (cub ft to cub yds). Remember this is known as TIGHT yards. Tight yards means dirt is compacted and undisturbed. Dirt you buy is loos since it isn't compacted or settled. If you're buying sand multiply your cub yds x1.3 (swell factor)
11) call local dirt guys and order some. If you're not sure call local construction company. Alot of them sell the materials. If not they'll tell you who to call.
If you have questions please ask. It's hard to explain from just texting.
What if my elevation change is less. Is there a minium is has to be?
Various results on this section mentioned in former threads. 1% seems popular. My brother always told me 1/8" per foot or one inch per 8' which was easy to determine with a standard 8' level or 2x4. I think it's close enough for decent drainage. I think inside the house and for actual sewer you do not want TOO much or the liquids will go too fast leaving the solids behind.
Love all these videos, but MY problem is not from the downspout, it’s water accumulating against the house. Apparently the grade runs down from the far side of the yard to the house.
USING A LINE LEVEL - IT MUST BE EXACTLY, dead on, to an 1/8" between the tie offs at the ends. The closer the line level is to one end, the lower that end will be from the other. No matter how tight you pull it, it sags; your example here is not very tight. Also, check accuracy by turning the level end for end on the line. Shooting elevations with a transit, the instrument is between the points; reading, then sighting at 180 degrees cancels any error.
Just a heads up most cities and townships have zoning codes now where your not allowed to drain eave run off into your sewer or road. Homeowners should check their zoning codes before attempting this or they could force you to plug it or remove your work.
Thanks for the feedback 👍
Where else do they expect the water to go??
Are you near Delaware/Maryland peninsula?
Only place I've heard people pronounce 'taut' as 'taunt'.
I believe that these string line spirit levels can be dodgy and inaccurate, especially if the hight of the two clips are not 100% the same when it's hanging. The way to find out if it's accurate is to hang it facing one side and then turn it around to face the opposite side. If the bubble is always in the same position, the spirit level is accurate. If not, then you need to work out the average.
10 foot pipe so if you want a quarter grade its 2 inches and 1/2 for every 10 feet because theres 10 quarters in 10 feet= 2 inches in a half
A little problem with the wind at the beginning of the video.
You should get 3 stakes. Level from #1 to #2 and 2 to 3 and back to 1. You should be at the same level if the thing works and get a sense of the error/confidence level.
Fighting Illini
🔸🔹👊
The place a line level is most accurate is near the end of the run. In the middle of a sagging string it will always read level and fool you (and yours had a noticeable sag…difficult to get it tight enough unless you set up batter boards or something more solid). Personally I’d forget the string and use a water level
Dude it really wasn’t a noticeable sag. I watched it twice. Stop nit picking.
He's talking about running drain tile, not setting footers for the Taj Mahal.
Nope put the line level in exact center as the man said....this equalizes the inevitable sag equally to BOTH SIDES!