If this is not the correct area, please accept my apologies. My wife wants me to build a raised garden bed in the front of the house for her roses. She likes another house's raised garden which goes across the front and utilizes 'retaining wall bricks.' sort of like this: [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/2e/ca/2a2eca5b933ba513e52396303c4e84b7.jpg[/img] The difference is that the house is not brick in front, but vinyl siding. And in the pic above, the dirt does not go above the foundation. Mine is different, it's vinyl siding down nearly to the grass level. I am pretty sure that if I just back filled that retaining wall, the dirt would give rise to a LOT of bugs in the house not to mention the moisture aspect on the wood. yes, I know the vinyl siding is backed with something to protect it, but I don't think this is what they intended to protect it from. So, my question is ..what do I do? My initial thought is to remove the vinyl siding and seal the house with something or line the back of the garden area with something like rubber flashing, or even pond liner to keep the moisture and bugs out of the house. What would be best? Is there a best practices I'm not finding on google? thanks for your input!

I’ve been researching the recommended minimum amount of base for a concrete patio and walkways on clay soil. Across different websites, I have seen people say 3”, 4”, and 6”. I also called 2 local ready mix companies and they would not give me a recommendation on base depth. One told me to call a local gravel supplier, which I did, but they also would not give me a recommendation. I’m in Northern California and my lot has heavy clay soil. Can any concrete pros on this forum offer guidance on this? Here is my issue. I signed a contract with a local licensed contractor and he insistent that 1” of gravel will be sufficient for my 2 patios and connecting walkways. I explained to him that after I bought this house, I had to spend 35k to have my foundation underpinned because of how bad the soil is. When the soil dried up in the summer heat, 2 months after I bought the house, my walls were cracking. I had 5 different underpinning contractors at my house and they all said they same thing about the clay soil in this area. So it’s not just my house. Even after hearing this, he still insisted that I will not have problems with 1” of gravel. I told him that I would be more comfortable with 4” of gravel, so he said that he would charge another 3k for the additional excavation and gravel for my 900 sq ft job. Again, even after I agreed to pay the additional 3k he was adamant that I would be wasting my money, and that if this was his house, he would use 1” of gravel. He will use 6 sack mix, 3/8 rebar 2’ oc, and fiber mesh. His contract does not specify the depth of the concrete but I’m assuming 4”. I will clarify that before he starts. He listed the 4” of gravel as an option for the additional 3k, otherwise the contract is for 1” of gravel. In this area of Northern California, we tend to get rain Jan-March/April then it dries up for the rest of the year and the soil shrinks back down. With the prolonged drought, keeping my soil hydrated with sprinklers is not an option. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.