Input Needed: Should I remove these junipers?


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Old 03-10-13, 09:03 AM
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Input Needed: Should I remove these junipers?

Hi everyone,
I kind of feel that the soil is not level right beside the foundation wall and I am thinking about removing the junipers, leveling the surface and putting some concrete pavers instead. I am completely new to the process.
Will you be able to give me a couple of starting hints? Thank you.
The picture is attached.
 
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Old 03-10-13, 10:03 AM
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Ground around a house should not be "level". It should slope a minimum of 1/2" per foot for the first 10 ft so that surface water drains away from the house. Removing the bushes may be a good idea, since ground cover retains moisture. Concrete pavers also retain moisture, so they may not provide any sort of benefits... they should also not be level, but needs a minimum pitch of 1/4" per ft. What's your goal here? Is the basement wall in this area wet?

If so, it's likely because the area with the rock is lower than the surrounding grade, and if that is a shed roof in the foreground, the water from it looks like it drains right into this same area. So you might need to remove the bushes, raise the grade slightly there (first 5 ft) and lower the grade outside the landscaped area (2nd 5 ft) for a total drop of 5" in 10 ft. And if that is a shed roof in the foreground, runoff probably drains into this same area. Possibly put a small gutter on the roof and a downspout to direct that runoff away from the area next to the house.
 
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Old 03-12-13, 08:32 AM
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Thank you for your response. Yes, the basement wall in that area is not wet, but has more water stains. I wanted to take a precautionary action. I also saw a rabbit in that area, and I do not know if that would cause also cause any problem.
The part you see is not a shed roof, it is the handrail for the deck stairs. So there is no problem of additional water coming to that area. But the problem is (as you indicated) the area with junipers is lower than the surrounding area.

So, is the process straightforward or is there a possibility of wrong actions due to being a newbie?
Thanks.
 
 

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