Planning To Do Hardscaping On A Sloped Yard? The Landscape Contractor May Need To Stabilize The Soil First
Posted on: 22 February 2022
If you are planning to do a lot of hardscaping for your landscaping and your yard is sloped, this can cause problems. Because of sloping, the landscape contractor may need to stabilize the soil to prevent problems with your hardscaping. If you have a very big slope, this could even cause problems with your home. To help you understand, below is information on two different ways the landscape contractor may stabilize the soil.
Use Lime Soil Stabilization
A common way to stabilize soil is to use lime. This is especially true if you have clay soil. Clay soil is very thick and sticky and impossible for rain or nutrients to get through. Lime reduces the moisture in the clay soil to dry it out and improves stability.
When the lime is placed in the soil it causes a reaction, which is known as cation exchange. Once this happens the soil has more plasticity, making it more stable and rigid. Before the process is done, the landscape contractor will do a soil test to determine how unstable the soil is. This will tell them how much lime they need to use.
To perform the test, the contractor grinds the soil and removes rocks, sticks, and other debris. The contractor then spreads the lime over the soil. The lime must be left in place for a few days to give it time to cure. After this, the contractor puts another layer of lime on the soil and mixes this in. They then level the soil, and after a week or so, your soil is stabilized and ready for hardscaping.
Plant Shrubs and Ground Cover
If you have a smaller slope in your yard, the contractor may choose to plant things like shrubs or ground cover on the slope that can help stabilize the soil. This is because the roots bind with the soil and hold the soil in place. The roots allow for good aeration, so water can get through easier and not compact the soil. Shrubs and groundcover also provide protection to the soil as it prevents the sun from getting to the soil, which could dry it out and cause it to be unstable.
The contractor may suggest that they install a retaining wall. No matter what they use, the area must be watered if you do not get a lot of rain. You can accomplish this by installing a sprinkler system to lightly sprinkle the area.
Your landscape contractor can give you more information about possible soil stabilization techniques.
Share