Gardening & Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening & Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [foundation]

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Why do many landscapers put gravel around the base of buildings?

Where I live, I've noticed many buildings have a stone/gravel barrier between the building foundation and the lawn or flower bed. Why is this? Does it prevent insect or pest infiltration of the structure?
Megatron
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How close can lawn be to a foundation?

I have a small front yard (20'x20') and a narrow walkway (5') between the front yard and the back yard. Currently the yard and walkway are a mess of dirt, weeds, roots, rocks, cement, and construction debris (and maybe a little bit of grass). Once I…
StrongBad
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Recommend Plant Choice for Shady Area

Over time, areas of my garden beds have become shadier due to mature trees. So, not much direct sunlight in some places where I'd like to put some foundation plants/shrubs/bushes, e.g. Azaleas, gardenias, or...? Any thoughts or recommendations or…
AA040371
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Need advice on re-grading garden beds around foundation for better drainage and if I can apply barriers/sealant to mitigate water intrusion

I'm doing some landscaping cleanup for my parents' house - for visualization, this house's surrounding layout is almost identical: The front and right side of the house is surrounded by lawn and mulched beds while the left side of the house has…
Dispatch
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Can the roots of a coconut tree damage your house?

We have a coconut tree near the house. Can its root penetrate the underground foundation of my house?
Asipatravana
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What sort of foundation does a Serpentine wall need

I am considering having a total 210 foot run of 6 foot high serpentine wall built out of concrete block, brick, or a combination. Made up of 100' of wall + 4' gateway + 30' of wall + 10' gateway + 40' of wall + 3'gate + 10' of wall. The longest run…
Roxy
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Retaining wall and water management in a tight space

I'm buying my first house very shortly, and as expected it has some problems. One of the big ones is water management around the garage. There is already water damage inside the garage so I want to tackle this as soon as I take possession of the…
TBridges42
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Big Max Shed Foundation

I have a 7 x 7 big max resin shed, resin floor. I'm putting in the corner of my yard for about year until we do some serious landscaping then it will be moved to a new location. What should I use for foundation? I was thinking 2-3 inches of gravel…
recursive_acronym
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How high should the stone edging be around a flower bed? One landscaper said the height of the stone border should be below weep holes on the house

I've been shopping landscapers to install stone edging around a small flower bed. Every other company has recommended two 4-inch rows of stone (which matches my preference). One landscaper recommended one 4-inch row. He said the height of the border…
Cory
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How far should a mulberry tree be from my house's foundation?

I have a 17 year old huge mulberry tree in my backyard, about 29 ft from the house. Also it's close to the backyard drainage. Is that OK or could it harm the house foundation?
user32384
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Does a eucalyptus tree cause damage to a building foundation?

I planted a eucalyptus tree about 6 - 7 meters (20 - 22 feet) from my house. Does this tree have an effect on my building foundation?
vtc
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Willow tree placement in regards to house

Background I have recently moved into a house. There is a willow tree on the property (not sure which type). The willow tree is is approximatly 5 meters from the house foundation. The house foundation is a "suspended foundation". The tree is…
JensB
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Dirt cheap way to create Polytunnel foundation

I'm wanting to experiment with a quick-and-dirty Polytunnel (6m x 3m). I expect this experiment to last for 1-2 seasons only (and then I expect to build a properly constructed hothouse) I've managed to more-or-less clear a space for it, however…
davidgo
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Suggestion on how to get the trees removed infront of garage door

You see the picture? I want to remove that tree. Its in front of the garage door. It was planted long ago. Probably 15 years. I wanted to ideally remove it from there completely. Can it be done safely without affecting foundation like the drive way…
Sunny
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Best dwarf shrub varieties which has shallow roots to plant near building wall

I'd like to grow oleanders that won't impact the wall or foundation of my building. I noticed that dwarf oleanders could be a solution as it's known not to grow more than 3 feet tall. ( Click here to understand more about my building ) I guess root…
Amogam
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