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knock
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2014 21:12
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Looking for some suggestions about controlling erosion on the hillside next to my cabin. The slope is a little less than a 45 degree angle, with the base of this slope a couple of feet from my cabin. The slope is about 4 ft tall and about 50 ft long. (on the right side of this picture)
The slope was created when I had the land terraced and is starting to erode into my gravel drive.
I am looking for the cheapest and least labor intensive solution. So I have thought of a couple of options.
#1 - get a bunch of bags of dry concrete mix, lay them on the hillside in a running bond, tie them together with spikes and let it get hard in the bags. Once it gets hard remove the paper. The downside to this is the cost (likely about 500+). I could get these placed in about a day.
#2 - Try to grow grass or other seeded plants on the hillside. The downside to this is that I am only there once a week so I can't water the grass and the soil is mostly clay. With seed and grass mats the cost of this is likely less than 150. If I go this route and the seed doesn't take, I would have to do one of the other options.
#3 - Pour a thin slab (3 inches) over the entire slope from premix bags. This is cheaper than option #1 (likely around 350 but would take me multiple days with forming up the area and mixing all of the concrete).
#4 - place large stones (rip rap) down the hillside. 15 tons of rock would cost about 250 delivered to the top of the hill, but I would have to place it by hand. So it could take a couple of days. I would spend about another 50 on landscape fabric below the rock.
So if you were in my shoes what would you do ?
Please let me know if you have any good ideas I didn't consider.
Thanks for your help.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2014 23:17 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Put landscaping/erosion control canvas on it and pin it down with stakes, throw seed on it and water as often as you can. There are some types of grasses that will take on clay like that.
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Jim in NB
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2014 06:12
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Put rock on it - last thing you need to do is introduce grass to your cabin. Causes all sorts of problems - home for ticks, maintenance issues, fire hazard come fall if you don't cut it, etc, etc.
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jackaxe
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2014 14:12
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Will pachysandra grow in that soil?
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knock
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2014 21:43
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Thanks for the suggestions.
I did a little research on pachysandra. Looks like it doesn't like clay soil and takes several years to fill in between plants.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2014 22:57
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I have a similar situation. A friend said I need to stop the water before it gets to the slope. He suggested digging a ditch above the slope to route the water away from the cut.
I like your cabin. Are the dormers half the length of the cabin and do they continue all the way to the back wall? Got a side photo?
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TheCabinCalls
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2014 12:57 - Edited by: TheCabinCalls
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Main idea here is to slow the water down, with the goal of it being absorbed into the ground and plants
- Divert water to area that can slow it down or absorb it
- put down silt fabric until you can tackle all of it
- Plant ground cover. Your area looks to be shaded - try Sweet Woodruff, Vinca Minor or the likes.
- Rip Rap or stone wall (while not recommended for shoreline applications, works to hold back dirt on slopes)
- if stone will be too hard you can use 6x6 timber too
- almost forgot a drain tile behind wall
If it was me I would use all of the above. Divert water away. Add a stone wall with plants and landscape or silt fabric until I got to it.
We have a big slope and even with a rock wall, mulch and planting, in large rain events we had minor erosion. We had to divert water to flatter areas.
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knock
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2014 23:08
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Paulz - Thanks for the compliment. The building is 16' wide (or deep from the picture above) the dormer is about 10' wide. I have more pics on my project page (16 x 20 in Missouri by Knock).
TCC - thanks for the advice. I think I will do a combination of diversion, rock and some ground cover.
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Josh8880
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2014 05:52
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Crown vetch is a ground cover that is often used in hard spots like that (often used by townships along highways). It has a nice purple flower..the downside is that it is hard to kill. The upside is that it is hard to kill. 
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TheCabinCalls
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jun 2014 15:28
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From gov site:
Crownvetch is a useful but overused
erosion control plant. Its spreading growth habit, and
strong root system provide soil holding ability and
ground cover. The dark green foliage and profuse
flower have aesthetic value. It is a good plant for
road bank stabilization in areas where rocky
conditions predominate, but on steep slop
es in the
East, it may conceal the problem, since rill and gully
erosion can occur under the crownvetch canopy in
these areas. Crown vetch has been successfully used
with switchgrass on dry sites in the East, forming an
understory but providing nitrogen.
Rapid soil
organic matter improvement has occurred with this
species combination, which stabilizes soil better than
crownvetch used alone; in general, however,
crownvetch dominates other plants and tends toward
a monoculture.
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