Run.. Right or Wrong ?

[gsim]

I am in Knox Co and I just hauled 2300# of coarse sand to my run yest morning and spread it by Noon with shovel and wheelbarrow. It is for a walkway between gate and coop. My runs slopes 5:1, so all water drains away, but the top gets slimy and hazardous to walk on. Cleated Knee boots are a must for taking care of chooks. Easy on and easy off.

Try to place some pallets on cinder blocks to elevate them or even to make shelters where they can be outside without getting so wet. Mine congregate under the one end of the coop that I have left open for them. I put a dust bath there, but it is too wet to work now. Am adding a roost under there so they can roost out of the rain and still be outside. I may just put it in today as it will take maybe a minute max to nail up.

 

[SilkieTime]

Few bricks and a pice of plywood for a quick fix.

 

[Sissy]

gism.. thanks for all the help/
I am doing what I can asap. and have been digging trenches
to have water run the other away Back looks like a muddy golf course.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
You can dig a quick & dirty trench just a few inches deep to divert surface water so that only what actually falls on your run affects it. In time, it will silt in and not work so well. An easy way to make it go easier is to get a rototiller and till it, both sides. Then, rake and grade it to a gentle flat, shallow 'V' shape . Load and haul away excess, and use it to top dress your yard wherever it is low. Then seed both that and your new ditch. If you do it right, you should be able to mow it easily. If not, then it will become a hazard to negotiate when mowing and when walking. Trick right now is to get a window of opportunity to work!

I did this along the rear of my house about 12 ft away from it because the back yard is somewhat higher than the top of my foundation. It is a total of 180 ft long, but very shallow and gentle to mow or walk on. I also piped the downspouts away from the house to this shallow, gentle ditch. It even extends to protect a 40 ft retaining wall as well and diverts all water around the end of it. The wall has not moved even a whisker from when I built it 20 years ago. I've never had one drop of rainwater get into my basement. Mis-managed surface water is the # 1 cause of home damage according to the pros who do evaluations for a living.

 

[Sissy]

I too have the back higher then the house foundation
had a drain put in at the base of the foundation
but it was a waste of money it was not done right
so I have a muddy hole with standing water Drain isnt getting enough of the water.
,and the water it is taking ,it goes to the other side of the house toward
the foundation so I added more pipe to divert it away from that side of the house.
I called the fellows back ...but they wouldnt do a thing unless I payed more money .
I dont think so.. a lesson learned if its
to be done right do your self it may take me longer. but it will get done.
its a dry day to day and I have put trenches at the top of the hill
near the big coop thats giving me trouble..
so I hope it diverts the water to the driveway side down to the rd.
thanks again for all the help.