How do you level your backyard with a string level?

Answer 1

You simply hang the level on the string. However, you do not want a "level" yard. You want it to slope away from your home. Make sure that you have at least a quarter of an inch drop in elevation per foot of linear travel away from the house. For example, in ten feet of distance (10 X 1/4 inch = 10 quarters of an inch, or, 2 1/2 inches drop) you will need the earth to slope down and away about 2 1/2 inches. And, therefore, if you go twenty feet away you will need 5 inches of positive drainage slope away from your structure. From there you may flatten out to more level ground but always always always maintain positive drainage away from your home.


While in the instance you specified in your answer--yes, it's important to ensure the yard is adequately sloped away from the house to ensure water drains away from the foundation--the questioner may have been asking the question because there are instances in which a person may want a perfectly level area in his/her yard. Right off the bat I can think of at least two of them: when setting up a swimming pool or installing a large playset (the kind that has a fort, a slide, a sandbox and/or a swingset). That being said, it would probably be a good idea when installing either of those things that each of them should be well enough away from the house so that the ground beneath them doesn't interfere with the necessary slope that should be maintained nearer the house. After checking quickly on line, it appears that most building codes require that the land maintain an adequate slope for at least ten feet away from the house, but you will want to check your local building code to make certain that's correct for your area.



To answer the actual question of how to use a string level, what you would do is get two stakes (as opposed to steaks . . . sorry, I must be hungry!) and place them at the two ends of the area you want to make level. String a line tautly between the two stakes and hang your level on it in the middle of the string, then adjust the height of the string until the level indicates the string is, well, level.



After you are certain the string is level and straight--not sagging, measure from the area under the string that is longest and remove the dirt beneath the string until every area matches that measurement. You could also add dirt to the low areas instead of remove dirt from the high areas or do a combination of the two--what is important is that the area beneath the string be the same measurement along the total string length.

Answer 2

Leveling your back yard as in grading? If so, the easiest way is to use a turret laser but if you don't have access to one a string line and string level work great! You can pop into any hardware store and ask for a string level which is just a small level bubble that hooks onto a string line. Simply put two stakes in the ground over where you want to level, pull the string line tight between the stakes attach the level and get it level, then just measure down from the string to the ground and add/remove dirt until the measurement is the same along the string