Q - We have a sinkhole in the side yard of our 15 year old
house. About 5 years ago we had it
filled with dirt, but it has re-appeared.
Help!
Gary in John's Creek
A - Unfortunately just dumping dirt in a sinkhole is only a
temporary fix.
Back when your house was built
the builder dug a large hole to discard odds and ends, tree limbs, and general
junk not only from your house, but probably from your neighbor's house as well
(more than likely if you shared a builder).
You will be glad to know that
that practice is no longer legal, but that doesn't really help you now.
To do the job correctly you will
need to dig into the hole and remove whatever trash is still in the hole.
Warning, the hole may be very
large, quite possibly 10-20 ft long and over 6-8 ft deep, so know what you are
getting into. This may be a call for a
professional landscaping company that has experience using a back hoe.
Also - make sure you call your
utilities before you begin the digging process.
There is nothing worse than ripping out the cable television for the
entire neighborhood with your second scoop of dirt. (In Georgia it is as easy as dialing 811).
Oh ya, it's also the law.
Once you have the junk removed you
can fill with dirt, or if drainage is an issue you can use small rock, then a
layer of sand then dirt.
The worst part of the whole thing
is that you will then have to dispose of the trash you removed from your
yard.
You can either set it out on the
curb for the garbage man, or if you are full of energy you can dig a big hole
in the backyard…..
(kidding)