We have a big problem coming from a flower bed up in the front of our home. It has a leak, and every rain we get, it leaks into our garage and downstairs bath, which now have terrible termite problems due to the wood being so wet. Our termite guy came out to treat, but it was evident the problems wouldn't go away until the leak was fixed, so in the meantime, we have an active colony gnawing on our house.

DH dug out the flower bed to try to find the leak, and finally found that 28 inches down into the bed, there are several holes that have been the source of the leaks (and are also filled with termites). The bed has bad drainage problems due to the top level flooding the bottom level, so my DH knocked out some of the cement and stone that prevented drainage.

His initial reaction was to use a Bondo type of product to seal the holes, and create a French drain to help with excess runoff. However, we're a bit concerned that that may not correct the problem entirely. Our neighbor suggested pouring concrete for the front beds, and widening the front stairs to prevent a fall hazard. He knows more about this kind of stuff than we do, but wasn't sure what it would cost.

So, my questions (at last!) are:

What would you do to fix the problem? Should we proceed with sealant and French drain, or look into getting someone to pour concrete? Or is there another solution?

What do you estimate it might cost?

Here are some pics:

The beds in question are between the front door and garage.

Thanks for your help!

Kristy