Sand seeping in from neighbor/Need to seal bottom of fence

My next door neighbor has a yard full of sand, previous owner had auto repair business on the side & I guess he put it down for absorbing car fluids.

Between our yards is a 6' chain link privacy fence about 50' long. The sand seeps under the fence each time it rains, ruining the soil my perennials are planted in and killing the grass. A lot of sand also blows into my yard when it's windy. The gap under the fence starts at about 1/2" in front of yard and increases to about 4" at back.

Is there any way I can at least seal off the bottom of fence to keep the sand (and weeds) out? Don't really want a stockade type fence, makes me feel too closed-in.

Ideally, would like to do same on both my back fence (a LOT of moss comes thru) and the fence opposite one mentioned above (very old mulch & other debris.) All have 6' chain link fence.

I would truly appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

You can purchase garden edging in various sizes ranging on average from 4 to 6 in heights and a range of lengths at your local big box stores...it would need to be set just slightly below ground level (1/2 to 1 inch) to prevent seepage, but it is relatively inexpensive and easy to work with.

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Garden-Center-Landscaping-Edging/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbx74/h_d2/Navigation?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&searchNav=true

this link has a variety of styles and sizes and lists seller info

http://www.nextag.com/lawn-edging/shop-html

Wow, what a large variety there is! They won't get blown out of place on windy days though?

Thanks for your reply themoonowl, and the helpful links.

You are most welcome.

No, most of them come with stakes or anchor pins to keep them in place.

I was going to suggest the hammer in edging, that should help

You can use lumber, too.
Whatever you use trench it in enough that you dig past whatever sand is there into original soil. After so many years of sand shifting into the area this may be deeper than just an inch or two. I would start trenching before you buy the material to make sure you get high enough material.

If all the sand piles up on one side of the edging it becomes a retaining wall. Most edging products are intended for use where both sides of the soil are pretty much the same height, for example separating a lawn from a planter area. Almost all the edging is buried, so needs no strength. Most are not retaining walls.

If you use any lumber product make sure it is good for ground contact. Good quality lumber will resist rot and insects and is more than worth the price difference compared to cheap lumber. If you look into lumber that is nominally 2" thick this makes a stable, secure retaining wall, if the posts are done right. Fence posts are not usually put in the ground well enough to work as a retaining wall, but if it is no more than a foot of difference then I would add a post halfway between the fence posts, and let the fence posts support the lumber.
This means the lumber will be installed on your neighbor's side of the fence.

None of these rather short height products will stop much when the wind blows. For that some sort of fabric like shade cloth can be attached directly to the chain link fence. Make sure it is outdoor rated, ultraviolet resistant material. Otherwise it will fall apart in just one season.

Another way to make a stable, secure retaining wall is with gravity block or segmental wall materials. The smaller units are generally OK for a lightweight job like this. One row, maybe stack up 2 courses is plenty. Just dig them in a bit, perhaps half a block and make sure they are on a stable base. In this case, I would just make sure the soil was packed and level, though a taller wall would be on a gravel base. Choose one of the rectangular materials unless there are curves in your layout.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/Search?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&keyword=retaining+wall&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1&selectedCatgry=Search+All

It seems like your neighbor really should bear the responsibility for this but I don't know if flowing sand is looked at the same way as flowing water. Have you investigated that?

I agree with Purpleinopp, I would not want to take run off sand from my neighbours especially as it appear's to be killing off plants and grass, that gives a hint that these is chemical washing /leaching into the sand that in turn ends up in your ground, IF it was water run off maybe that would not alarm me so much as I could divert that maybe, but I think it is against the law to allow chemical run off to willy-nilly spread onto next doors property, I am positive the people who purchased to house with the sand problem must have been aware there was oil, petrol and maybe anti-freeze plus other dangerous stuff leaking into the soil every day there was auto repairs going on and over a long period of time, the soil MUST be contaminated to a high extent.

I would take a sample of the sand / soil along to your government office to have it tested for pollution as this kind of stuff will also run off your garden also and into the waterways that could be doing wider damage to wild life ect.

But to the main question you asked, I would build a barrier to prevent the run off into your ground but, please be careful as to where you direct this dirty sand to go next. look out for plastic lawn edging, wood 4X2 X 8 ft lengths, railway sleepers (expensive but last a lifetime) make sure they are free from tar, creosote ect.
Best of luck Lawnlady3, don't give in as this problem could get worse before it improves but I would check out your rights as to taking contamination from elsewhere. WeeNel.

Most states, counties and cities have rules concerning soil eroding from a property. At the very least they would be required to install and maintain a silt fence on their property. You should ask the property owner about it first. They may allow you plant something on top of the sand and pick up all of the costs. If not, talk to the city building inspector, or the city/county engineers office.