If you just moved into your home, and you have noticed water in the basement around one or more portions of the foundation, you may have a problem with grading. This happened to me the first summer I lived in my home. Water kept seeping in during heavy rainstorms, and being newly divorced and not used to doing home repairs yet, I didn’t know what could be causing this to happen.
Thankfully, my dad immediately knew how to fix the problem. Apparently, as my home had aged and the surrounding soil had settled, the effectiveness of the grading became compromised. As a result, water ran towards the foundation instead of away from it.
After the rains stopped, he simply added dirt all around the entire foundation of my home. Although the work was labor intensive, because it involved a wheel barrow and a shovel, cost wasn’t a factor, as I had plenty of land to take soil from. By adding dirt, my dad fixed the cause, relatively easily, and my water problem ended. Now each spring, I inspect the area around my home to add dirt if needed.
As outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (EPA), “Poor final grading of the yard can result in tremendous quantities of water being absorbed in soils adjacent to foundation walls. Sloping the finish grade of lawns or impervious surfaces such as concrete or blacktop away from the house is the first line of defense.”
What the EPA says is true…sloping IS the first line of defense against water damage. As you know, a basement is basically a hole. Homeowners should do everything they can to keep water from filling up this hole. If they do, they will avoid mold problems, as well as timber rot – not to mention water damage to the contents of the basement.
So what should actually be sloped? The EPA offers a great explanation of what should be sloped around homes: “Slope patio slabs, walks and driveways a minimum of ¼ in. per ft. away from house, tamp back-fill to prevent settling, AND slope the final grade away from the foundation at a rate of ½ in. per ft. over a minimum distance of 10 ft.”
In addition to determining if the slopes around your home have been done correctly, make sure you have a properly working gutter system as well. You want rain water to be directed away from the foundation of the home as much as possible. This includes cleaning any debris from the gutter system that may be causing malfunction (such as leaves from surrounding trees). It also includes adding downspouts if none are present.
Home inspectors routinely state that improper grading compromises the integrity of many home foundations. By understanding proper grading, and the importance of maintaining it, home owners can protect their investment. Although grading problems can cause damage that costs a lot of money to repair, fixing improper grading is cheap. Look into your home’s grading today to avoid problems in the future.
