WATER IN BASEMENT
Over many years, the soil around a foundation can settle and compact. Sometimes it settles enough that the original slope away from the house disappears — or even becomes a slight dip toward the foundation. Pull rock, plastic & dirt away from the house and add dirt to a slope then cover back up?
The soil runs away from the house instead of toward it.
This is often one of the first things to correct when water is entering a basement along the foundation.
You would basically:
Don't pile the new soil too high against the house. You want to maintain clearance below the siding, stucco, brick weep holes, or other exterior wall materials. Otherwise you can create a different moisture problem.
And if you're getting basement water right where that landscaping meets the house, I'd also check the gutters and downspouts. A downspout dumping water close to the foundation can overwhelm even decent grading.
Since you were just asking about a 9-foot downspout, if this is the same area you're working on, the combination of extending the downspout + correcting the slope away from the foundation could make a substantial difference.
The soil runs away from the house instead of toward it.
This is often one of the first things to correct when water is entering a basement along the foundation.
You would basically:
- Pull the landscape rock back.
- Pull back the plastic/landscape fabric.
- Add compactable soil underneath — not just loose topsoil — to raise the grade next to the foundation.
- Shape and compact it so it slopes away from the house. A commonly recommended target is about 6 inches of drop over the first 10 feet, where the site allows. Put the plastic/fabric back down and replace the rock.
Don't pile the new soil too high against the house. You want to maintain clearance below the siding, stucco, brick weep holes, or other exterior wall materials. Otherwise you can create a different moisture problem.
And if you're getting basement water right where that landscaping meets the house, I'd also check the gutters and downspouts. A downspout dumping water close to the foundation can overwhelm even decent grading.
Since you were just asking about a 9-foot downspout, if this is the same area you're working on, the combination of extending the downspout + correcting the slope away from the foundation could make a substantial difference.