The proper grading of your home's landscape is essential to preserve the structural integrity of your foundation. If the grade of your landscape slopes towards your home or if it is completely level, both scenarios are less than optimal and could potentially result in a significant problem. A1's experienced team is well-equipped to address these concerns and provide straight forward solutions for your grading issues.
Understanding how soil types impact the effectiveness of drainage systems is crucial for maintaining the integrity of a structure’s foundation and the health of the surrounding landscape. The type of topsoil, often porous and used for planting, plays a significant role in how water is absorbed from the surface. However, what lies beneath that topsoil is equally important.
Soils like clay, which are non-porous, do not allow water to seep deeper into the ground. Instead, these layers act as barriers, causing water to move sideways, or laterally, once it reaches them. This lateral movement of water can become problematic when the non-porous layers are sloped towards a building’s foundation.
Many homeowners may not fully understand the significance of properly establishing the grade for a house foundation. This aspect is crucial because inadequate land grading can misdirect rain runoff towards the foundation of the home. Over time, such water exposure can jeopardize the integrity of the foundation and lead to substantial water damage to the property.
When grading land extending from a foundation, a good rule of thumb is about 6 inches for the first 10 feet. This would give you a “slope” of about 5 percent.
If the ground around your house is completely flat with no slope, or even worse, if it slopes down toward the foundation then you should consider raising the grade to promote water draining away.
Upon completion of the work, the graded area can be restored to its previous condition with the installation of new sod or the replacement of patios, or it can be transformed into a completely new design.
