Correcting an Improper Grade
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Guide to Waterproofing Basements and other Waterproofing topics.
Correcting an Improper Grade
If your lawn is flat or slopes toward your house, you could be in for a long wet spell and some big-time relandscaping. The trick is to make sure the ground slopes away from the outside foundation (about one inch per foot) for at least ten feet. Seed the land with a good lawn grass. Sodding may be a better idea since it prevents newly graded areas from washing away during heavy rains. If you have large area of land that slope toward the house, you'll need to intercept and redirect surface drainage some distance from the house. You can dig a shallow, half-round drainage ditch or depression which should route the water around the house. Sod the ditch (as they say in Britain) or plant grass in it. *If you don't like the idea of a ditch, sodded or otherwise, you may want to install drainage tiles with one or more catch basins at low spots.
| Guru Spotlight |
| George Sayour |
