A lot of homeowners don’t know the slope that is required around the foundation of their home. This is unfortunate since if your property is not graded properly, you could end up having water runoff channeled in the direction of your foundation. If this happens, water could pool around your foundation and eventually leak into your home and cause damage, possibly even structural damage.
This is more likely to happen if your lawn is flat or if it slopes toward your home. In this situation, you could easily end up having drainage issues if you don’t already have them. But, if you don’t know if your lawn is sloped properly, there are ways to tell, and we will explain how.
What Slope Is Best Near a Foundation?
It is not unusual for a homeowner to have some land grading done around their home to deal with drainage issues, such as poor drainage caused by an insufficient slope leading away from the foundation in the land around the foundation.
Typically, a good slope for the land around your foundation leading away from the house is approximately 5%. It is possible to get by with a lesser slope in some cases, but 5% is safer.
Finding the Slope of Your Land
You may be wondering how to find the slope of your land. Well, we will explain how to do this. First, you’ll need some supplies. You’ll need two stakes, twelve feet of string, a hammer, a level that is intended for use on a string, and a tape measure.
Now, follow these steps.
- Tie the string around one of the stakes.
- Pound the stake into your lawn and make sure the string is resting on the ground.
- Tie a string around the other stake and pound it into the ground ten feet down the slope of the lawn from the first stake, and adjust the string so that it is level.
- Use the level on the string to ensure it is level, adjusting the string as necessary.
- Measure the distance of the string on the second stake to the ground.
This measurement is the slope of the ground near your foundation.
Should I Have Land Grading Done?
Now that you have measured the slope of the area near your foundation, you will be able to tell if you need the land re-graded. If the slope you calculated is greater than six inches, it is fine. You don’t have to worry about re-grading. However, if the slope you found is less than six inches, you should seriously consider having the land around your foundation re-graded.
Final Thoughts
If you find your slope insufficient, you may be reluctant to spend the money to fix it. But, having water leak into your house can cause serious problems that can be very expensive to fix, such as structural damage or serious mold issues. These problems can easily cost more than re-grading. There are companies that can excavate the area around your home at a reasonable cost.
Contact Us
If you need someone to re-grade the area around your foundation, trust the experts at Coastal Brush Control LLC. Our licensed and insured staff have experience providing excavation services for businesses, municipalities, and individual landowners alike. Call us at 910-915-6619 and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
