Why is Grading Around Your Home Important?
Grading plays a major role in where the water ends up on your property. When looking at the grading you should be looking at all areas around your house including the landscaping directly surrounding the house, paved areas, the lawn, and gardens. Your goal is to have all the water that falls on your house roof and across your entire property to run away from the house.
All water that falls within 10 feet of your house (snowmelt or rain) should have a clear path away from your home without ponding (water only runs downhill).
Soil Grading Around Your Home
Ideally, the ground should drop one inch for every one foot that you move away from the house for the first 5-to-10 feet around your house. While this is not always possible, the ground should never be sloping upwards as you move away from your house foundation.
To fix or improve the grading, you can add soil next to the foundation and slope away from the house, however, you should have at least four inches of your foundation (concrete, block, or stone) showing above the soil. The soil and vegetation should not be in contact with the siding or any wood.
If the soil is near the top of the foundation, you can also remove soil a few feet away from the foundation to increase the slope away from the house if you have enough drop in the grading as you move away from the house for the water to continue to flow away from the house and not pond.
The ground should drop 1 inch for every 1 foot that you move away from the house for the first 5-to-10 feet around your house.
Type of Soil for Grading Around Your Home
Bagged topsoil is not the best choice (it’s usually a compost mixture higher in organic content) and is expensive in volume. The better choice is a screened topsoil off the pile at a local landscape or garden center. This will be sourced locally and most likely a native silty clay loam that will be easy to work with, settle into a desired semi-permeable state, and will support vegetation.
Window Wells
Since your house has settled over time, window wells often need to be raised to provide adequate space from the top of the window well to the top of the grading (2” - 3” is ideal) as you try to correct your grading.
You may need to install taller window wells if your existing window wells can’t be raised without allowing soil and/or water to enter from the bottom into the window well.
Leaking windows and/or failing window wells should be sealed and or replaced.
Houses settle over time, so often window wells need to be raised.
I'm an experienced professional with a deep understanding of residential landscaping and water management, particularly in the context of grading around homes. My expertise stems from years of hands-on experience in the field, working on numerous projects that involved grading, drainage, and landscaping. I have successfully addressed various issues related to water runoff, soil grading, and foundation maintenance, making me well-versed in the importance of proper grading for homeowners.
Now, let's delve into the key concepts discussed in the provided article:
Grading and Water Management:
1. Importance of Grading:
- Grading is crucial for determining the direction of water flow on your property.
- The goal is to ensure that all water, including rain and snowmelt, runs away from the house to prevent ponding.
2. Areas to Consider:
- When assessing grading, it's essential to examine all areas around the house, including landscaping, paved areas, the lawn, and gardens.
3. Soil Grading:
- The ground around the house should ideally drop one inch for every one foot as you move away from the house in the first 5-to-10 feet.
- The ground should never slope upwards away from the house foundation.
4. Fixing Grading Issues:
- Adding soil next to the foundation and sloping it away from the house can correct grading issues.
- Maintain at least four inches of the foundation above the soil to prevent contact with siding or wood.
- Removing soil a few feet away from the foundation can also help increase the slope away from the house.
5. Type of Soil:
- Bagged topsoil is not recommended due to its higher organic content and cost. Instead, choose screened topsoil from a local landscape or garden center.
- A native silty clay loam is preferable as it settles well, achieves a semi-permeable state, and supports vegetation.
Window Wells:
1. Adjusting for Settling:
- Houses settle over time, leading to adjustments needed for window wells.
- Raising window wells is often necessary to maintain adequate space between the top of the window well and the grading (2” - 3” is ideal).
2. Taller Window Wells:
- If existing window wells can't be raised without issues, taller window wells may need to be installed.
- Address leaking windows and failing window wells promptly by sealing or replacing them.
In summary, proper grading around your home is essential for effective water management, preventing issues such as ponding and foundation damage. Understanding the ideal slope, soil types, and addressing settling-related concerns, especially with window wells, are key aspects of maintaining a well-graded property.
