Proper Site Grading for Foundation Protection
The ground around your home should slope away from the building, so gravity can drain water from rain and snow. A 2% negative slope is standard, which is a 6 inch drop in the first 10ft around the home. If the ground slopes down towards the house, or is flat, the soil your home sits on was not properly graded.
Common signs of this defect include: finding standing water around the home after it rains, damp and mustiness in the basement or crawlspace, and roof gutters seeming to dump water right next to the home. When water can’t drain, it pools around the foundation, creates puddles in the lawn, and leaks into the lower level of the home. This can lead to mold, soggy landscaping, and drywall cracking from damage to the house’s structure.
Water is especially destructive to foundations in Colorado due to the expansive soil that we have here. This type of soil expands significantly when wet, then shrinks down as it dries, putting excess pressure on the concrete foundation and leading to cracking. This structural damage is very expensive to repair. Do not let your builder convince you that water flowing onto your home is no big deal. It can have serious consequences if not remediated.
