How do I protect my foundation from outside .Can gravel help?
Related Discussions
Vinyl plank flooring vs pergo (laminate)
I currently have stinky dirty carpeting in my living room and I want to replace it with a durable flooring that can stand up to dogs and kids.
How to remove popcorn ceiling that has been painted?
Does having a paint over a popcorn ceiling change how I'd remove the popcorn ceiling?
How to apply peel and stick wallpaper?
I want to spruce up my walls with peel-and-stick wallpaper. Has anyone used this before and can advise me as to how to apply it properly?
How to stain wood floor?
I've heard staining is a good technique for updating floors. So how do I stain my wood floor?
How do I remove chipping paint from an outside chimney?
Recently purchased a house and the chimney brick has been painted. The top portion of the chimney, just above the roof is unsightly, as the paint is chipping off and ... See more
Your suggestion: gravel, has a drawback... once in place it's near imposible to dig into (with a hand shovel), so gardening there is near impossible!
I presume you mean protect from water. I would recommend intercepting any surface water at a distance from the house, and diverting it.
Also, if possible, slope the ground away from the foundation to direct surface water away. And how are those roof gutters? they're part of the solution.
Other suggestions would be site-specific-- and you should seek a local pro for such info. The local soils and climate affect solutions greatly.
Key to this is "water flows down", so Any obvious elevation is a good start.
That said, some soils Hold water, some absorb it and some reject it until they're saturated.
Do A survey... how much is your neighbor's house elevated? And how close is it to your house? It could be directing runoff To You!
In such case, consider a trench-like landscape... to collect water and direct it in a desirable direction... to pavement or drain.
You can also add underground pipes, but I find many are undersized and will silt up over time and solve Nothing in the long run. Drainage managed on the surface can be watched and managed easier, unless it's overwhelming.
If your neighbors property is above yours, and you need to grade yours away from your house, you will want to create a swale between the two house to channel water away. This will work only if you can get it to run downhill. If you can't create a swale look into installing a drywell. Most municipalities do not allow you to drain surface water into their system.
Seth has a point... draining substantial amounts into a common storm drain can overwhelm a critical facility. A drainage sump can also work like a drywell... collecting into a "pond" and holding excess to drain slowly later.
Also, consider what happens in winter... will you spill over pavement and make an icy spot?
Remember to replant grass as needed. Cover with hay to minimize erosion as it gets established. Best of luck with it all.