Ever notice that your basement feels damp? If it’s block concrete then perhaps you see discoloration or splotching. While some is unavoidable, a likely cause is that the ground just outside the foundation is sloped toward, rather than away from the house.

Just about every home inspector I work with talks about this during the walkthrough with the customer. Often, with homes in the 1940-1990 range, the ground has settled somewhat and compacted, creating a nice sluice for water to run on. If there are lots of bushes against the house, the problem is harder to spot. Even if there’s mulch down, the underlying ground can channel rainwater towards the foundation.

The solution is easy and fairly permanent. Buy some fine grain gravel, dig up about a foot and a half around the problem sections to a depth of eight inches. Create a slight slope away from the foundation and lay the gravel on the slope. Rebury the area and mulch/decorate (try not to get right up to the foundation with the mulch – another common source of trouble). When the rains come the water will redirect away from the foundation. I know of one customer who placed black plastic beneath the gravel, just to be sure.