"Our service stops when our customer stops calling"

        
        
                                                                                                                  Since 1978

        175 Strafford Ave. Suite 1, Wayne, PA 19087                         
                610-964-1477
           Serving Montgomery, Chester, Delaware,
                Phila. & Lower Bucks Co's. in Southeastern PA. 

 When it's important enough to use the very best!

                     REGRADING

The most often asked question about grading is “how far should the grading be extended away from the house walls?" We recommend a slope of at least 1-inch per foot away from the house walls for at least 8 feet.

In order to develop a positive slope away from the house, grading should be completed as follows:

1.        Remove any soft or porous materials, such as topsoil, mulch, gravel and wood chips
from around the house, down to the more dense clay soil. (Approx. 4 to 6 inches)

       To determine how far away from the house walls to re-grade:

       a. Determine the depth of the basement floor below the finished grade.

       b. Add 1 foot to that measurement and re-grade away from the house to that distance.
           The theory, because water will return towards the foundation wall at a 45 degree angle.
           So if the basement floor were 6 feet below the finished grade, you would re-grade away
           from the foundation walls 7-ft. (6 feet plus 1 foot allowance)
 

2.        When re-grading you should use non-expansive clay (clean fill) and fill in the area
to be re-graded to develop a positive downward slope away from the house walls.
For an area that is to be re-graded out to 8 feet, the finished grade at the house
should be a minimum of 8 inches higher at the house wall than it is 8 feet away from
the walls. Be sure to tamp the new clay firmly so that it will shed the water away
from the house walls.
 

3.        After this clay shelf is complete you should put back the topsoil, mulch, gravel or
wood chips to prevent erosion of the clay. For an instant soil repair to re-graded
areas, sod can also be installed.
 

4.        When re-grading around a house with a block foundation wall, the entire house and
any connected structures should be re-graded, including the attached garage.
Concrete blocks are hollow and water that seeps into the block at the garage walls
can drain down to the bottom of the block foundation. This water will run into the
connected house block and seep into the basement.

 

Note: There is no time when water penetrating a basement is acceptable.