Did I use the wrong soil for foundation grading?
Using regular lawn soil or piling dirt too high against the house traps moisture against the foundation. Even with a good slope, incorrect soil prevents brick and concrete side walls from drying out after a rainstorm, leaving them constantly damp. This leaves homeowners guessing whether to just monitor the moisture or completely remove the newly placed dirt.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1buying and placing sod on top of the graded soil to help roots lock everything inDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“After struggling to find the proper soil for grading, I ended up settling with lawn soil.”source ↗
“Should I monitor how this dries or have I chosen incorrect soil for the job and should I remove it?”source ↗
“I graded around the foundation at my house and the garage concrete side wall is always a bit damp.”source ↗
“Is it possible I have the dirt too high up on the side of the house?”source ↗
“It seems like I had a really good slope but now I’m wondering if the brick can’t “dry out” after a rainstorm.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6How to keep leveled ground from becoming wavy over time
- 7Why are there big soil gaps around my foundation?
- 2Can you fix a settling foundation yourself on a tight budget?
- 4How to plan a front yard layout with sandy soil
- 2Cheapest way to build a floor on bare earth in a garage or shed
- 9How to prep a weed and mulch area for laying sod