RULE OF THUMB: SLOPING THE LAND AROUND YOUR FOUNDATION

This article really knocks home the “grading” issue.  What I always told people for years, you want the first 5-6 feet from your foundation sloped away from your house.  It gets a little tricky when there are sidewalks and patios that aren’t properly pitched, however, with garden beds and grass, you can raise grade by packing down top soil.  Unfortunately, with sidewalks, patios and driveways that have a negative pitch towards the foundation, they have to be torn up and relayed with a proper pitch.