Newsletter
About Us
Rain Gauge Data
News
Facilities
Budget/Financial
History
Milorganite
2035 Vision
Strategic Plan
Blue Notes Newsletter
Blue Notes Newsletter Sign-up
See How We're Doing
What We Do
MMSD TV
Basement Connection
Laterals
Foundation Drains
Flood Prep
What You Can Do
Green infrastructure
Rain Barrels
Rain Garden
Porous Pavement
Native Landscaping
Adopt-A-River
Become a Fresh Coast Guardian
Downspout Disconnection
Home HazMat Collection
Medicine Collections
Rain Check
Water Drop Alert
Procurement
Procurement Opportunities
Construction Standard Documents and Special Bid Attachments
Vendor Registration
Supplier Diversity
Business Development
Workforce Development
Events & Outreach
Contract Compliance Login
Government & Business
Community Exchange (Document Repository)
Rules & Regulations
Rules
Forms
Manuals
Safety
Dentist Offices & Mercury
Private Property I & I
Industrial Waste & Pretreatment
Industrial Honor Role
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL)
2020 Water Quality Initiative
State Of The Art Report
2020 Facilities Plan Reports
2020 Plan - Addendum 1
2020 Plan - Treatment Report
2020 Plan - Conveyance Report
News and Resources
Blue Notes Sign-Up
Education and Outreach
Tours
Grading plays a major role in where the water ends up on your property. When looking at the grading you should be looking at all areas around your house including the landscaping directly surrounding the house, paved areas, the lawn, and gardens. Your goal is to have all the water that falls on your house roof and across your entire property to run away from the house.
All water that falls within 10 feet of your house (snowmelt or rain) should have a clear path away from your home without ponding (water only runs downhill).
Ideally, the ground should drop 1 inch for every 1 foot that you move away from the house for the first 5-to-10 feet around your house. While this is not always possible, the ground should never be sloping upwards as you move away from your house foundation.
To fix or improve the grading, you can add soil next to the foundation and slope away from the house, however, you should have at least 4” of your foundation (concrete, block, or stone) showing above the soil. The soil and vegetation should not be in contact with the siding or any wood.
If the soil is near the top of the foundation, you can also remove soil a few feet away from the foundation to increase the slope away from the house if you have enough drop in the grading as you move away from the house for the water to continue to flow away from the house and not pond.
The ground should drop 1 inch for every 1 foot that you move away from the house for the first 5-to-10 feet around your house.
Since your house has settled over time, window wells often need to be raised to provide adequate space from the top of the window well to the top of the grading (2” - 3” is ideal) as you try to correct your grading.
You may need to install taller window wells if your existing window wells can’t be raised without allowing soil and/or water to enter from the bottom into the window well.
Leaking windows and/or failing window wells should be sealed and or replaced.
Houses settle over time, so often window wells need to be raised.