We live on a slightly sloped lot, and the water from the
uphill lot flows down toward my house. This wasn't a
problem until recently, we put in a new pool and the
re-grading on the side of the house has caused the water
to pool against the house now during moderate to heavy
rains.

First, I assume this will be a problem long
term, because of termites? When it rains moderately,
a pool forms against the house at a max depth of 6".
This pool drains in an hour or so after it stops
raining.

We have a concrete/stucco house but the second floor
is mostly wood and of course the interior walls and
studs are wood/drywall. No basement (it is a concrete
slab house). Will the cyclic pooling during rains
dilute the termite treatments? I get a "booster"
under-the-slab-injections every 5 years along with
regular spraying once a year and inspections.

The two ideas I have so far a

1. Lay a drain pipe (would have to be about 50' long and
downward sloping) to drain the water from against the
house to the back of the lot, to a spot where it can freely
flow downhill and off the lot.

2. Build a "french drain" maybe 10' from the house (between
my house and the uphill house). I was going to bury a
55 gal drum, filled with rocks, with a solid top and a
perforated bottom (using steel fencing). Then, run a
two or three drain pipes from against the house, into
the top of the drum, allowing water to drain immediately
from against the house (and the surrounding pool that it
is currently forming during heavy rain), into the
rock-filled drum, and out the bottom into the earth.

#1 sounds like not so much digging, but a pain to
get a 50' run of pipe to slope down enough. How
much does it have to slope? and will it maintain
that slope over time (I live in central florida, no
frost line here).

#2 sounds like a lot of digging, but no long lines
of drain pipe (10' at most). But also sounds more
expensive to get 55 gallons of rocks.

Should I do anything? If so, should I do the long-pipe
option or the buried-drum option?

Thanks!

cj