I am wondering or looking for solutions. My home sits below a rather lage
hill and I need to build my grading up in order to keep water flow away from
the home. My challenge is this. Currently my siding is at the most 2-3 inches
above my grade but i feel I need to take it higher in order to have decent
flow from the house. It was recommended to me to place some industrial
plastic ontop of the current soil and continue it up along my home another 6-
12 inches and then just back fill with dirt until I reach my desired grading,
thus the plastic protecting from rotting and insects. My siding is the
concrete based Hardee Plank but with this plastic recommendation it seems
there would be no vapor barrier and over time I may have a larger problem on
my hands. Am I off on this or has anyone ever had the same challenge and come
up with a solution?


Thanks Anton

"anton" u37652@uwe wrote in message news:78a73430d1ea0@uwe...
I am wondering or looking for solutions. My home sits below a rather lage
hill and I need to build my grading up in order to keep water flow away
from
the home. My challenge is this. Currently my siding is at the most 2-3
inches
above my grade but i feel I need to take it higher in order to have decent
flow from the house. It was recommended to me to place some industrial
plastic ontop of the current soil and continue it up along my home another
6-
12 inches and then just back fill with dirt until I reach my desired
grading,
thus the plastic protecting from rotting and insects. My siding is the
concrete based Hardee Plank but with this plastic recommendation it seems
there would be no vapor barrier and over time I may have a larger problem
on
my hands. Am I off on this or has anyone ever had the same challenge and
come
up with a solution?

Grade level should never be above the wooden sill plate, no matter what
protective layers you put above it. When house shopping, I looked at several
otherwise-interesting places that had situations like what you are
proposing. Every single one of them had evidence of water leaking in, and
wood starting to rot.

Only correct (but expensive) solution is heavily regrading the yard to make
the low spot 15-20 feet away from the house, with a route for the water to
go from there. If a simple swale is not possible, you are looking at
terracing and a retaining wall, and probably drain tiles in the yard to lead
the water elsewhere. And shame on the builder that didn't grade the lot
properly in the first place, and didn't raise the foundation a foot to get
the house up out of the mud.

aem sends...

Don't put plastic against the house with dirt against the plastic, this will
form a very inviting home for mould, insects and problems. You need to
create a swale or shallow ditch or dry creekbed around the house to take the
water away even if it means creating a retaining wall to hold the dirt and
slope away from the swale.

This is how it should have been done from day one.


"anton" u37652@uwe wrote in message news:78a73430d1ea0@uwe...
I am wondering or looking for solutions. My home sits below a rather lage
hill and I need to build my grading up in order to keep water flow away
from
the home. My challenge is this. Currently my siding is at the most 2-3
inches
above my grade but i feel I need to take it higher in order to have decent
flow from the house. It was recommended to me to place some industrial
plastic ontop of the current soil and continue it up along my home another
6-
12 inches and then just back fill with dirt until I reach my desired
grading,
thus the plastic protecting from rotting and insects. My siding is the
concrete based Hardee Plank but with this plastic recommendation it seems
there would be no vapor barrier and over time I may have a larger problem
on
my hands. Am I off on this or has anyone ever had the same challenge and
come
up with a solution?


Thanks Anton

Absolutely not.

You will need to create the drainage by digging lower than the
house out away from the house. There should be 6" of concrete
showing below the bottom of the siding. The grade should then
fall away an additional 6" in the first 10 feet. This foot of
fall will establish the absolute highest point of your valley.
You will need to establish somewhere for the water to go from
there. If you cannot make grade to the street or some point lower
than you, might look for a storm system in your area to pipe to.
This would probably be owned by your municipality and I'm sure
they will require a licensed utility contractor to make the
connection after the system is engineered (read between the lines:
expensive). If you are rural, you can do your own piping if you
can make daylight somewhere.

Look up dry wells, sump pumps, and French drains for additional
reading. A sump system large enough to deal with a serious rain
would be fairly large.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"anton" u37652@uwe wrote in message news:78a73430d1ea0@uwe...
I am wondering or looking for solutions. My home sits below a
rather lage
hill and I need to build my grading up in order to keep water
flow away from
the home. My challenge is this. Currently my siding is at the
most 2-3 inches
above my grade but i feel I need to take it higher in order to
have decent
flow from the house. It was recommended to me to place some
industrial
plastic ontop of the current soil and continue it up along my
home another 6-
12 inches and then just back fill with dirt until I reach my
desired grading,
thus the plastic protecting from rotting and insects. My siding
is the
concrete based Hardee Plank but with this plastic recommendation
it seems
there would be no vapor barrier and over time I may have a
larger problem on
my hands. Am I off on this or has anyone ever had the same
challenge and come
up with a solution?


Thanks Anton