The most common cause of basement moisture is melted snow or rainwater that isn’t routed away from the house. Water flows downhill. If the home is located on a grade where the water flows from a higher area past the home to a lower area with the home blocking it, the home will act as a dam with the water building hydrostatic pressure up against the walls.
The water drains through porous topsoil and stops at the more compacted soil near the base of the foundation where the hydrostatic pressure forces it through cracks, holes or openings in the walls and footings or by capillary action through the porous blocks or concrete to the inside.
Swales are one of the least complicated, although labor intensive, ways to prevent water from reaching your home. They intercept and divert the water before it reaches the walls.
A swale is a very gentle shallow V-shaped depression which is placed around the home, running perpendicular to the fall of the hill. Swales are used with or without various combinations of drainage tiles, catch basins or gravel. The most common form is with a French drain with the swale being filled with crushed stone, covered with topsoil and seeded with grass. If the runoff is severe perforated drain tile is often used.
A swale should be at least 6 feet from the home, should intercept the water on the uphill side and divert it around on one or both sides as is appropriate following the elevation contour lines to a discharge area at the street ditch or another acceptable area.
As always, I wish you good fortune and success solving your waterproofing problems. Take a deep breath and try not to get discouraged if things don’t go quickly and easily, as is often the case. Don’t take it personally. Remember, nearly every solution which now exist was acquired by trial and error by someone who was frustrated before you. Persevere, you’ll get the job done and feel very good about it.
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