Question
Due to water seepage into a basement through a concrete block foundation after hard rains, it has been suggested to burm around the house before pursuing more expensive options.  How high should the dirt be piled around the foundation & at what degree of slope?

Answer
Hey, Deb.

You would want less soil, not more, around a foundation in all circumstances except when the water is coming from a flood and you're using the berm as a dam.

So the first thing to do is to determine where the water is coming from.

French drains are going to be your best bet, so it's just a matter of determining how much water the French drains need to carry away. Will you need to go real deep, or will you need a wide, shallow drain?

Do make sure that the soil around your foundation slopes away from the foundation, but don't add any more soil to it unless you simply need to level out some places.

Hope that helps.

Russel