What Soil Should You Use to Stop a Wet Basement?

Soil and Wet Basements

• Soils made up predominantly of clay can hold large amounts of water. A clay soil can become saturated with water after a heavy rain or during the spring melt in heavy snow areas. The water in the saturated soil will exert pressure against the basement wall. Any crack or crevice in the wall will result in a leak and a wet basement. Sealing the basement walls will slow the influx of water but rarely will keep the basement completely dry.

  Excavating all the soil around a basement is not usually a viable option, but there are alternatives.

  Landscaping can help prevent water from saturating the soil near the basement. The ground should slope away from the home so water will run away from the basement rather than pool close to the house and soak into the ground. According to the Web site inspectusa.com, a slope of 1/2 inch per foot will help keep the basement dry.

  Use fill dirt to increase the slope of the lawn away from the house. Pack the soil firmly and plant grasses. The idea is to create a surface water will run off rather than soak into.

  Other landscape features around the house may also affect moisture in the basement. While planters and garden areas next to the home look attractive, they also allow water to soak directly into the soil next to the basement. The best landscape for a house prone to a wet basement is a tight sod lawn sloping from the wall of the house to an area where the water will drain away from the home.

  Homeowners should also check the gutters. Gutters and downspouts serve the same purpose as sloping the ground around the home. The idea is to carry the water away from the house to prevent it from soaking into the soils around the basement. Sidewalks and patios should also slope away from the home.

  Keeping a basement surrounded by clay soils dry is a challenge. Homeowners must take every precaution possible to keep the soil from becoming saturated.