On one side of the house we have a concrete path that has serious water damage. I would like to remove the path, grade the soil, and improve the grading.
I believe the concrete path is serving to trap some of the rain water, because if I extend the roof leaders beyond the path (to about 6' away from the foundation) I get more water in my basement. I get less water when the leaders open directly onto the path, even though it is 2' closer to the house.
I'm afraid if I simply remove the concrete path, more water will actually make it to the house. I want to do whatever I can to improve the grading of the soil and minimize the amount of water absorbed close to the foundation.
I don't have much room for grading because there is only about 12" of foundation exposed. What is the best way to ensure that rain/roof water gets as far away from the house as possible? Can I install gravel underneath the top soil? Can I plant shrubbery or other thirsty vegetation? Should I leave the concrete path since it apparently slows down the water entry?
Any advice would be appreciated."
Get a line level and figure out the grade and make sure it's sloping away from the foundation by about 3/4 of an inch per foot. Shrubs aren't going to help, as they can't dispense with the amount of water from a good rain. Get out during a heavy rain and take a look at what's going on, where the water is going, etc. Make sure the water from the leaders goes as far away from the foundation as possible, that
6 ft run sounds good. If you get more water in the basement when the leaders are discharging 6 ft, than at 2ft, something isn't graded right.