The stucco on my house extends below grade. Is it dangerous for the dirt to be in contact with stucco?
Question:My front yard slopes TOWARD the house, so I built up the dirt to grade away from the house b/c water was pooling by the foundation. In order to do this, I added 6-10 inches of topsoil against the house and graded it away at 1 inch per foot for 5-10 feet. I've been told that this is not good, because now I have damp soil in constant contact with the stucco. Apparently, this is conducive to termites and wood rot, because the stucco absorbs the moisture and wicks it up. Is there something that I can do to make sure that the soil is not in contact with the stucco, but still make sure that my lawn is properly graded? I've thought of digging a trench a few inches wide right next to the house and filling it with stones, and I've thought of building a small retaining wall a few inches from the house and just leaving an unfilled trench right next to the house. Any comments about those ideas? Any other suggestions?
Answers:
Seems to me concrete/trenching is going to be your answer. If I were you, I'd hire a structural engineer to consult you before you screw up your property, lose mega-money, and render it unsellable.
'dangerous' is not the right word. the house won't explode or collapse. to protect it from moisture just put a heavy plastic sheeting barrier between the dirt and the house.
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