# Forum Home Renovation Waterproofing  Soil level against house

## J4rchie

Hi all, 
Looking for advice for soil levels against our house. Our house is on a sloping block and I've dug a decent trench about 800mm out from the from wall to install ag drainage to stop subsurface water from creeping into the crawl space. 
The current soil level has been built up about two brick courses from the foundation for a garden bed. My plan is to remove the garden bed and grade the soil to slope away (about 1-1.5m) from the house to deal with surface runoff. 
My question though is, is the soil level safe to be that couple of bricks up from the foundation (see photo) if I slope it away from the house?   
The plan is to slope it away from the existing soil level if it is safe to do so, and then pave at a later date rather than having the garden bed directly up against the house. 
Thanks for any help!

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## goldie1

Can you see the damp course soil should not be above the damp course

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## wspivak

Alternately, you can waterproof to above the height of where the soil level is going to be with something like Gripset 51.  Just make sure to let it cure, then put a protective layer of coreflute over the top of it prior to back-filling.

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## Oldsaltoz

Quote. The plan is to slope it away from the existing soil level if it is safe to do so, and then pave at a later date rather than having the garden bed directly up against the house. End Quote.  You are on the right track, exposing the slab footing means no running water in contact with porous brick work. sloping away from that with a small concrete ramp will sole your problem.

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