Soil erosion around a house foundation is just as much a problem for homes on flat land as it is for homes on slopes. And even though your area might not get a lot of rain annually, if you live in California, for example, you could still get inundated. The 'Pineapple Express' - a term for a specific meteorological band of moisture that flows inland from the Pacific - can dump an excessive amount of rain in just a few hours, eroding the soil away from your foundation in mere hours. Being prepared can help you control soil erosion. Install a French drain system around the house foundation. When your foundation extends several feet beneath the soil's surface, dig a trench, line it with gravel and place a special drain with perforations in it to pull the water away from the house.
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This works best for raised floor foundations with footings below ground level. Cover the drain with gravel, and then add soil over the gravel. Make certain the trench has a 3 percent to 5 percent downslope to it to allow the flow of water away from the foundation. Repair the Grade.
Assess the slope around the foundation. The soil should slope between 3 percent to 5 percent within 10 feet of the foundation.
![Foundation Foundation](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_CMEj2UvsqHc/TVickEJuRcI/AAAAAAAACKo/AnSF-K9fGFQ/fusible%20interfacing%208_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800)
If it does not, add soil and a ground cover to keep it in place. If you cannot repair the grade, dig down and add a moisture barrier to the foundation, if possible. Otherwise, create a swale with a slight downslope to channel water away from the house. You can line the swale with concrete or rock. But the rock must be heavy enough so that it stays in place during those Pineapple Express downpours. Monitor Drainage.