How to add drainage to the side of the house?

Sshep88

Hi

Our house is on a sloped site. Half is built on brick peers and the rest on steel posts. We do get water running under our house. This is one of the sides of the house, you can see the paint is peeling off where the water must get to the bricks. I am wondering what to do with this side of the house to get the water away / how should it be finished at this level?

My idea was to dig down, put a drain in and then gravel over the top? I’m just not sure how the drain would go around the fireplace. 

I’ve attached another pic of the back corner of the house on the same side as the first pic which is also being impacted by water. I want to try and rectify this too. 
Any help/tips would be great.

MitchellMc

Hi @Sshep88,

To address the water issues on your sloped property, it’s essential to first understand where the water is entering and how it flows around your home. While adding drainage along the side of the house could help mitigate some moisture issues, it’s more effective to investigate where water initially meets the property—often at the front or uphill areas. On a slope, water typically pools at the base or entry points rather than penetrating directly through the side walls.

Given your setup with brick piers and steel posts, water may be pooling at the uphill side and gradually moving underneath the house, particularly if there’s inadequate drainage. The peeling paint on the bricks likely indicates moisture retention, which could be from prolonged exposure or older paint unsuited to constant moisture. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that water is entering directly at that point on the side wall.

To reduce water penetration under your home, a two-pronged approach may work best. First, install a trench drain or French drain along the front or uphill side, where water is more likely pooling before it moves down the slope. This will help capture and redirect water before it reaches the base of your home. Then, to address moisture along the side wall, your idea of digging down to install a drain covered with gravel could still be beneficial, especially near high-impact areas like the back corner of the house. This secondary drainage system would catch any remaining runoff and guide it away from the foundation, helping to keep the area drier overall.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell