rfultz asks,
My home is brick, and every time it rains I end up with standing water under the house. Originally I thought it may have been coming in the vents around the foundation. I dug down to the bottom of the foundation at each of the vents, poured a u-shaped 6 inch wide concrete pad around each vent so the water could not get to them, and filled the void with gravel. This did not help at all so I thought maybe it was seeping in through the foundation because when i crawled under while it was raining the front wall seemed really damp. So I dug down to the bottom of the foundation all the way around the house and covered it with a tar-like substance from Lowes. I put on two coats and then let it sit a couple of days before putting the dirt back. It rained for the first time since yesterday and I have a huge puddle of water under the front room of my house again. I do not know where to go from here. Could the water be leaking on the back side of the bricks and running under the house? There are no signs of water inside the house. Please help.
What kind of soil should I use under my raised house to prevent flooding? I plan to add soil to raise the level and grade it. Can you suggest what type of soil I should use? I think it is basically a clay that seems to remain moist long after the flooding has stopped. Then I plan to add the French drains and underground extenders from my downspouts.
I appreciate any suggestions that you have to offer.