This problem usually occurs during landscaping/grading and can lead to big problems. Beware of suggestions to apply exterior waterproofing in this situation. Termites can easily attack your house by coming up from the soil behind the waterproofing membrane.

Also, many times the area will continue to be a problem due to seepage from behind the veneer (brick, stucco, stone, etc.) from other areas. In our experience, a much better solution is to lower the grade in the problem area and direct the water away from the foundation.

In some rare cases, due to the neighboring yard’s elevation, the stud wall must be replaced with a masonry wall and then the exterior grade can be safely raised.