How to Use Stone As Backfill Material Around Basement Walls

Landscapes and gardens add bright beauty to a home, and give homeowners areas for planting and designing. Planting beds, their soil and the water involved can mean trouble for house foundations, though, especially if the land slopes toward the house rather than away from it. Back fill open spots around a house's foundation with rock and fill dirt to prevent leaks, then adjust the slope as necessary for correct drainage.

Stone/crushed stone
Fill dirt
Shovel
Organic compost
Garden loam
Tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Fill any holes around the basement walls or foundation with stones or crushed stone to take up space. Pack the stone as tightly as you can to prevent excess settling. Leave up to 6 inches of space between the top of the stone layer and the natural soil level.
- 2
  Fill the rest of the hole with fill dirt. Scrape and push the dirt down into the spaces between the rocks to fill more space. This step keeps water from seeping into the cracks and damaging the walls. Add fill dirt until you reach natural soil level.
- 3
  Add 5 to 6 inches of organic compost and garden loam to the site for planting. Slope the planting foundation away from the house, with an ideal drop of 6 inches every 10 feet. This slope funnels rain water away from the house to prevent puddling and leakage.

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