1 Drive a stake into the soil at the base of the foun- dation and another at least 8 ft. out into the yard along a straight line from the first stake. Attach a string fitted with a line level to the stakes and level it. Measure and flag the string with tape at 1-ft. inter- vals. Measure down from the string at the tape flags, recording your measurements to use as guidelines for adding or removing soil to create a correct grade. 34 Grading Your Yard Unless your yard has the proper grade, or slope, rain water can flow toward the founda- tion of your house—and possibly into your basement. An improper grade can also cause water to collect in low-lying ar- eas, creating boggy spots where you’ll have trouble growing grass and other plants. When graded correctly, your yard should have a grad- ual slope away from the house of about 3 ⁄ 4" per horizontal foot. Although the initial grading of a yard is usually done by a landscape contractor, you can do the work yourself to save money. The job is a bit time-consuming, but it isn’t difficult. Typically, creating a grade at this stage involves spread- ing a 4" to 6" layer of topsoil over the yard, then distributing and smoothing it to slope away from the house. Established landscapes often require regrading, especially if the house has settled. If you find signs of basement moisture problems or puddle- prone areas in the yard, you need to correct the slope. The measuring and grading techniques featured here will help you remove and distribute soil as needed. 8 ft. level line Everything You Need Tools: Basic tools (page 18), line level, grading rake, stakes, string, tape, hand tamp. Materials: Topsoil. How to Measure & Establish a Grade Measure 1’ intervals