Ask Russelll Ray....Ask Jay Markanich....Ask your own home inspector....what is the very best thing you can do to safeguard your foundation against water damage...well of course there are things like a sump pump....and drain tile that is free of  blockage. This is the time of year when you are probably getting your yard ready...you have ordered or will...the mulch...maybe you are re-doing the flower beds or adding a garden plot...another thing you need to do that appears on 99.9% of all the home inspections we have seen is:

       Shop around...you can find good prices on top soil and spread it all around the foundation at a roughly 45 degree angle...You can have it delivered by the yard...you can buy it by the bag...or you can tell your landscaper....the neighborhood ambitious teenager (do they make those anymore ?) Add it to your exercise routine, the Honey-Do List (let me know if that works !).....JUST DO IT !  The foundation you save will be your own....and while you're looking down...be sure your downspouts empty the spring rain far away from the foundation...far...far away....

   ENJOY !