Question
i have some problems that when it rains extremly hard i have some water coming thru the bottom of my block walls and getting to different spots on my floor. around the house i have bigger sized river rock that is about even with the ground. it doesnt run away from the house and in some cases it runs toward the house. i was told by a person today that they thought that was a lot of my problem. what do you think

Answer
You have two problems and you have already identified the first.
That is all slopes around your house should slope away from the house for at least six to ten feet if at all possible. If not then you can re-grade the slopes and put in a swale (shallow ditch) to direct water quickly away from the area against your foundation. Sale should have 3-5% slope or roughly 1 inch of fall for every 20-30 inches of distance. Second you need to re-waterproof your foundation walls. There are many products to do this. My preference is the following: Apply fluid applied waterproofing(many brands and types), then one or two layers of 6 mil or heavier plastic sheeting, then 1/2" of rigid insulation foam (to protect plastic and waterproofing from damage of soil or roots, then a drain mat with filter fabric to allow water to freely flow down to a french drain at the bottom of your foundation. The french drain must drain to daylight or a storm sewer.
This is no easy job. I suggest a expert in foundation waterproofing be consulted directly unless you are a very "handy" person.
Take a look at these sites.

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/waterproofing_concrete_foundations/
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6684579.html
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/components/7051-04....
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2005/062305/11draina.htm


Best of Luck

Sean J Murphy, LA
Southeastern Engineering, Inc.
Amenity Architects, LLC

www.amenityarchitects.com
www.seengineering.com