What's the right way to protect this brick if I want to pile soil up in front of it?

Question

Problem

Water pools up next to the house because it's the low point on the soil side of things.

Solution

I'd like to have a lot of dirt brought in that will raise this ~6-8 inches to encourage the water to stay away from the house as well as add plants and such.

Question

I understand mortar and water don't age very well and the process of freezing wet brick can cause cracks. Though it will be underground, so freezing shouldn't be too much of an issue. Our roof hangs over quite a bit so if we raised this soil it wouldn't get very wet. The brick is already ~2-3 inches below the soil line. Do I need to do something to water proof the brick or protect it from the exterior? I saw a technique where rubber paint was added to a foundation for waterproofing, was wondering if I should do that here. There are not currently any active leaks, this is preventative.

Answer 1

Fairly simple is to use EPDM pool liner. It is non toxic, stable, very tough and can be cut to size.
You can usually buy it off the roll at hardware supply or pond shops. The height of the strip should cover the mortar and the area where it meets the brick at the least.

Keep in mind that rainwater will splash dirt onto the bricks so you might want to mulch with bark or even landscape fabric and stone.

Also, keep in mind that soil will settle or compact over time so you have to grade it higher than you want the final height to be.