The real issue is water collecting and pooling against your foundation. This causes a large amount of what is known as hydrostatic pressure against your foundation. This will cause water to penetrate through small cracks in the concrete, brick, or stone.

Water collects due to various reasons, but here are the usual suspects:

• Improper sloping of the lot. This is the case if the earth surrounding your home slopes down into the foundation, instead of down and away from the foundation into your yard.
• Gutters clogged and spilling directly over the roof into the earth around your exterior perimeter.
• Faulty window wells. These can have improper sealing.
• Deteriorated / Clogged drain pipes. If your drain tile system has been neglected and/or was improperly installed, it can start clogging and lose its function.
• Downspouts emptying too close to the foundation.