A solid foundation is the most crucial part of your home; it creates a stable platform for your house to sit on, while ensuring the overall structural integrity of the home. For that reason alone, you want to be sure you never have to deal with foundation problems, Instead of catching a foundation problem when it is too late, take some easy steps to prevent a problem from ever forming, with these easy tips.
Make Sure Your Yard is Graded
When homes are built, it is important that the yard surrounding it is “graded,” or sloped at least 6 to 10 inches away from the home. This is done to help ensure that rainwater is taken away from your home and foundation, saving it from any potential damage. For added support in redirecting water, you may want to add a French drain system, a bern, or a trench.
Have a Good Downspout
The downspout is meant to redirect rainwater from your roof and to the ground. But, you want to be sure that your downspout is installed in a way that makes it extend 5 to 10 feet away from the home’s foundation. Otherwise, while the water will be redirected from your roof, it will be still be left to pool right by your foundation, which can end up leading to some foundation issues.
Some Water is Good
While excess water around your foundation is something you want to avoid, you also do not soil to dry completely. When moisture is removed from the soil, it begins to shrink and creates voids under your foundation, meaning your home will not have full support. This can lead to your foundation starting to bow and crack under all the weight. So, during drought-like conditions, you should try to water your soil enough to keep it from shrinking too much.
Watch Your Tree Roots
Water and drought are not the only two things that can affect your home’s foundation. If you have big-rooted plants or trees, they can also harm your foundation. The thick roots of these plants can dig their way under your foundation, forcing it up in a way that can cause it to begin to crack. So, you want to completely remove any plants that are too close to your foundation to keep this from happening. But, this is something that is better left to a professional who is trained in proper tree removal and can ensure the job gets done without too much damage to your property.
These preventative treatments are things all homeowners should keep in mind. Of course, you do not have to try and do it yourself—there are professionals that can come out to your property to ensure the safety of your foundation and make any necessary fixes. While it will still cost you some money to bring a company out to inspect and fix any problems, it can end up saving you thousands in the long run, since you will no longer have to worry about potential foundation damage.