Five Practical Ways to Keep Foundation Problems at Bay

Five Practical Ways to Keep Foundation Problems at Bay

The foundations play a vital role in the stability of your home. When they are compromised, your house risks crumbling. While you can always call in a concrete foundation repair contractor whenever there are foundation issues, preventing the issues won’t lead to inconveniences. It also means a safer home. How can you keep common foundation problems at bay?

Drain Appropriately

When water collects near your foundations, the soil is likely to expand. This ends up stressing the foundation walls, which can result in cracks. If there are areas likely to retain water near your foundations, it is important to drain them. Installing ground drains, for instance, can help move any water that collects in depressions in your compound. In case your roof produces plenty of water during direct rain, you need to invest in the right type of downspouts to direct the water away.

Maintain Proper Moisture Levels

Excessively dry soil, just like excessively wet soil, is dangerous to your foundations. When the soil around your foundations dries up during dry months, it is likely to shrink. Fortunately, you can solve the problem by watering the soil evenly using a sprinkler system. For the best results, you need to install rock beds to facilitate better penetration of sprinkler water. If possible, invest in a timed sprinkler system to maintain appropriate saturation. In case water is in short supply, mulching can help retain ideal moisture content.

Be Careful with Tree Roots

Assuming that tree transpiration would not make much of a difference would be a bad decision. During dry weather, trees, especially large ones, suck water from the soil. This results in shrinkage of the soil, which can cause your home to settle. If the settling happens unevenly, cracks will form in your foundations. If you must plant trees and shrubs, it is advisable to maintain an appropriate distance from your house. Keeping shrubs trimmed controls root development, which means that they would suck less moisture.

Take Care of Plumbing Leaks

Plumbing leaks can wreak havoc on your foundations. Most of the time, they cause the foundations to move. Understand that you might not know that you have a leak until there are cracks in your foundations. This makes it important to inspect your plumbing and foundations frequently. Working with a plumber or a foundation repair expert during inspections is important. Since your foundations will keep shifting until leaks are fixed, you should move with speed to address leaks once they occur.

Plan Other Concrete Features Properly

Row of Houses

Landscaping paths, sidewalks, and concrete driveways can weaken your foundations. If they direct water to your house, draining it appropriately would be difficult. Working with an expert when designing and laying concrete features helps. If you must erect other structures, you should balance them. For instance, you should not erect heavy constructions only on one side of your home.

Carrying out preventive measures after your foundations have cracked would not help much. If you have issues already, you should contact a competent concrete foundation repair contractor as soon as possible. Make sure that they prepare the ground well as well as use the best materials. This helps avoid foundation failure going forward.

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