If you own your own home, you know how important it is to properly maintain your foundation. One thing you can do to keep your foundation safe and secure is maintain the slope of the soil around your house’s foundation. This should slope at about six inches for each ten horizontal feet. You also should make sure you plant any bushes or other foliage at least two feet away from the foundation. You need to make sure any plants you have near the foundation do not cause water to pool nearer to the foundation itself. Your foundation repair contractor can tell you how damaging pools of water can be your home’s foundation.
Tips for Proper Foundation Maintenance:
- Keep an eye on your moisture levels. It is no secret that moisture is the natural enemy of your home’s foundation but it may surprise you to know that overly dry soil around the foundation is not much better. Most experts such as your foundation repair contractor recommend paying close attention to the moisture levels of the soil around your home and doing what you can to keep it consistent. To prevent issues with shrinking soil, you can add moisture when the conditions are very dry. One thing many homeowners do is install rock beds between a foot and a half and two feet away from the foundation. It is not recommended to water your foundation directly.
- Keep an eye on your drainage systems. Your gutters and downspouts play a pivotal role in protecting your foundation. These need to be installed correctly so that they can move water away from your foundation. Rainwater should flow through the downspouts and away from your home. If your foundation is built on sandy soil, the minimum distance the water should flow is five feet from the foundation. For foundations that have been put on expansive soil, that distance needs to grow to at least ten feet. When your gutters get clogged, water can start to accumulate near your foundation. In addition to keeping your gutters well maintained, you should pay attention to water as it drains after a rainstorm or snow storm. If you notice constant pooling of water near your foundation, you may want to call in experts in foundation repairs and foundation sealing to get some ideas for preventing this.
- Look at your basement. A whopping 98% of all homes with basements will experience some water damage problems from the basement. One way to deal with this before you need to bring in a foundation repair contractor is to do a home waterproofing service on your house. Ask around to find the best basement waterproofing services in your area. This can prevent at least some of the problems home owners experience with their basements.
- Fix the cracks you see. If you are doing an inspection of your foundation and notice some small cracks, you can fix them without calling a foundation repair contractor. Get some epoxy from your local hardware store and fix any tiny cracks that you find. This way you can at least prevent the small cracks from becoming large and hard to manage.
- Keep an eye on your plumbing systems. At least once a year, you should have a plumbing contracting company come in and do a thorough inspection of your pipes and sewer system. If you find any leaking pipes or other problems, you will do yourself a big favor by fixing them as soon as you see them. This will prevent problems with flooding from your pipes and can limit the amount of expensive foundations repairs you need to make on your home.
Doing proper, preventative maintenance on your foundation is one of the best things you can do for your home. Some of it is just using common sense. If, for instance, you notice a ton of water pooling around your home after it rains, have your gutters and downspouts looked at. If you find you have plumbing leaks, fix them before they cause water damage around your home. Keep your gutters clean and clear. If you pay attention to these parts of your home before they cause any problems, you will save yourself a lot of stress and money later on.
