Preventative Measures To Protect Your Home's Foundation

The last thing you want is to see signs of foundation issues like cracks in the foundation, uneven floors, cracked tile flooring, cracks in the exterior brick, or doors that no longer open or close properly. Seeing any of these signs induces the same panic you receive when you see your check engine light come on in your car - you know you're likely going to have to shell out a hefty amount of money. 

Fortunately, there are preventative measures you can take to prevent foundation issues and hopefully save yourself some money in the long run. Ultimately, there are about 7 things you can start doing today to keep your foundation strong. 

If left unchecked, water will flow in the path of least resistance, which could be towards your home's foundation. If water collects in the soil surrounding your foundation, that soil will expand and place stress on your foundation walls. To combat this, you should consider installing in-ground drains to move water that would otherwise pool around your foundation elsewhere. Proper downspout placement also helps to move water away from the home's foundation. 

As previously mentioned, keeping water from pooling near your home's foundation is paramount to protecting it. Your gutters help to do that job, but they can't do the job properly without regular maintenance. Check your gutters and make sure they're clean of all debris such as leaves, twigs, dirt, etc. You may also want to test your gutters with a hose. If you notice leaks in the gutter pipes, you'll want to replace the faulty part of the gutter causing the leak immediately. 

Depending on where you live, the soil surrounding your home may get dry during the summer months. If this is the case, you'll want to install or use an existing sprinkler system to water twice a day (once at dusk and once at dawn) for 30 minutes near your home's foundation. While you don't want water pooling around the foundation, you do want the soil to have some moisture. Dry soil contracts, which can also lead to foundation movement. 

Proper grading goes a long way in keeping excessive moisture from accumulating near your foundation. A general rule of thumb for grading around the foundation is to grade 6 inches in the soil 10 feet away from the foundation. 

Trees and shrubs will compete with the soil for moisture during dry seasons. To prevent your foliage from stealing all of the water, shrubs should be planted at least two feet away from the foundation. Trees should be between 15 and 20 feet away from the home, though smaller trees can be planted closer than 15 feet. In addition to drying out the soil, the roots of trees and shrubs can also push against the foundation and compromise the foundation walls. There are certain trees you should never plant near your home's foundation. These trees include Japanese Maples, Pine Trees, and American Holly trees. 

Regular watering during dry months is great, but you can go a step further and help the soil retain some moisture by installing compacted soil around the foundation. If you embed your foundation, you'll want to do so up to two inches from the top of the foundation slab. In addition to compacted soil, you can also mulch the area around the foundation to help the soil retain even more moisture. 

Retaining walls can be a great way to protect a home's foundation in places where there are larger changes in elevation. Retaining walls nicely separate two different points of elevation to keep soil from sliding downhill. Retaining walls also can help to divert water away from the foundation. 

Doing these things aren't a guarantee that your foundation will be protected from damage. However, the will reduce the chances that you'll have foundation problems in the future, which could save you a lot of money down the road. It's worth doing the seven aforementioned activities above in an effort to keep your foundation strong and healthy.  

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