U.S. Foundation Repair specializes in foundation inspection and repairs!
Clay soil: The ever expanding and contracting medium that causes foundation problems and headaches for homeowners across Houston. However, in the Houston area, there is a way to literally water down the problem.
Watering tips for foundation inspection and maintenance:
To prevent the settlement of your foundation, the ideal situation is to maintain balanced moisture levels in the surrounding areas of your slab-on-grade foundation. Because of our unique, black land prairie soil condition, you want the ground around your home to not be too dry or too moist. Note: There’s no need to worry about the levels of moisture underneath the slab unless you have other signs of drainage or plumbing issues. However if you have a pier-and-beam, you want the underbelly (crawl space) of your home to be bone dry.
- The area surrounding your home needs good ground cover. Meaning you want foliage and root structure to stop excessive moisture from seeping into the soil.
- To make it to the happy medium where you don’t water too much or too little, there’s a simple thing to remember: Water the soil around the house just enough to keep the grass green.
- Don’t ever take your hose and water directly into any soil that’s cracking around your foundation. Although you may think this is helping to restore a moisture balance or preventing them from deepening, the cracks normally reach a few feet into the ground, and the water will reach clay that normally never sees such a concentrated deluge of water.
- On that note, it’s a great idea to stay at least 18 inches away from the perimeter of your home when you water.
- Check for drainage issues around your home. This is extremely important. If rain puddles or any excess water ponds near the base of your home’s exterior, the water will seep into the clay causing the unbalanced forces on the concrete. You need a sloping grade for water to flow away from the home.
If you’re seeing the signs of an unhealthy foundation, contact us today for a free foundation inspection, valid for all Houston homeowners.