How to Prevent Home Foundation Issues: The Best Tips

There are several things to know when it comes to preventing home foundation issues. Check out our best tips by clicking here.

Your home’s foundation bears your home’s massive weight, keeps out critters and water from getting into your home and keeps wood-based materials from contact with the ground, which would cause them to rot.

That’s why it is so vital to take good care of your foundation and avoid foundation issues. Read on to learn how to prevent house foundation problems.

Foundation Issues to Do with Rain

The number one cause of foundation problems has to do with water. The most important thing you can do to avoid house foundation problems is to make sure water doesn’t pool near your home’s foundation.

When the soil around your foundation gets wet, the soil will expand. This puts stress on your foundation walls that can lead to cracks and leaks.

Downspouts

Make sure that your downspouts direct rain and water from your gutters well away from your home. The downspouts that come with the house tend to leave water right by your foundation.

Invest in downspout extenders that you can buy from your local home improvement store. They aren’t expensive (about $10-$30 each) and can save you from water damage and big foundation issues. You may want to buy a long downspout diverter that goes underground and drains the water right to the curb or a storm drain.

Proper Grading

The grading of your home is crucial to ensure that water doesn’t collect at the base of your foundation and gets through the walls.

Your soil should slope away from your home at least six inches in 10 feet. You can check the slope of your yard with a level.

Put one end of the level up next to your foundation wall. Measure the space from the other end of the level to the ground.

If you are using a 2-foot level, multiply your number by five. So, if you measure a 2-inch gap. That means over 10 feet, you’ll have a slope of about 10 inches. This is perfect.

If there is no space between your level and the ground, you will need to create slope by adding in topsoil. Check out this tutorial on how to grade a yard for proper drainage.

Drains

You can also add in-ground drains to tackle tricky spots in your yard that are prone to puddling. In the spring does your yard look like a marsh?

French drains are the right solution. These in-ground drains flow water to a discharge point somewhere else, away from your home.

House Foundation Problems Due to Plants

Another culprit of foundation issues is the roots around your yard.

Trees and shrubbery can compete for water with your soil. During dry seasons, thirsty roots can cause steal all the moisture and cause your foundation to settle and sink.

This leads to house foundation problems such as cracks and windows and doors that stick in their frames.

As you know, tree roots grow over time. As big roots start to spread out, they can push into the foundation of your home.

The smart thing to do is to plant deep-rooted trees and shrubs away from your home. If branches can touch your house, the tree is too close.

But what can you do if you love flower beds and gardens around your home? Don’t worry, you can still enjoy beautiful blooms around your home.

Just be sure that your flower beds next to your foundation are at ground level and not raised beds. Opt for flowers that don’t need much water. That way, you can water your flowers without soaking the foundation.

Prevent Foundation Issues with the Right Amount of Moisture

Surprisingly, foundation problems can also happen due to a lack of moisture. Your soil needs to have the right amount of water in order to keep it from drying or contracting.

To prevent the host of problems with dry soil, be sure to water your lawn regularly. Consider connecting your sprinkler system to a smart home app. When the forecast calls for rain, your sprinkler system won’t turn on.

This will allow you to make sure your foundation has the perfect amount of water.

Protect Your Foundation with Mulch

Your soil around your foundation should be compacted. This allows the soil to keep its moisture during the dry months.

Embed your foundation up to two inches from the top of the foundation slab. Then, add a layer of mulch to keep moisture in and to prevent soil from blowing away.

Plus, mulch makes your home look tidy and landscaped. It’s a win-win!

Repair Cracks Immediately

Even if you do all the tips we’ve outlined in this article, you might find that your foundation gets a crack.

Don’t wait to see what happens. Invest in foundation repair right away. Remember, the longer you wait, the bigger the issue and the more costly the repair will be.

Call your local foundation expert to come to your home for an assessment. Crack repairs are quick and often have a lifetime guarantee. That means that water will not leak from that crack and the crack will not spread and grow bigger.

Plus, your foundation expert might be able to give you some advice on what you can do to protect your foundation from future issues and keep it in great shape.

Your Foundation Matters

Thanks for reading. We hope this article has given you the insight you need to keep foundation issues at bay.

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of repair. Do what you can to prevent foundation problems that can be costly and time-consuming.

Come back again soon for more interesting articles for you to read.