5 Ways You may be Damaging Your Home’s Foundation

Although severe foundation damages are mostly caused by natural disasters such as floods, storms, and hurricanes, there are certain human activities that can damage your home’s foundation.

The following are a few common ways you might be damaging your foundation and what you can do to avoid expensive foundation repair.

Overwatering the lawn can result in damage to your foundation

North Texas sits on a highly expansive clay soil that quickly expands in the presence of excessive moisture and cracks as soon as the moisture is lost. If this happens repeatedly in the soil adjacent to the foundation, it could cause shifting in the foundation itself. For this reason, it’s advisable to have a programmable sprinkler system that automatically detects the level of moisture in the soil and waters the lawn accordingly.

Poor drainage can damage your home’s foundation

Water must never be allowed to pool near the foundation. As such, all rain water must be drained away from the home. Starting at the roof, ensure that your gutters are clear and that you’ve installed downspouts that gently guide rain water to the ground. Then, further guide this water away via drainage channels. Experts also recommend grading the soil and plant beds adjacent to the foundation for improved drainage.  Installing French drains in areas that are prone to pooling water and also help.

Incorrect landscaping can impact your foundation

First, trees take up a lot of water from the soil which necessitates extensive watering. It means that the moisture levels in your foundation will always be fluctuating. Secondly, roots of large trees sometimes find their way into small cracks within the foundation which could worsen existing damage. To avoid these problems, plant small bushes at least 3 feet away, large bushes at least 5 feet away, and big trees at least 10 feet away from the house.

Improper swimming pool installation can affect your home’s foundation

Swimming pools naturally seep water into the surrounding soil. If the swimming pool is too close to the house, this can result in exposure of the foundation to excessive moisture. To prevent this, ensure correct installation of the pool, making sure that it’s a safe distance from the foundation. In addition, ensure sufficient water proofing.

Extensive interior remodels can damage your foundation

Finally, those nice remodels you might be considering could also have an impact on your foundation. Adding rooms, subtracting walls, and making other structural changes to the house affect the performance of the slab because it shifts the weight of the house. Ask your constructor to provide further advice on this before you go ahead with any remodel.

If you think any of these things may have damaged your home’s foundation, call Atlas Foundation Company at (817) 478-1181 and schedule a no-cost, no-obligation inspection today!

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