Your home is undoubtedly the biggest asset you own. Thereby you can’t afford to damage its foundation. The garden around your home looks fascinating, but you know that trees soak up tons of water and cause soil shrinkage, which in turn leads to foundation settlement. Leaking sewer and drainage lines discharge excess water in the soil, which swells, and it’s when cracks appear on your walls. A healthy home foundation means harmony between the foundation and its surrounding. How to achieve that harmony? It’s time to know how to keep your home foundation as healthy as possible.
Keep an Eye on Area Around your Home Foundation
The very first thing you need to do is to keep checking the area around the foundation. If you notice drought, it means that your soil needs moisture. Hydrate your ground. When the foundation loses water, soil contracts and causes significant issues like foundation settlement. This big problem causes other issues like foundation damage, cracks on walls, sagging floors, etc.
In case you notice that water stands around the foundation all the time, it’s an alarming sign. You need to check your sewer lines and drainage system. They aren’t working correctly. Therefore the water doesn’t discharge in the way it should be. High moisture level on the foundation causes soil expansion, and it’s when you notice extreme moisture levels in crawl space. Increased humidity means water damage and seeking crawl space repair services.
Check Your Garden Landscape
Do you have lovely flower beds? Everyone feels great to see colorful flowers. However, these flower beds shouldn’t be taller than your home foundation. If they are, you need to take drastic actions, aka changing the landscape. It’s because if they are taller, water will move to the least resistant area, which in this case is your foundation. You may have a wonderful garden, but it will become a cause of your foundation damage. Are you ready to take this risk? Of course not, so please do what’s right.
If you want to grow plants and shrubs, ensure that you keep the distance of two feet between a plant and the edge of your foundation. If you don’t, then the roots of plants will soak the water and cause soil contraction. Also, if you have a big tree nearby your foundation, check whether its root is causing the main foundation issue or not.
Turn on Thermostat
Temperature changes also affect your home foundation. If you are on vacation, please turn on the thermostat to keep the temperature right at home. Many homeowners turn it off while leaving for a trip. A sudden change in temperature causes big problems.
Check Plumbing Issues
If your plumbing pipes are leaking, please repair them as quickly as possible. Many homeowners don’t care until they start seeing cracks and bowing walls in the crawl space. A bit of care is better than spending a lot of money on crawl space repair. Besides, if you spend money on plumbing, it will save your foundation from water damage. Do the math, and you will find out what’s the right approach to keep your home foundation healthy.