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Maintenance tips
Foundation Maintenance: of all the systems in a residential or commercial property, the foundation is obviously the most important. Whether you have a slab on grade or a pier on beam foundation, the foundation must be maintained. What does this mean?
A foundation literally rests on the soil on which it is constructed. Assuming that a foundation has been properly constructed, two conditions typically lead to movement within a property – improper grading and drainage and lack of soil moisture. Grading is the dirt placed around your foundation and drainage is the way in which water should discharge away from the foundation. As a rule of thumb, grading should slope away from the foundation in all areas to permit adequate drainage. Once we have proper grading and drainage, the next task is to maintain soil moisture.
As the soil surrounding the foundation dries out, soil tends to shrink and does not provide as much support to that area of the foundation. Soil around other areas of the foundation may be adequately moist and may provide adequate support. This causes a very slight “twisting” in the foundation – and is what most people call “settling.” Most instances of settling can be seen in interior drywall joints, caulk joints, the fit of doors and windows and the foundation exterior. Drywall and caulk joints may crack, doors and windows may become difficult to open or close and corner cracks may form outside corners of the foundation’s exterior footing wall.
Most of the time, indicators of settling occur after the foundation soil has sufficiently dried out and permitted differential movement in the foundation. In most cases, one of the first indications your foundation soil is dry occurs when soil shrinks away from the foundation and leaves a small gap between the edge of the soil and the edge of the foundation. Soaker hoses (available at your local big box retailer) are one of the best items to use to maintain soil moisture. Place soaker hoses around your foundation approximately 18” away from the edge of the concrete and saturate the soil evenly. This will tend to expand the soil tightly against the foundation and helps provide adequate support.
Maintaining proper grading and drainage and soil moisture are critical in keeping a “healthy” foundation.
Call 979 676-3953 for more tips in foundation maintenance.
Foundation Maintenance: of all the systems in a residential or commercial property, the foundation is obviously the most important. Whether you have a slab on grade or a pier on beam foundation, the foundation must be maintained. What does this mean?
A foundation literally rests on the soil on which it is constructed. Assuming that a foundation has been properly constructed, two conditions typically lead to movement within a property – improper grading and drainage and lack of soil moisture. Grading is the dirt placed around your foundation and drainage is the way in which water should discharge away from the foundation. As a rule of thumb, grading should slope away from the foundation in all areas to permit adequate drainage. Once we have proper grading and drainage, the next task is to maintain soil moisture.
As the soil surrounding the foundation dries out, soil tends to shrink and does not provide as much support to that area of the foundation. Soil around other areas of the foundation may be adequately moist and may provide adequate support. This causes a very slight “twisting” in the foundation – and is what most people call “settling.” Most instances of settling can be seen in interior drywall joints, caulk joints, the fit of doors and windows and the foundation exterior. Drywall and caulk joints may crack, doors and windows may become difficult to open or close and corner cracks may form outside corners of the foundation’s exterior footing wall.
Most of the time, indicators of settling occur after the foundation soil has sufficiently dried out and permitted differential movement in the foundation. In most cases, one of the first indications your foundation soil is dry occurs when soil shrinks away from the foundation and leaves a small gap between the edge of the soil and the edge of the foundation. Soaker hoses (available at your local big box retailer) are one of the best items to use to maintain soil moisture. Place soaker hoses around your foundation approximately 18” away from the edge of the concrete and saturate the soil evenly. This will tend to expand the soil tightly against the foundation and helps provide adequate support.
Maintaining proper grading and drainage and soil moisture are critical in keeping a “healthy” foundation.
Call 979 676-3953 for more tips in foundation maintenance.