Tips on Caring for your Home's Foundation
Aug
15
Written by:
8/15/2011 10:44 AM
Drainage
Foundation - Your yard should slope away from the house. Landscape borders and flat work should not interfere with drainage.
Gutters - They should be adequate to handle the runoff for the roof and kept clear of leaves and debris. They should be replaced if rusted through or cracked.
Downspouts - They should discharge water from the gutters at least 3 feet from the building. Buried (French) drains or pipes may be needed to keep water away from the foundation.
Watering
Automatic sprinklers - These should be checked to assure that they are not leaking and are dispensing the correct amount of water. Their cycles can be interrupted if they yard gets too wet or dry. The number of heads, location and adjustment may need to be changed to maintain stable soil.
Shrubs and Flowers - Beds close to the house must be checked to maintain proper moisture. A gap between soil and foundation indicates poor conditions and potential problems with the foundation.
Trees - They extract water through their roots everyday of the year. They must be watered in extremely dry periods. Barriers can be installed to keep roots from growing under the foundation if the trees are too close to the building.