If you own a home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, then it’s critical that you take the time to properly maintain your foundation. In our neck of the woods, homeowners know that expansive clay soil and drastic weather conditions that can range from sudden downpours to long, hot droughts can stress a home from season to season and year after year. Routine maintenance of your foundation helps to keep your home structurally sound and preserve its value.
In this article, we provide an easy-to-follow list of tips that will help you maintain your foundation and prevent the common mistakes that many homeowners make that could lead to costly foundation repair. Read on for our guide to the do’s and don’ts of foundation maintenance and how to protect your home against the forces of North Texas weather and soil.
The Do’s: How to Keep Your Foundation in Good Shape
The purpose of foundation maintenance is to attempt to keep the soil around the perimeter of your home as stable as possible. These are some tips and easy steps that you can take to help your home against Dallas-Fort Worth’s expansive soil conditions:
Do Keep Soil Moisture Consistent
The best defense against the wild changes that clay soil can cause is to try to keep moisture levels in the soil around your foundation as consistent as possible all year long. During the hot, dry Texas summers, it’s especially important to keep watering the ground surrounding your home with soaker hoses. Set the hoses about 18-24 inches from the foundation and run them at a slow pace to allow the water to seep into the ground without creating runoff.
Do Make Sure Your Drainage Works
In addition to watering during droughts, it’s also important to have a plan for when we do get prolonged heavy rains in the DFW area. Too much moisture in the soil causes it to expand and push against your home’s foundation. The good news is that there are easy solutions to help, including cleaning out your gutters and downspouts regularly, attaching downspout extenders that release water at least three to five feet away from your foundation, and checking that the ground around your foundation slopes away so that any water runoff is carried off quickly.
Do Watch Your Landscaping
Trees, shrubs and other landscaping can also have a big impact on soil moisture levels. Large trees and shrubs use up moisture from the soil which can dry out soil around your foundation faster. Be mindful when planting large shrubs or trees in close proximity to your home. Mature trees that are already planted too close to the foundation may warrant a consultation with a professional on installing a root barrier to prevent them from drawing moisture from under your home.
Do Regular Walkarounds and Inspections
Being proactive with inspections and catching early warning signs of foundation damage or movement can save you thousands of dollars in foundation repair. It’s a good practice to take a walk around your home regularly and look for any signs of possible foundation damage. Outside, check for any new cracks in the slab or masonry and inside, look for new cracks in drywall near doorways and windows, sticking doors and gaps that may be forming around window frames. The earlier you catch the warning signs, the easier (and cheaper) the solution will be.
Don't Let a Small Crack Become a Costly Nightmare
The Don’ts: Common Mistakes to Avoid
Just as there are do’s for foundation maintenance, it’s also important to understand what not to do. The following are common foundation maintenance mistakes that you should steer clear of to prevent exacerbating foundation issues:
Don’t Let Water Pool Near Your Foundation
Water pooling against your foundation is a problem that homeowners here in the DFW area struggle with. This moisture causes expansive clay soil to expand, which exerts pressure on your foundation that can cause cracking and movement. The reason it usually happens is because the ground naturally slopes toward the home, a drain becomes clogged and doesn’t work properly, or sprinklers are watering the foundation directly. Keep an eye out for water pooling and correct the issue as quickly as possible.
Don’t Ignore Small Problems
Don’t let small cracks, sticking doors or other minor issues get dismissed as “no big deal.” These can be early warning signs that your foundation is in trouble. It’s very common for cracks to be neglected and simply painted over only to discover that they are getting bigger over time or you have a door that suddenly sticks or won’t close. The problem is that when a minor crack is painted over, you’ve only dealt with the cosmetic issue but have not taken care of the underlying problem that will continue to worsen with time.
Don’t Overwater or Forget to Water
As you’ve already seen, it’s a delicate balance of keeping soil moisture levels even. Watering too much will cause saturated, unstable soil and watering too little will cause soil to dry out and shrink away from your foundation. Keep in mind that fluctuations either way are equally damaging to a foundation. You want to strive for a moderate amount of moisture that is applied consistently all year long.
Don’t Try to Fix Major Issues Yourself
While it’s normal to handle things like clearing gutters, debris and running a hose to water the ground around your foundation, don’t try to attempt to do it yourself when it comes to any type of structural repairs. When we say this is “not a do-it-yourself project,” it’s because a professional is trained with the expertise, equipment and background in engineering to know the proper solutions that need to be put in place. What could possibly start as a DIY weekend project can turn into an expensive nightmare that makes a foundation problem even worse.
Protecting Your Foundation: Next Steps
Foundation maintenance in the DFW area is really a year-round job. The key is to try to manage the soil moisture all around the perimeter of your home and keep it as steady as possible. In addition to the do’s and don’ts above, this is the best thing you can do to help keep your home in good shape. If you start to see warning signs that your home may need more than basic maintenance, including new cracks, doors sticking or window gaps, sloping floors or any other potential issues, it’s a good time to call a professional.
If you’re in this situation or would just like some peace of mind, contact a local DFW company like Black Beard Foundation Repair for a no-pressure inspection and advice on what your foundation needs to be repaired and protected. Black Beard has many years of experience with the exact reason DFW clay soil wreaks havoc on local foundations, and our expert team can provide honest, proven solutions to help you protect your property. Don’t wait until you see warning signs to get a free evaluation by a foundation repair specialist in your area.
