5 Preventative Measures that Protect Your Home's Foundation

The integrity and longevity of any structure—residential, commercial, or otherwise—is dependent upon its foundation. Your home’s foundation bears the weight of everything above it, including all of the rooms, furniture, appliances, and occupants, so making sure it is stable and solid should be a top priority for homeowners. Structural issues are far easier to prevent than remedy. By taking the following five preventative measures, you can reduce or eliminate problems, such as foundation cracks, upheaval, uneven basement floors, and a variety of other foundation-related homeowner headaches.

1.) Ensure your home is on a proper slope.

A proper slope, or one in which water flows away from your home’s foundation, is known as a “positive slope.“ And don’t assume that a flat yard is safe; it can cause just as much damage as a “negative slope,” or one that directs water toward the foundation. even though it’s sweaty work, your property must be properly graded. For those who prefer exact numbers, it may be useful to know that experts recommend a slope of 2% or 1/4 inch per foot.

2.) Have annual plumbing inspections performed.

Plumbing leaks can occur in unexpected places, such as sprinkler systems, fresh water lines, and sewer lines. Under-slab leaks like these are a major source of foundation problems. A licensed plumber should be consulted immediately to address suspected leak concerns in order to maintain a healthy foundation.

3.) Maintain consistent surrounding ground moisture.

Just like when sidewalks crack from the expansion and contraction produced by extreme weather conditions, moisture levels can also create expansion and contraction along the walls of a foundation. This pressure can lead to foundation cracks. In order to prevent this, implement a water control program on your property. This can be anything from installing a pre-programmed sprinkler system or by taking a weathered old garden hose to the soil next to your foundation on dry days. As long as you’re maintaining a consistent moisture level around your home’s foundation, you’ll be mitigating the risk of problems arising from too much or too little water.

4.) Landscape intelligently.

Plants can improve the aesthetic and overall beauty of your home and even keep the soil surrounding them intact. But, if you plant them too close to your home’s perimeter, their root systems can potentially eat into the subterranean walls of your foundation. The solution is to landscape intelligently by not planting shrubs or trees too close to your home. Experts say that you should never plant a tree or shrub closer to your home than the anticipated height of that particular plant.

5.) Install the right foundation drainage system.

Instead of bordering your house with plants, focus on what should be installed around the perimeter of your home, namely drainage. an influx of water around a foundation will result in was known as “upheaval. “Upheaval occurs when your homes foundation rises above its intended position. To prevent this, gutters and downspouts are just as important as proper grading. Downspouts should discharge water 5 to 7 feet from your foundation. If gutters and downspouts aren’t doing the trick, you may want to look into having a surface drain installed. Alternatively, you could opt for a sub surface drain, such as a French drain, which can protect your property from less intrusive, but still highly damaging amount of moisture.

When your home's foundation is compromised, so is its structural integrity. In addition to taking the above steps as preventative measures, it may also behoove you to keep a foundation log, which can help you track any changes occurring in your foundation. This log can be extremely beneficial to a foundation repair specialist in the event that you do identify issues that you would like to have professionally evaluated. Often, issues with a home’s foundation can lead to sunken or uneven basement floors, which can cause further water drainage problems! If you’re dealing with foundation or basement floor issues or are simply interested in a professional opinion on the matter, don’t hesitate to reach out to the concrete leveling experts at Level Best LLC. Call us at 330-810-2422, or contact us online to schedule your free estimate today!