Nobody wants foundation problems. They’re stressful, and they can be expensive.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help your foundation last longer and develop fewer problems.
#1) Ensure Proper Drainage
Your home needs a working water system to shunt rain away from your foundation. Working gutters and downspouts are a must.
Proper grading can help, too, as can moisture barriers and French Drains.
If you do nothing else to protect your foundations, this is the step you should take.
#2) Schedule Inspections
Scheduling regular inspections can mean catching and preventing issues before they grow. For example, if we find minor cracks in your foundation, we can seal them before they progress.
#3) Watch Your Trees
If your home already came with certain trees, you may be out of luck. But if you’re planting new ones, you need to be aware of how far root systems can be expected to grow and how much distance the tree needs from the house to prevent the roots from disturbing the foundation.
Live Oaks and other common Texas oak trees are big culprits here. For example, the roots of an adult oak tree can spread at least 20 feet away from the base of the tree. We’ve seen Live Oaks in the front yard bury their roots all the way to the back porch of some Texas homes.
#4) Address Plumbing Leaks Promptly
Leaky plumbing can saturate the soil around your foundation. The faster you address leaks, the less chance you’ll have a big plumbing bill and a big foundation repair bill.
Suspect you have foundation problems?
If you already suspect you have foundation problems, don’t ignore them. They won’t go away; they’ll only get worse.
Contact us to schedule an inspection instead. Rite-Way Foundation will work with you to make your foundation repair as affordable as possible and will help you find other ways to prevent problems in the future.