When was the last time you thought about the health of your home’s foundation? Unfortunately, until there’s a problem, many homeowners don’t give it much consideration. However, the state of your foundation can directly impact how well your home ages.
In order to keep your foundation strong, there are a few things that you can do. First, the soil grading around your home should decline away from your home. This prevents pooling of water around your foundation. If you find that the grading angles toward your home, call a professional to assess your options.
Next, your downspouts and gutters are critical components in the battle to keep your foundation healthy, yet they are often taken for granted. Their job is to move rain and roof water away from your home rather than allowing it to sink into the ground at the base of your foundation.
And, with fall approaching, it’s important to plan a time to remove the leaves from your gutters. Why? Gutters full of leaves keep the water from running through the gutters to the downspouts, taking the water away from the home. Instead, the water will overflow from the gutters directly to the base of your foundation, potentially creating serious issues.
Especially during a drought, keep the soil immediately your home moist enough such that it does not dry out completely. If clay, for example, dries out and then is soaked in a rain shower at a later time, the clay is apt to expand and put tension on the foundation wall.
Next, plant those large shrubs and trees a slight distance away from your home. By doing so, you can help prevent the competition for water between the plants roots and the soil around the perimeter of your home. If the roots of your shrubs are competing with the moisture needed to keep the soil moist around your home, you may identify damage to the foundation via cracks in your dry wall and windows and doors that won’t open and close easily.
In conjunction with all of the above, scheduling regular plumbing and foundation inspections with a professional is always a good idea.
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Have more questions? Call us—we’d love to help! Call the professionals at Go Green Plumbing at 336-252-2999 for service 7 days a week/24 hours a day. If water runs through it – We Do It!
