12 Tips for Protecting Your Home’s Foundation

12 Tips for Protecting Your Home’s Foundation

12 Tips for Protecting Your Home’s Foundation

homeowner tips

12 Tips for Protecting Your Home’s Foundation

The foundation of your home is its backbone, providing stability and ensuring structural integrity. It’s the critical base upon which everything else rests. Because of this, a strong foundation is a huge part of what keeps your home safe and secure. Unfortunately, a compromised one can lead to many problems that could result in long-term damage.

Luckily, protecting your foundation doesn’t have to be complicated. By understanding its needs and taking proactive measures, you can keep it in great condition for years to come. If you’re unsure where to start, here are some tips on how you can protect your home’s foundation with practicality and perseverance.

1. Maintain Consistent Moisture Levels

One of the primary threats to your foundation is the extreme expansion and contraction of soil caused by moisture fluctuations. When the soil around your home dries out, it shrinks, leading to extra stress on your foundation. Conversely, overly saturated soil can expand, creating uneven pressure. To maintain consistent moisture levels, water the soil near your foundation during dry periods and ensure rainfall distributes itself as evenly as possible around your home.

2. Be Cautious With Lawn Irrigation

While you’ll need to water your grass during dry seasons, overwatering can create saturated soil that weakens the ground around your foundation in the same way rainy seasons can do. If you use sprinklers, adjust them so that water doesn’t pool near the base of your home. Installing drip irrigation systems close to your home can help maintain even moisture levels without oversaturating the soil.

3. Ensure Proper Drainage

Poor drainage is one of the leading causes of foundation damage. If water pools near your home’s base, it can erode the soil and seep into the foundation itself, causing cracks and weakening its structural integrity over time. Regularly inspect and clean your gutters to prevent clogs, and ensure your downspouts direct water at least 5 to 10 feet away from the house. Additionally, check for low-lying areas near the foundation where water might accumulate. If you find any, use soil or landscaping to redirect water flow.

4. Plant Strategically in Your Yard

Trees and shrubs add beauty to your home, but their roots can pose a risk to your foundation if you plant them too close. Roots in search of moisture can grow quite far from the base of the plant, meaning they might end up getting too near to your home. This disrupts the soil and puts extra strain on your foundation. In extreme cases, the roots themselves could even damage your foundation. To prevent root-related damage, plant large trees and shrubs at least 15 to 20 feet away from your house. For the landscaping closer to your foundation, choose plants that grow slowly and have smaller root systems.

12 Tips for Protecting Your Home’s Foundation
If you own a home, it’s important to ensure its continued structural soundness. Here are 12 practical tips for protecting your home’s foundation.

5. Install a Sump Pump in Flood-Prone Areas

If your home is in an area that is prone to flooding or that has a high water table, a sump pump can make a massive difference in how much water pools around your foundation. This device removes excess water that could otherwise seep into your foundation and home. Regularly test your sump pump to ensure it’s working optimally, especially before the rainy season begins.

6. Use Proper Grading Around Your Foundation

The slope of the soil around your house plays a critical role in keeping your foundation protected. Ideally, the ground should slope away from your home at a gradient of at least 6 inches over a 10-foot span. This ensures water drains away from the foundation rather than toward it. If necessary, add soil around your home to create a more effective grade and prevent water pooling.

7. Avoid Excessive Weight Near the Foundation

In the same way that too much water can put excessive strain on your foundation, too much weight can do the same thing. That means placing heavy loads close to your home, such as large planter boxes, parked vehicles, or storage sheds, can create uneven pressure on your foundation. Be sure to distribute weight evenly and, whenever possible, position heavy items farther from your home to minimize their impact.

8. Watch for Pests

Certain pests, including termites, ants, and rodents, can damage your foundation by gnawing on supports or burrowing beneath your home. Be on the lookout for common signs of pest activity, especially in basements and crawlspaces. You can prevent pests from accessing your foundation in the first place by sealing cracks, keeping woodpiles away from your home, and trimming back overgrown vegetation.

9. Keep an Eye on Your Plumbing System

Undetected plumbing leaks under and around your home can excessively saturate the soil, leading to foundation issues. Pay attention to signs of leaks, such as unexpected pooling water, unusually high water bills, and damp areas on walls or floors. Schedule an inspection of your plumbing system if you suspect anything, and address any identified issues promptly.

12 Tips for Protecting Your Home’s Foundation
If you own a home, it’s important to ensure its continued structural soundness. Here are 12 practical tips for protecting your home’s foundation.

10. Install Foundation Insulation

If you want to be a bit more proactive, you can install foundation insulation. This insulation serves as a protective barrier against extreme temperature fluctuations that can cause soil to expand or contract drastically. Essentially, insulation will help keep your foundation stable and protect it from freezing or excessive heat. It can also help with energy efficiency by reducing heat loss.

11. Monitor and Repair Cracks

Small hairline cracks can develop in your foundation over time. While these aren’t typically a cause for alarm, neglecting them can let them worsen and jeopardize your home’s structural stability. Conduct personal inspections of your foundation every so often to give yourself a chance to spot cracks early. If you notice widening gaps or extensive fractures, consult a professional to determine the best course of action.

12. Schedule Professional Inspections

Finally, while personal maintenance and inspections are essential, hiring professionals to inspect your foundation is equally important. Professionals can evaluate the stability of your foundation, identify present and potential problems, and recommend targeted solutions for long-term soundness. Scheduling inspections every few years or after significant weather events can help you stay ahead of foundation issues.

What To Do If You’re Too Late?

While you should act on these tips for protecting your home’s foundation before anything too detrimental happens, that won’t always be the case. You might go check your basement to discover that your foundation is in much worse shape than you expected. If that’s ever the case, reach out to a foundation repair specialist right away. These experts will take all the proper steps to bring your foundation back to its former glory.