Healthy Foundation, Healthy Home

Keep Your Foundation Healthy

A home's foundation can make or break a home... literally. HomeOwners should always be knowledgeable of the problems they can prevent their foundation from encountering.  Listed below is a few tips to help HomeOwners maintain a healthy foundation.

1. Consider Installing a Moisture Barrier - Effective moisture barriers are at least 5 feet deep, and should be installed if the grade around your foundation cannot be corrected. 
2. Monitor Drainage - Gutters and downspouts are a critical factor in the health of your foundation. The drainage system should direct the caught water away from your home and prevent heavy moisture on your foundation. 
3. Watch for Puddling Water - If you develop puddles of water near your foundation, immediate repairs must be handled.  The solutions to this problem vary, but it is best to contact a foundation professional to take the best and most effective action necessary. 
4. Fix Minor Cracks - It's normal for concrete slabs to develop hairline cracks overtime; however, even though they are hairline cracks, it's best to fix them immediately.  You can repair these cracks with an epoxy glue or other forms of concrete crack repair materials.
5. Ensure Proper Grading - A foundation rule is that the slope should always be about 3 to 5 percent within 10-feet of the foundation, and the slope should always be sloping away from your foundation.
6. Maintain Consistent Moisture Levels - Moisture levels are critical for a foundation and should be kept at a consistent amount.  A good rule of thumb is to water your lawn enough to keep your plants and landscaping healthy.  This will help avoid problems caused by the shrinking soil in dry periods.
7. Install Erosion Control System - Erosion control can be installed in several different forms, i.e. grass, concrete, rocks, landscape timbers, liners, etc. The point of erosion control systems reinforce the stability of any slopes.