AvoidFoundationProblems
LearnTheSigns
ProtectYourInvestment
HowtoWaterYourConcreteFoundation
TheRainySeason...Remember,too
TheDrySeason...Duringthedryseason
muchwaterintherainyseasonisjustasbadas
notwateringinthedryseason.
watershouldbeaddedtotheperimeterofthe
foundation
Drainage:Tocheckthedrainagearoundyour
housemeansgettingwet.Whenitrainshard
(notjustasprinkle),walkaroundyourhouse
andseeifthewaterisdrainingawayfromyour
housewithoutstandingorcreatingpuddles.
Ifyouseepuddles,notetheplacesthe
problemexists.Thesolutiontotheproblemis
positivewaterdraining.Thatmeansthedirt
shouldbehigheratthefoundationandslope
wayfromthehouseattherateofoneinchper
foot,andextendpasttherooflineoran
outwardslopeforfivefeetinalldirections
fromtheperimeterofthefoundation.This
allowsrainwatertorunoffinsteadofpooling
againstthefoundation,orfromwashingoff
thesoil.
Guttersanddownspoutsarealsoagoodidea,
ifrainkeepspoolingorwashingawaythesoil.
Ifyourhousehasgutters,besurethatboth
guttersanddownspoutsarefreefrom
obstruction,i.e.leaves,etc.anddrainaway
fromthehouse.
Watering:Goodresultscanbeaccomplishedby
slowlyincreasingthemoistureinthesoilbyplacing
asoakerhose12Ͳ18inchesfromthefoundation.
Wateryourfoundationfor8to10hoursadayͲ
3timesaweekuntilwaterisobservedstandingon
theground.Note:Soilneedstobemoistupto
severalfeetdeep.
WidthofTreeCanopy
Vegetation:Youmayneed
towatermoreifyouhave
shrubsandplantscloseto
thefoundationandifyou
haveatreewithin20feetofthe
house.Plants,shrubsandtreestake
thewatermeantforthefoundation.
Grass:isimportanttopreventsoil
erosionfromaroundthe
foundation.Therootshelp
holdthesoilinplaceandthe
grasshelpsretainmoisture.
UseaSoakerHose:Soakerhoseslooklike
blackgardenhosesandhavetinyweepholes
(madeofpolyethyleneandold,recycledcar
tires).Thehosesliedirectlyontheground,so
watercanslowlyseepintotheground.
WhatAretheBenefits?Thechiefadvantage
ofasoakerhoseisthatitsupplieswaterata
steady,slowrate,whichkeepsthesoilmoist.
ThereislittlewaterlosttoevaporationorrunͲ
off,sothesystemdeliversmorewatertothe
groundwhereit'sneeded.Withsuchsteady
wateringthegroundstaysmoistbutnot
waterlogged.Regularhosescanerodesoilor
thewaterrunsofforevaporatesbeforeitcan
soakin. Remember
Don’tplantadjacenttothefoundation
Keepshrubberyandflowerbedswellmulched.
Planttreesaproperdistanceawayfromthehome.
Slopebedsawayfromthehomesfoundation
Wateringwithsoakerhose~sideofhouse
Thesouthandeastsidesofthehouseusuallyrequires
morewateringthantheothersidesofthehouse.
KeepFoundationaspictured~
Don’tfullycovertheslabs
“freeboard”(theconcreteslabbetween
groundandbrick)withdirtorgrass.
Placeasoakerhouse12”to18”inchesawayfrom
foundation.Note:Ifyouhavecracksintheslab,
waterfartherawayaswatermayseepintocracksand
makethembigger.
Duringadrought,watering8hourseverydaywith
asoakerhoseisrecommended~especiallyifyou
haven’tbeenwatering.
SoakerHoseisrecommendedbecauseitwatersslowly~
youmayneedmorethan1hosetogoaroundthewhole
houseoryoucanmovethebaseonceyouhavewatered
anarea.
LearntheSigns
ExteriorandInteriorSigns...Howto
KnowifYouHaveaProblem.
Exterior
x Doorsthatwillnotopenor
closeproperly(seeimage)
x Cracksintheexposedgrade
beamofthehouse
x Cracksinbricks&mortar
(seeimage)
x Gapsbetweenbrickand
doorsorwindowframes
Interior
x Windowsthatarehardto
open&close(seeimage)
x Cracks,curling&tearingof
existingsheetrock
x UnlevelFloors
x Largecracksintheconcrete
slab
x Gapsabovekitchencabinets
x Cabinetdoorsthatwillnot
stayshut
x Diagonalcracksinthewall
atcornersofdoorsand
windows(seeimage)
Followingthestepsinthisbrochure
couldsaveyouthousandsofdollarsin
foundationrepairs.Therearetwoseasons
thatmustbeaddressed:thedryseasonand
therainyseason.
Whentherehasbeennorain,itisvery
importanttowateryourconcrete
foundation.Dryfoundationscancause
cracksinwalls,doorsshiftingorwon'tclose
orstickwhenyoutrytoopenthem.Thetrick
toavoidingashiftingfoundationistokeep
theperimeterofthefoundationevenly
moist.
Itisveryimportantthatyour
concretefoundationmaintainseven
moisture.
AvoidFoundationProblems
LearnTheSigns
Don’tcoverorcloseup
“weepholes”inthebrick(small
slitsbetweenbricksbottomlayer)
ofthefoundation.
Wateringwithsoakerhose~frontofhouse
ProvidedBy:
CityofDenton
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Š‘‡ȋͻͶͲȌ͵ͶͻǦ͹͹ʹ͸̱ƒšȋͻͶͲȌ͵ͶͻǦ͹͹ͷ͵
™™™Ǥ…‹–›‘ˆ†‡–‘Ǥ…‘
ȀȀ̱ȋͺͲͲȌ͹͵ͷǦʹͻͺͻ
‡˜‹•‡†ǣ—‰—•–ʹͲͳʹ
KeepYourFoundation
ClearofClutterand
Don’tPlantAdjacenttotheFoundation.
Whenconsideringstorage,plants,shrubsandtreesfor
yourhouse,itisimportanttokeepasafedistancefrom
thefoundationtoavoidcostlyproblems.
PLEASENOTEthatthisisonlyasimplefoundation
preventivemaintenancerecommendation.Shouldyou
beconcernedaboutthepossibilityoffuturemovement
orpotentialformovementorstructuraldamagethen
alicensedstructuralengineershouldbeconsultedfor
furtherevaluationandrecommendations.
ProtectYourInvestment