If the ground around your foundation is pitched toward the house, water runoff will pool next to your foundation. This pooling or “ponding” can have serious adverse effects on the health and integrity of your home’s foundation. When water is funneled toward your house, it can weaken the soils around your foundation and result in water finding its way into your crawl space. This excess moisture can lead to mold, mildew, and over time, structural damage. You can improve the health and strength of your home’s foundation by improving the landscaping around it to properly handle excess water without posing a threat to the structural integrity of your foundation. Foundation garden beds should be sloped away from your house at least one inch per foot to help prevent pooling water — more if possible. A 10 inch drop away from the foundation for the first 10 feet extending out from the house is recommended.
Improve your landscaping and improve your foundation health by making smart choices in the type, size, and placement of plantings. This can help add aesthetic appeal to your property and protect the home’s foundation at the same time. Start by planning to landscape all sides of your property, not just the front. Curb appeal is one aspect of foundation planting, but if you only plant along the front of your property, you’re not maximizing your home’s curb appeal. In addition, having plants or shrubs only in the front means you’ll only be watering that side of the property. When that is the case, only a portion of your soil will expand, creating an inconsistency between that side of your property and the other three sides, where the soil will retain its size and texture. Over time this inconsistency in soil compaction levels can lead to cracks in your home’s foundation. Mulching your foundation garden beds is a good way to help keep a consistent level of moisture in the soil surrounding your home’s foundation.
While you’re in the planning stages of your foundation planting, do your research regarding how tall or large your plantings will be at maturity. Take into account the depth of the root systems of each planting, as well as how much watering they require. Check with the experts at your local neighborhood nursery and tour nearby neighborhoods to see what other homeowners in your area have planted, focusing on mature landscaping. Research gardening sites online for advice regarding the best type of plantings for your climate. The investment you make in landscaping will pay you back by beautifying your property as well as serving a functional purpose.
When thinking about including trees in your landscaping, remember that root systems of most trees extend out from the trunk one to two times the height of the tree at maturity. Plant trees as far away from the home’s foundation as possible; trees that are too close can cause problems with your plumbing if the tree roots infiltrate the system. Tree roots that tunnel beneath your home’s foundation can also cause problems by threatening the integrity of the foundation, putting pressure on it and causing cracks or lifting. Installing root barriers can help keep tree roots from away from foundation. This can offer a simpler solution to improve your landscaping and improve your foundation health than removing any existing trees that may be too close for comfort.
For a precise inspection that can find any foundation issues before they go too far, call Advanced Foundation Repair today. We offer an affordable way to fix your foundation problems for life with easy payment and financing options and transferable lifetime warranties. Get the best available foundation repair with our Advanced Pro-Lift Technology. For affordable foundation repair you can count on and the best customer service around, call the team at Advanced Foundation Repair in Dallas.