The summer has ended, Labor Day has come and gone, and the temperatures have dropped below 90 degrees. The days when the weather is sucking water out of the ground are over, or are they? Most homeowners assume that they no longer need to water their foundations and turn off their soaker hoses. In fact, when the fall remains dry, watering remains essential. Often the trees keep tier leaves, and so are continuing to use lots of water, into mid-November. So far this year for September, October, and November, rainfall is way below normal, temperatures have been above normal, humidity has been low, and the trees are just starting to drop their leaves. These are all conditions that mean the ground is continuing to lose water. To prevent foundation settling, foundation watering should continue.
One simple way to decide on whether or not to water is to look at your grass. If your grass is wilting and needs to be watered, your foundation needs to be watered as well. To keep the soils under your home moist, you need to keep watering until there are steady fall and or winter rains. Right now, it is a good idea to be watering several times a week. Using soaker hoses, you should be watering for 30 minutes each time. For more details on watering, go to FoundationRepairs.com and see the page on foundation watering.
Protect Your Foundation
Because of the dry weather, this fall has been one of the busiest on record for Advanced Foundation Repair. We are seeing many homes that have settled because of dry soils. For homes with trees, where perimeter piers have already been installed, we are seeing interior settlement. The perimeter piers protect the foundation from settlement at the edge but cannot protect the interiors. Remember, protect your home and water your foundation.
If you think you are having foundation problems, call us at Advanced Foundation Repair. Our evaluations include preparing a foundation survey and a contour diagram and are free!