Here’s How You’re Damaging Your Own Foundation

There are several different reasons for foundation damage, and unfortunately, many can be avoided all together. As an informed homeowner, you should be aware of what areas in your home need to be addressed, and what you may potentially be doing to damage your own foundation. Here are a few ways you can avoid foundation repair on your home in the future!

1. Stop overwatering your grass – When water hits your lawn, the soil expands, and then contracts when it is dry again. When you overwater your lawn, it causes your soil to swell up more than usual, and create movement in your foundation. In Michigan, we tend to acquire a lot of rain in the spring and summer, so make sure you are not overwatering your lawn on top of the already present rain, and causing serious harm to your home’s foundation.
2. Fix your drainage problems – The last thing any homeowner needs is standing water near and around the walls of your home. When the soil of your lawn is not graded away from your home, the fixated water can cause serious damage to your foundation. This includes plant beds, and other horticulture. Additionally, make sure your gutters are clear of any messy areas that could cause them to clog up, and keep water near your walls. When water runs properly away from your home, it will drain appropriately into the channels in the street and ground.
3. Don’t plant too close to your home – Shrubs, trees, and other bushes shouldn’t be planted too close to your foundation. This is because of the large amount of water they need to thrive, which could result in standing water around your home, and the over-swelling of your soil. Additionally, the root systems of these plants could take up even more water and push the soil improperly below the surface of your home. We suggest keeping these larger plants at least 3 feet away from your foundation, to keep your home safe.
4. Improper pool installation – While we don’t have too many private pools in Michigan, those that do own them are often not aware of what they could actually do to harm their foundation. Runoff water from a pool is inevitable, which is why any in ground or above ground pool should be an appropriate distance away from your home. Also, if your pool was not properly waterproofed, water will seep into the soil, and give you another swelling problem. Be cautious with pools and make sure they’re taken care of properly!
5. Sloppy renovations – When you’re adding rooms to your home, taking down walls, or even building a deck, improper renovation techniques can adjust and affect the entire foundation of your home. Make sure your renovations are completed properly, and that the weight of the home is still able to hold up against the foundation of your new project.

If you feel that your home has suffered from foundation damage due to issues around your property, give Tom’s Basement Waterproofing a call today! We’ll set you up with a quick appointment and assess your foundation issues, in order to get your home back on its’ stable grounds! (586) 776-7270