Houston we have a drought problem. When was the last time you watered your foundation?
With the lack of rain in Houston and the surrounding areas there is something we often neglect: the most important part of your home, the foundation. Every home owner wanted to make sure their home is on a solid foundation when they purchase. Now it is critical to maintain it during the drought.
Most land in Texas consists of dirt and clay. This creates an expansive soil that act like a sponge. As it absorbs water, it swells and as it loses water it shrinks. The combination of soil and clay tends to dry out and shrink this time of year with the lack of rain and moisture.
As the soil around a home foundation shrinks and swells the foundation shifts. As long as the foundation movement is not great enough to damage the house and/or foundation, it is not a problem. If the movement of a foundation is allowed to continue beyond it's tolerance it could lead to severe and expensive damage.
If you notice moderate to severe soil seperation from your foundation, it's going to take time to restore. The goal is to maintain a constant level of moisture in the soil under the house and foundation, which may take weeks of consistent watering.
An inexpensive way to water your foundation is with a soaker hose. Place the hose 12-18 inches from the foundation allows the water to soak into the soil evenly. The hose should not be placed against the foundation. When soil has dried and cracked, water can travel along the cracks for several feet in all directions. If the soil around your foundation is dried and cracked, then water placed next to the foundation will run through the cracks and accumulate at the bottom of the grade beam causing the house to potentially sink.
You will want to water each side of your foundation for 20-30 minutes every 2-3 days right now. This will cause the clay soil to expand and press against your foundation consistently. Once we start to get consistent rain again, you probably will not need to continue the watering schedule. However, keep an eye out for the gaps between the soil and foundation in the future.
Home owners should also avoid a common practice of just watering the front yard to keep it green while letting the backyard go dry. That causes parts of the foundation to be wet and expand while other parts are dry and contract which could lead to cracking.
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