Structured Foundation Controlled Watering Program
What is the Goal of a Watering Program
It’s summertime in Texas, which means it’s time to start watering that foundation! During persistent hot, dry weather, it may be necessary to water your foundation as much as once a day. The amount of water required to keep your foundation stable during the summer months can be surprisingly large. Did you know that a single large tree can remove as much as 150 gallons of water from the soil each day? By keeping the moisture content of the soil under the house constant, foundation movement can often be stopped. Structured Foundation Repairs has written this article to assist the homeowner in performing a simple preventative maintenance program.
“The goal of a watering program is to maintain a constant level of moisture in the soil under your house. The best way to water is to place a soaker hose from one to two feet from the edge of the foundation. Placing the hose a short distance from the foundation allows the water to soak into the soil evenly. The hose should not be placed against the foundation. When the 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 crack and accumulate at the bottom of the grade beam (the thick portion of the foundation that is under the exterior walls). In some cases, an accumulation of water in the soil, at the base of a foundation can cause the soil to lose some of its load-bearing capacity. If the soil loses enough load-bearing capacity, the house will sink into the ground. Watering should supply enough water to keep the moisture content in the soil under the foundation constant. If the amount of water applied is only enough to keep the surface damp, the watering program will not work.”
For more information on this and other ways to protect your foundation, call Structured Foundation Repairs today! 972-484-1200, or visit us online at www.structuredfoundation.com