Unexpected Summer Tips Part 2: Water Foundation
This summer series is brought to you by Austin-based Home Inspector Butch Gilley. Inspect with Precision aims to deliver bite-sized tips that are simple and affordable that can be taken week after week to summer-proof your home for 100+ degree weather.
It’s easy to spot: a gap between your soil and the foundation of your home that means that your foundation is at risk of shipping and cracking.
This is an example of what a gap between the soil and the foundation can look like.
With weather approaching the 110s today, here are a few quick tips on how to care for your foundation this summer:
Similar to our earlier post about irrigation, you’ll want to water early in morning before the sun has a chance to evaporate the water away.
The goal isn’t actually to water the concrete foundation, rather to water the soil around it to prevent gaps. We recommend watering the area about 12 inches away from the foundation.
As all good gardeners will tell you, the southwest side of your home gets more sun and needs more attention than the northeast.
I recommend a long soaker hose to trail around the house, like this one from Lowe’s.
While these tips are designed to be quick and easy, if you would like to enact a longer term strategy, many expert landscapers recommend placing drought resistant shrubbery nearby to keep the land around the foundation shaded and cool.
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