If you are curious about how to protect your home’s foundation from water problems in Dallas, you have come to the right place.
In this Regional Foundation Repair guide, our experts explain how often you should water your foundation in Dallas, answering questions like:
- What Happens When You Don’t Water Your Foundation Enough?
- What Factors Determine How Often You Should Water Your Foundation in Dallas?
- What Are the Dangers of Excess Water Near the Foundation?
And many more!
Due to the climate extremes in the area, homes in the North Texas region are prone to numerous foundation problems. In many of these cases, water is a common culprit. While most owners are aware of the issues that excess water can cause their homes, most do not know that the lack of water can also damage their homes’ foundations.
In and of itself, dry soil will not harm your foundation. It is the alternating of dry and wet seasons that you should worry about.
In areas like Dallas, where humidity and temperature levels fluctuate regularly, the expansion and contraction of the soil causes a lot of strain on the foundation. Eventually, the foundation will give way and shift or crack, creating various problems in your home.
As such, you must keep the condition of the soil around your home within a healthy range to maintain the integrity of your foundation. This goes for both dry and wet seasons.
In the rainy seasons, you should take the necessary measures to keep water away from your crawl space and foundation. On the flip side, during periods of extended drought, you should water the soil around your home to prevent various stressful foundation issues.
If you are experiencing any foundation issues and would like assistance, fill the form provided with the details of your project and our specialists will reach out to you. We could also schedule a free inspection to establish the magnitude of your problem and suggest the most appropriate solutions.
Otherwise, read on to learn more about watering your foundation.
Table of Contents
- What Happens When You Don’t Water Your Foundation Enough?
- What Factors Determine How Often You Should Water Your Foundation in Dallas?
- What Are the Dangers of Excess Water Near the Foundation?
- How Do You Keep the Soil Around Your Foundation Moist?
- How Can a Foundation Expert Help?
What Happens When You Don’t Water Your Foundation Enough?
Water is life, but only in moderate amounts. In excess, it is a destructive agent responsible for various problems, ranging from the loss of lives to damaging homes and property.
On the other hand, a shortage of water is equally bad. At worst, the lack of water will result in the death of crops and livestock, leading to famine.
For homeowners, the lack of water in the soil will cause damages to the foundation, threatening the structural integrity of their homes.
In Dallas, most of the soil is expansive, with a high clay composition. During the rainy season, expansive soils absorb high amounts of water, which cause them to swell, exerting pressure on the foundation of homes.
While this, in itself, is a problem that you should solve to avoid foundation issues, it is the dry season that follows that makes matters worse.
As explained earlier, the climate of North Texas fluctuates highly, changing from periods of rain to dry seasons. When a dry spell follows a wet season, many different issues may impact your home’s foundation.
When expansive soils lose water, it dries up and shrinks, pulling away from your home’s foundation. This is followed by various issues:
First, when the soil on which the home sits shifts, it leaves the foundation hanging, and the weight of the home pushes it down to occupy the space. The movement of the foundation will destabilize the house, resulting in cracks on the foundation walls and floors, windows and doors sticking, and uneven floors and patios, among other problems.
Second, when the soil shrinks and pulls away, it relieves the pressure it had previously exerted on the foundation. When the soil becomes moist again, it expands and pushes against the foundation. The alternating push-and-pull force weakens the foundation and leads to the formation of cracks.
Eventually, the cracks expand, further weakening your home and causing other problems such as moisture and pests sneaking in.
By watering your foundation regularly to keep it from becoming too dry, you will avoid the issues above and save yourself from unnecessary costs and inconveniences.
