When it comes to the foundations of our homes, most of us have an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude. When you can’t see a problem arising, it’s never a top priority to fix it. However, if we don’t protect the foundations of our homes, we could end up with some serious (and costly) structural damage, such as leaks and cracks. Preventing such problems will save you lots of time and money in the long run. Read on for some advice from a pile foundations company on how to protect your home from such problems.

Drainage System

Make sure to inspect the boundaries of your property on a regular basis and check that the ground slopes away from your home. It’s important that water doesn’t pool around the building, but instead flows away from the property.

This is because excess water can cause the consistency of the soil below to change, which can then lead to a shift in the foundations. With that said, you might want to consider investing in a new drainage system for the property, or simply clearing out the one you’ve got from time to time so that it doesn’t become blocked with leaves and other debris.

No Trees

While you don’t want to saturate the land around your property, you also don’t want it to become too dry either. During the summer months, the soil can dry up and shrink, which causes the foundations to move into the newfound space.

As a result, the walls in your home and the paving around it might become cracked. To avoid such a catastrophe, it’s worth setting up a hose pipe or sprinkler system to keep the ground moist. What’s more, you should try and avoid planting trees too close to the building, because they soak up all of the available moisture.

By David Thomas