Soil Erosion and Foundation Problem at Home

Maybe you don't know it, but you should have a standard surrounding your foundation. The soil grade around your home foundation is designed to flow water from your foundation and down the slope. If the soil erodes, water can flow to the foundation instead and cause possible problems.

Typically, soil erosion happens when the soil is not firm. This is why it's not just a trend, but a necessity to landscape around a home. Landscape generally prevents erosion and helps to reduce the amount of soil moisture.

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Soil Erosion Control

  • Landscaping - There are several things you can do to control erosion. First, you can examine certain landscape and garden plans which improve the soil's firmness. The plants' roots keep the ground in place and keep it away from it. To do this, you can strategically plant around your home. But do not plant trees too close to the foundation of your home. As the roots of the tree grow and spread, they are dangerous.

  • Gutters and Downspouts – Rubber and downspouts not only prevent the base from being damaged by rainwater but also facilitate the transfer of the water to a more secure disposal area. The downspouts should be 5 to 10 feet away from the foundation base. However, the recommended distance depends also on the soil type. Note that some soils grow more quickly than others, and some types of soils erode more easily.

  • Foundation Grading - In addition to the tips listed above, you should ensure that the soil around your home is sloping. Experts recommend having a slope of 3% to 5% for the first 10 feet around your house. Make the necessary adjustments if your foundation does not meet this requirement.

  • Monitor Drains - It is best to ensure that your drainage is always in a good condition to avoid soil erosion and base damage. After a heavy runoff, remove dirt, leaves and debris, which can cause blockages, clean up your drains. In addition, for your gutters and downspouts, you can do the same. The goal here is to ensure free and direct water flows to where it should be, thereby minimizing erosion.

    Being proactive is clearly the best way to safeguard your base against damage to erosion. The best thing is that all of the above measures are very easy to implement. All you need is a little free time and expertise, and you're all set for it.

Call Professionals

You must consider regarding and planting the landscape with good surface roots to keep the new graded soil in place if the soil around your footing is noticeably eroded. But also to see whether problems have begun due to previous erosion, you want to monitor this area of your foundation. If the moisture was sufficient, it could lead to change and new settlements that can lead to difficulties. It would be better to call a company for home foundation repair in OKC if you saw any sinking or new cracks.