It is quite easy to imagine the foundation of your home being ruined by a flood or termites, but did you know that your home’s foundation can also be ruined by not enough water? Hard as it is to imagine, a drought can actually cause just as much damage to the foundation as a flood can. So what can you do to prevent your home’s foundation from falling apart during a drought? First and foremost, make sure that the soil up underneath the foundation of your home is kept evenly moist because, even without a drought, if the soil under the home dries out unevenly, cracks can appear as it settles unevenly. This is known as differential settlement. One way to help avoid differential settlement is to keep bushes, shrubs, and trees, away from your home’s foundation, otherwise the roots will take the moisture from the ground. How do you know if the soil around your home is too dry? Dig a small hole in the ground about six inches deep. If the soil at that level is all the way dry, it means that you need to water the area. Do so by taking a soaker hose around your house, but keep it about a foot way from the foundation. Turn it on, and let it run until the soil is moist. You do not have to completely drench the soil, just get it moist. For more information about how to protect your home from foundation problems during a drought, contact Gant Insurance Agency.
Mar 15
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