Fort Worth Drainage Solutions June 11, 2016

Fort Worth Drainage Solutions June 2016

GLPDFW.com

Maintaining the proper drainage around a home in Fort Worth  is a tricky and important part of foundation maintenance. It's a good idea to keep a positive slope away from the structure approximately 5% for a distance of 5 feet, where possible so that excess water will flow away from the foundation. Soil levels against a slab foundation should be approximately two to three inches below the brick line, and about halfway up on a pier and beam.

A swale or gently sloping channel is normally included between structures to avoid erosion. While not absolutely necessary, gutters and properly dispersed downspouts can help control moisture problems. The use of downspout extension and splash-blocks, or underground piping to reduce erosion to direct the excess water to flow away, are highly recommended.

Mudjacking is a process where concrete slabs are lifted and/or moved using a complex hydraulic system. Small holes are drilled in the surface of the slab through which a slurry is pumped into the area below the slab foundation. This slurry can be pumped in to fill any voids that have developed under the concrete slab, leveling out the foundation and preventing further settlement. The semi-liquid, which is under pressure, can also be used to lift sagging sections of concrete that may require leveling to their original position. Mudjacking cost can vary depending on the amount and number of slab sections needed for leveling. After lifting, the small holes are patched with concrete.

Pier & Beam Repair - 

Most homes built before the 1960s were built on cedar post piers, extending only a few inches into the ground, providing very little surface area to support the home's foundation. The surface area over time can erode below the posts, losing both its integrity and ability to support the structure.

Block and pad piers are often used for the same function as cedar post piers, and face many of the same foundation problems. At each pier location a 
shallow pad of concrete is poured directly on top of the ground. Concrete blocks are then placed upon the
 pad and stacked to provide support under the home's beams. In many instances, the footing poured directly on top of the ground is adversely affected by the expansion and contraction of the soil at the surface level resulting in an inability to provide the proper amount of support for the structure, resulting in sheetrock cracks and stucco repair.

Root Barriers Root Barriers are made to encourage the tree roots to grow downward instead of horizontally and upward to prevent foundation damage. Root Barriers act as an underground wall that blocks tree roots from penetrating the nearby streets, sidewalks, and foundations.

Slab Repair - Soil

The soils in North Texas are characterized by highly active clays, which act like a sponge, expanding greatly when wet and then shrinking when dry. This cycle of expansion over time can cause lateral and differential movement underneath your home, placing undue stress on your foundation.

Slab foundations are especially susceptible to damage from soil expansion. The best long-term solution is to keep the soil around your foundation 
moist, which prevents shrinkage and movement along the foundation. Plumbing leaks also must be considered as that can add to unevenness in the soil moisture. Cracks in pavement can be repaired with concrete crack filler. 

Landscaping

Overgrown vegetation can affect soil conditions under a foundation in negative ways. Large bushes and trees planted to close to the building can cause the soil to dry out and shrink. This condition is magnified during dry conditions, which force the roots to consume moisture and to extend further under a structure for their own survival. Large trees, such as Weeping Willows, Cottonwoods, or Oaks can pull hundreds of gallons of water a day from under a foundation.

Here in Fort Worth and Stephenville and North Texas standing water can cause a wide variety of problems, none more damaging or costly than the problems it can cause with a home’s foundation.  Just call GLP Foundation Repair in Fort Worth and Stephenville.

It also depends on what type of water is standing around the foundation.  Rain water collecting and pooling up around the foundation of a home can, believe it or not, enter concrete. Concrete foundations are porous, and water fills in any pores it can find.  Over time, the water can seep into the concrete foundation and ultimately break down the concrete. This break down will cause the foundation to crack, which will in turn cause foundations to shift and the home to become unsettled. Cracks in the ceiling or wall in the inside of the home can be a symptom of a foundation affected by standing water in Fort Worth and Stephenville, Arlington, Keller and all of North Texas.

In the winter, standing water can do the same thing regarding seepage into the concrete. However, cold weather creates a different problem. The water will seep into the concrete, freeze, and then expand and push the concrete outward rather than breaking it down. This will cause the foundation of the home to swell and push everything in the home up and cause seams in the walls and ceiling.

 Rain water is one type of water that can be found around the foundation of a home. However, if water is standing near a foundation and rain water is not suspected, there may be an issue with a broken water line beneath the home. This will create even bigger issues.

Aside from the effect standing water can have on concrete or cement foundations, this standing water around the exterior of the home can also soften the soil beneath the foundation and cause the entire home to sink. Of course, this sinking issue is a gradual one, but over time can cause a great number of problems over time. Pipes can break from the pressure of a changing landscape, and the value of the home can decrease exponentially if any sort of water damage is noticed on the foundation. Call GLP Foundation Repair in Fort Worth.

These trees should not be planted any closer to a building than the distance of their mature drip line, or safer yet, their mature height. However, if trees do exist in close proximity to the foundation, there are effective measures which can be taken to minimize the effects of moisture consumption. Tree pruning, root barriers, or even tree removal may be necessary.