Keeping your foundation in good shape is essential to ensuring the safety and longevity of your home. Unfortunately, homeowners often neglect the landscaping surrounding their foundation, which can cause serious damage.
Consider these four landscape tricks to keep your foundation safe and your yard looking beautiful.
Plant Grass or Low-Lying Plants Near Your Foundation
Planting grass or low-lying plants near your foundation can help absorb excess moisture and reduce the amount of water that pools around your house’s foundation. You should also avoid planting trees too close to your home’s foundation, as their roots can cause significant damage over time. The last thing you want is for the roots of a large tree to end up cracking your foundation.
Utilize Water-Absorbing Materials
Using materials such as mulch, pebbles, or gravel, you can keep the soil around your house dry and limit moisture buildup near the base of your home’s walls. Large stones like river rocks can also direct runoff from the edges of your foundation and ensure water doesn’t pool against it.
Install Retaining Walls
If you live in a hilly area or have a large expanse of land surrounding your house, consider installing retaining walls to better control runoff from higher ground. These walls will prevent erosion and support any large trees or shrubs planted nearby by keeping them in place during storms with heavy winds and rain.
Grade Your Landscape Away From Your Home
Make sure that all the soil surrounding your home slopes away from the foundation so rainwater is directed away from your home instead of toward it. If you notice any pooling near the edges of your house’s walls, use dirt to level out any low spots.
Properly landscaping around your home’s foundation is essential to maintaining its integrity over time and preventing potential damage caused by water erosion or shifting soil conditions. The last thing you want is to call a company for an unlevel floor repair because of a foundation problem; use these tips to keep your home’s foundation safe and secure.
The Crack Guys are here to help when it comes to protecting your home and its foundation. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about your landscaping and how it can protect your foundation.