Guide
Looking after a foundation
You cannot change the clay under your house. You can keep its moisture steady and even on all sides, which is most of what looking after a slab means.
Four habits
Move roof water away
Keep gutters clear and fit extensions so each downspout empties several feet from the wall, onto ground that falls away from the house.
Keep the soil sloping outward
Beds settle and mulch builds up. Once a year, check that the ground still drops away from the slab and that a few inches of concrete show below the brick.
Water in a drought
When a gap opens between the soil and the slab, run a soaker hose a foot or two out from the wall, all the way round, for short spells. The aim is damp soil, never a puddle.
Watch the water bill
A bill that climbs for no reason, a warm spot on the floor or the sound of running water with every tap off can mean a leak under the slab. Call a licensed plumber.
More on watering
Do not lay the hose against the concrete. Water poured into the gap runs straight down the shrinkage crack and wets the soil under the beam unevenly. Set back from the wall, it soaks in and brings the clay back gently.
Water all sides, including the ones you do not see. Watering only the front beds is a common way to make the front of a house behave differently from the back.
In a declared drought the city may limit outdoor watering to certain days. Check the city's current stage before you set a timer, and keep to it.
Watering maintains a foundation. It will not raise one that has already dropped.
Trees
Large trees close to a house draw moisture from under the slab edge. If you are planting, put big species well out in the yard. If a mature oak already stands near a corner, extra watering on that side in dry months helps balance what the roots take.
Think before removing a big tree that has stood beside the house for decades. The clay it kept dry will take up water again and can swell. Ask an engineer or a foundation company first if the house has shown movement near it.
A twice-a-year walk round
- Gutters and downspout extensions in place and clear.
- No soil or mulch touching the brick.
- No puddles against the slab a day after rain.
- No new gap between soil and concrete.
- Sprinklers not soaking the walls.
- The pencil marks at the ends of any old cracks: has anything grown past them?
If something has changed, the warning signs pages will help you decide whether it is worth a call.
When you are ready
Describe the problem and book an inspection
One call puts you in touch with an independent foundation repair company that works in Sugar Land. Have the address, the age of the house and a short list of what has changed.
Talk to a local foundation company
Say what you are seeing and where in the house. The company you reach is independent and gives you its own findings and its own price.
Call (832) 307-1056Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.