Preventing Foundation Movement

Proper Drainage

Water reacting with expansive clays in the soil causes the soil to expand. Expanding soil will lift and damage your home. Pressure increases from soil expanding against your foundation wall will push the wall inward into your basement. Poorly compacted soils from the original construction will cause the foundation to sink when water is applied. Any one of these movement will have an impact on the wood framing of your home.

Keeping foundations stabilized

Keep all water away from your foundation. Water from down spouts, sprinkler systems or negative slope toward your foundation will cause the soil conditions to change and damage your home. Homes that have not shown any foundation movement for years can start to move because of improper drainage.

Properly functioning drain systems

It is very important to remove any water that accumulates around your foundation. The longer water is allowed to stay around your foundation the more the clays can absorb water and expand. In newer homes, during construction, a drain system was normally installed around the outside of your foundation. Unfortunately many of these systems were not installed correctly. In order for the system to function properly the drain pipe must have a minimum of 1/8” per foot drop with the low spot being at the sump pit. The water is then pumped out and away from the foundation. A quick check for proper installation of the drain system is to measure how far below the finish grade the pipe enters the sump pit. Measure the perimeter of your foundation and divide the total length by 1/8” of an inch. For every eight feet in length of your foundation the pipe should be a minimum of 1” below finish grade. For a properly installed drain system the average depth of the pipe into the sump pit is 16 – 18” below the finish grade.