Several factors just outside your house may retain or cause excessive moisture. Often these can affect foundation settlement and concrete slab cracking as well as sinking and bowing basement walls. These will, of course, affect how the soil dries or expands when wet. This PDF series is designed to give you more information about cracks, settlement, bowed walls, and shifting slabs. See the complete series for more information about Foundation Repairs.

1. Foundation Problem Causes - Exterior Leaks
It might be what's around your house
Several factors just outside your house may retain or cause excessive moisture. Often these can
affect foundation settlement and concrete slab cracking as well as sinking and bowing
basement walls. These will, of course, affect how the soil dries or expands when wet.
Flower Beds
A localized source of water not on all sides of the foundation may result in non-uniform
foundation movements. Do not flood or pond irrigation water, and slope ground surface away
from the foundation. Do not trap water near the foundation with edging, but use mulch to slow
evaporation.
Trees

2. Tree roots grow under foundations and dry out soils
causing non-uniform foundation settlements. Plant trees
a distance greater than their mature height from the
foundation. If existing trees are closer, install an
approximately 4 foot deep tree root/vertical moisture
barrier system near the foundation and possibly prune
trees (to limit moisture stress) if barrier system is under
the drip line of the tree. Water tree roots away from the
foundation.
Landscape Planting
Drying from roots, transpiration and soil suction may cause non-uniform foundation
movements. Plant bushes and shrubs away from the foundation, and uniformly water plants.
Do not flood or pond water next to the foundation.
Over Watering
Over-watering provides an excess source of soil water for suction to draw moisture under the
foundation that may cause a stable area to begin heaving and damaging your structure. Water
just enough to keep plants and grass alive and growing, not thriving and lush through saturating
the ground.

3. Related Sites From Columbia Foundation Repair
Site:
Foundation Repair Jefferson City, MO
Foundation Repair Fulton, MO Foundation Settlement
Crawl Space Repair Columbia, MO Settlement
Crawl Space Repair Jefferson City, MO Bowed Or Leaning Walls
Foundation Cracks
Also of Interest: Sinking Slab
Foundation Problem Causes
From Gibbons Basement Inc.: Soil Effects
Moisture Effects
Foundation Repair
Exterior Leaks
Causes Of Foundation Settlement
Other Drainage Issue
Foundation Settlement Solutions
Bowed or Leaning Basement Walls Foundation Repair Solutions
Resistance Piers Solutions for Foundation Settlement
Helical Piers Solutions for Sinking Slabs
New Construction Foundation Piers Solutions for Bowed Walls
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