Root Barriers, Revisted

What's a root barrier and why is it important? Root barriers are physical barriers that redirect tree root growth downward, thus eliminating surface rooting that can damage foundations, sidewalks, driveways, and other hardscapes.

Remember, roots travel away from the tree trunk as the tree searches for water. Often times, tree roots gravitate towards the building foundation. Once roots reach the foundation, they may press into the foundation and break it, lift it, lower it, or otherwise shift it. Each of these movements can cause significant damage to your foundation.

Also, note that the roots can suck the moisture from the soil, thereby leaving it dry. Dry soil contracts, which can cause the foundation to shift. This is another unpleasant and damaging side effect of tree roots interacting with your foundation.

A root barrier can prevent roots from causing this damage to your foundation.

Root barriers surround the structure and prevent tree roots from getting under the foundation. While you may consider a root barrier a "nice to have" rather than a necessity, keep in mind that root barriers are usually much, much less expensive than foundation repair.

Ace Foundation installs a tough, flexible material designed to resist cracking due to soil movement or new root pressure. (Other foundation repair companies may use concrete or plastic (corrugated vinyl, for instance), but we've found these to be less reliable than the material we use. If another foundation repair company recommends concrete, think back to any number of sidewalks you've seen, cracked and pushed up by tree roots!

Learn More with Our Root Barrier Video

We've prepared a great video which shows exactly what root barriers are and how they protect your home or business' foundation.

Watch the Video

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Piers for Pools (cont'd)

This is the second part of a post concerning foundation piers for swimming pools. If you missed the first part, take a look at last Tuesday and get caught up.

Steel piers are the preferred choice when installing or augmenting piers for swimming pools. The advantages you get with steel piers for home and commercial & industrial foundations apply to swimming pools, as well. Steel piers don't require curing time like concrete does, so construction time is reduced. Steel piers require a smaller "footprint" when they are constructed. Steel piers are incredibly sturdy and a proven reliable solution.

One important thing to note about piers for pools is that the piers shouldn't be anchored to the pool. Why, you ask? Because the pool must be free to move a little bit. The pool is going to move no matter what; the key is that it's only allowed to move so much before it is stopped or stabilized. If the pool is anchored to the piers, then when the soil around and under the pool expands or contracts and pushes or drops the pool a bit, the pool is going to crack where the piers are anchored to it. This is because the pool is trying to move but is tied down at the piers.

Be sure to check out some of our slide shows for piers for pools and let us know what you think.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Piers for Pools

We've talked about piers for pools before, but now's a good time to recap. If you have a swimming pool, then no doubt you've had a chance to enjoy it. Did you notice anything different about your pool while you were out there?

For instance, does the water line appear to be at a kilter? In other words, is it not level? If this is the case, then part of the pool is higher than the other, which gives the appearance of the water being lopsided. It may be subtle, maybe an inch or two across the entire pool, or it could be more pronounced. Whatever the degree, this means that one end of the pool or the other has shifted up (down). Much like when you hold a glass of water and tilt the glass, the water stays level but runs diagonally across the glass, your pool is tilting and the water appears to run diagonally (though, not as dramatically as that glass of water).

This is the same behavior as when part of the foundation of your house lifts or drops. It means that the soil in or around your pool (or building foundation) has swelled or shrunk and the foundation has moved as a result. And, just as with your house, the shifting of your pool can cause problems. Sometimes the problems are cosmetic. For instance, the lip of the swimming pool can rise above or drop below the surface of the sidewalk or deck around it. On the other hand, more serious problems can occur, such as stressing and breaking the plumbing or creating cracks.

What can you do when this happens? Well, you can address it just as you would with your residential foundation or commercial foundation: You can level and stabilize your swimming pool with foundation piers. You can prevent further problems and correct existing ones when your swimming pool is back to level and no longer moving in unpredictable directions and amounts. Adding piers to the pool or augmenting existing piers with new ones is the best way to protect your investment in one of the most expensive additions to your home, and it insures that you and your family can enjoy your pool -- rather than regretting it.


In our next post, we'll discuss the specifics of steel piers for swimming pools.


Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com. Or, feel free to ask us anything! We love questions -- and we've gotten some really good ones lately. Fill out our Ask Us Anything form and look for your answer in your email. Plus, we'll update this blog and our websitehttp://www.acefoundation.com with the questions and answers we've received and given over the last few months.

What to Do After Your Foundation Has Been Leveled

We discuss quite often how to maintain your foundation and prevent foundation failure. Just as important, though, is knowing what to do after you've had foundation work done. Below are tips you should follow after your foundation has been leveled.

1. Maintain a consistent moisture level in the soil adjacent to the slab foundation. You can keep the moisture content consistent by evenly watering next to the foundation slab, especially during dry periods. There are a couple of ways to do this.
   
   First, use a buried foundation watering system with the water line buried twelve inches away and at the depth of the grade beam. The system should have a rain cutoff switch and a flow control box with a filter (the filter prevents sediment from clogging the line).
   
   Or, put soaker hoses around the edge of the foundation, seven to twelve inches from the grade beam. Remember to use the soaker hoses on a schedule or buy a battery-operated, programmable timer.
   
   Of the two methods above, the second can waste more water due to evaporation and run-off. Finally, keep in mind that watering the foundation does not fix existing foundation problems -- it's only a maintenance method.
2. Make sure water drains away from the slab perimeter. Eliminate all standing water near the foundation slab. This evens out the moisture content underneath the slab and lessens soil movement beneath the slab foundation.
3. Be sure large trees near the concrete foundation slab get plenty of water. Avoid high growth of dense vegetation near the concrete foundation slab, as well. When you water trees -- especially in dry periods -- you help even out the soil's moisture content beneath and around the foundation slab.
4. Make sure that the slab is at least three to four inches above the finished ground, including flowerbeds and other landscaped areas. The flowerbeds should slope away from the slab. This prevents water from draining to underneath the foundation and keeps water from pooling at the edge of the foundation.
5. Make sure the plumbing system, potable water lines, and sewer lines are checked periodically for leaks. A licensed plumber can perform these tests for you. Remember, water leaks cause differential moisture content and ultimately contribute to foundation failure. 

We hope you find these tips useful. A lot of them are also good maintenance ideas even if you haven't had your foundation leveled. Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.