First Hurricane of the Year

If you remember, we discussed Texas summers and the potential for heavy and sustained rains and, lo and behold, we've gotten our first hurricane of the 2010 hurricane season. Hurricane Alex came ashore last week and we here in North Texas have gotten plenty of rain.

How did your property hold up? Did you take the opportunity to get out and look for puddles around your foundation? Did you get a chance to see how water flowed through and around your property?

We're still expecting rain the next few days, so don't let the next few days slip by without doing a basic look-see of your foundation. Got any questions about what else you should be looking for? Then ask us about your foundation. We love questions and we love answering them. Ask us anything and we'll send you an answer and share the information with others.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

What to do AFTER You've Had Your Foundation Leveled

If you've had your foundation leveled, you may think you're out of the woods. Well, you are for now, but that doesn't mean you can forget about your foundation altogether. You wouldn't get the brakes fixed on your car and then forget basic periodic auto maintenance, would you?

So, what do you do after foundation repair? Easy! You do the same things you normally do: keep the moisture constant, look for signs of new problems, and consult a structural engineer when you are considering additions to your home. Specifically, you should take these steps:

• Make sure the soil around and under your house foundation keeps a constant moisture content. You know the drill, we've covered it numerous times.
• Take time to look over your house and see if there are any new signs of foundation failure. We're not trying to scare you or say that the foundation repair work you've just had done subpar; we saying that if you've had one part of the foundation fixed or level, that doesn't mean the rest of the foundation (or the house) is immune to problems. Look for cracked walls, cracked or popped floor tiles, wrinkled wallpaper, creaking hardwood and laminate floors, and other issues.
• Review your landscaping and make sure you have no trees or large shrubs adjacent to the foundation. If necessary install root barriers.

Remember, you've just spent quite a bit of money and time getting your foundation fixed. Protect that investment and the rest of your home by performing basic foundation maintenance. Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Rainy Season Isn't Over, Yet. (Part 2)

In the last post, we discussed some of the heavier rains we can get even in summer and what you can do about them. Specifically, we discussed drainage and what you can do to keep your foundation in good shape. Today, we continue those thoughts.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, water can still get under a slab. What do you do then? Here's a few thoughts:

Install Moisture Barriers

Moisture barriers are vertical layers of plastic that are buried in the ground. As water flows up against a moisture barrier, it is stopped and prevented from getting under a home.

Install French Drains

French Drains are trenches filled with gravel that have a drain line buried in the gravel. French drains are designed to intercept and remove underground water.

Install Under Slab Drains

Rarely, it is necessary to tunnel under a foundation and install drains in thetunnels to collect and remove water. Drainage tunnels are dug by hand and typically measure 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep.

If you have more questions about what you can do, then ask us. Plus, get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Rainy Season Isn't Over, Yet.

Summer is finally here and it's going to be a hot one, but that doesn't mean no more rain. While we're several hundred miles inland, we still get rains from the occasional Texas or Louisiana tropical depression, storm, or hurricane. What's interesting about these rains is that they're heavy and can last several days. It's rains like this that really put your drainage systems (and ultimately your foundation's well-being) to the test.

Here's a handful of tips to make sure your drainage (and your foundation) are ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at it.

Installs Gutters and Downspouts

These are the first things added as they are the easiest way to drain a foundation.

Adjust Slopes

The next step is, if possible, to slope the ground away from the foundation. Typically a slope of an inch a foot for each 4 to 5 feet is adequate as long as water is not allowed to stand within 10 feet of a foundation.

Installs Drains

If grading is not possible, area drains, drains that collect surface water are installed. In some situations, shallow French Drains are used as a solution.

Water Direction

Advanced's focus is to, when possible, direct water into a street, drainage ditch, or swale. A swale is simply a very shallow ditch that is used to carry off water.

Look for more tips in our next post! Or, get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Use This Checklist Before Signing a Foundation Repair Contract

Since many home owners and other property owners are about to start on foundation repair (and other projects), now is a good time to think about the contracts you may see. Don't ever sign a contract without reading it first or having it explained to you. With that said, there's several things you need to consider before signing that foundation repair contract. Here's a short checklist you can use to see if things measure up.

• Ask an independent structural engineer (or two or three) for recommendations of a good foundation repair business. Look in the local phone book under "Structural Engineers" or search the web. Ask if the structural engineer is independent or under the employment of a foundation repair company. You want an unbiased opinion and recommendation, so you'll want an independent structural engineer.
• Get at least three local references from the foundation repair company you are considering using. Call these references and find out what they think of the price, the service, the clean-up, etc.
• Ask if the foundation repair companies you're considering handle all the necessary permits. It's rare that they'd make the property owner do it -- but be sure to ask. Red flags should go up if they tell you no permits are needed.
• Find out if permit fees are included in the price quoted in the contract. You don't want to be surprised with additional bills or invoices once the work is under way!
• Make sure you understand when the work will start and when it will end. You should have firm dates for both milestones.
• Is the foundation repair business insured and/or bonded? Did they have proof of this?
• Does the contract explain exactly what will be done, how many piers will be used, and a description of other materials used? Does the contract explain what type of piers will be used? Does the contract explain what will be done once the work is completed? Is the foundation repair company responsible for clean-up and so forth? Is the cost of clean-up included in the price given in the contract?
• Is there a down payment required? Do you understand how much is required for the down payment and how the payment should be made?
• Is there a schedule of payments? Red flags should go up if the foundation repair contractor is asking for full payment before the work is completed.

Finally, go with your gut feeling and intuition. If something doesn't feel write about the contract or the transaction or the foundation repair company, then stop and address the problem. Remember, it's your home or business and you will have to live with (or work in) the building long after the contractor is gone.
Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Last Video on Preventing Water Damage to Your Foundation

Okay, one last video and then we'll get back to our regular posts. This video shows a few common mistakes made with landscaping. These mistakes tend to trap water or direct it in such a way that will eventually damage your home. View the video and let us know what you think.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com. And, as always, remember that you can ask us anything about foundation construction, maintenance, and repair.

Video on Preventing Water Damage to your Foundation

Below is another good video about you and your foundation. In this, you can learn about the importance of making sure the ground around your foundation slopes away from your home or business.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Great Video on Pier and Beam Foundation Construction

We found this great video over at 5min.com about the construction of a pier and beam foundation. Watch it and tell us what you think. Don't forget, you can always ask us anything when it comes to foundations.

Pier Beam Foundation

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Differential Settlement

"Differential settlement" means one part of a building foundation moves at a different rate or for a different amount than other parts of the foundation or wall. Differential settlement can damage the foundation or wall with cracks and other symptoms of wall movement. These cracks can run generally up and down or in a stair step fashion (up then over, then up, then over, and so on).

These cracks can appear at anytime during a home's life. Sometimes they appear right after a house is built and the soil is compacting or shifting with the new weight on top of this. This can be indicative of shortcuts taken during construction — either with the piers or with the fill dirt or site preparation.

Problems later on are signs of soil expansion and contraction. As we've discussed before, soil expansion and contraction is a result of uneven moisture content and frequency.

You can read even more about differential settlement at Inspectapedia.com or you can contact us.

What's Going on With the Wallpaper?

Who would think your foundation would have anything to do with your wallpaper? Hang on and we'll explain.

When your foundation shifts — either up or down or back and forth — it doesn't necessarily move the entire house and what does move doesn't always move in the same direction or the same amount! What this means for your walls and floors is that the angles between the walls and the ceilings and the floors are no longer 90 degrees. To complicate things, the walls or ceilings or floors (or two of or all three) can bow out or bend inward. When this happens, your sheet rock may crack or your wallpaper may wrinkle or stretch.

If your wallpaper was picture perfect at one time but now it's stretched or wrinkled, then you may want to consider having your foundation inspected. If you have wall paper problems plus you have one or more doors or windows sticking, or you see cracks in the walls, or you see other symptoms, then it's definitely time for a foundation inspection.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.