Here in the United States, home ownership can come with a great deal of responsibilities indeed. After all, many people must care for their homes in many different ways, from the roofing of their home to the water systems to the heating and cooling systems (which can be quite expensive indeed, sometimes even making up as much as half of the typical energy bill). However, taking the time to perform the home maintenance that is necessary will more than pay off at the end of the day.
The same can be said for the foundation of the home. Choosing the right foundation is key, for starters, and will vary based on where you are living and the type of soil that any home or structure will be built on. For instance, most newer homes (homes that have been built within the last half of a century or so, that is) in the state of Texas have been built with a slab foundation. As Texas has as many as 60 different types of soil, the slab foundation is likely to be the most reliable if soils with a high clay content are present.
If you’re unsure about what type of soil is present on your property, having an expert soil analysis performed by a professional in the field can give you a clearer picture of what you’re working with – and what types of foundations should be avoided at all costs. Having the right type of foundation installed can lead to less flooding damage and water damage later on, as well as other foundation problems that would likely otherwise become commonplace down the line.
Of course, the proper installation of any type of foundation – no matter what kind of foundation it might be – is absolutely essential. Take, for example, pier and beam foundation, which can be more than ideal as a type of foundation for many homes and structures all throughout the country. In order for pier and beam foundation to work as it should and avoid foundation failure, the measurements taken must be precise a good deal of care should go into erecting the foundation and putting it all together before the main body of the home or other such building is actually ever built.
For instance, you’ll want to make sure that the joists are spaced correctly. For most types of pier and beam foundation, jousts will be spaced at about 18 inches from one another. The same can be said for the beams used in this type of foundation, as these beams should be 12 inches, an exact foot, from the next one placed. The proper construction of foundation will be essential for the care and keeping of this foundation and its overall quality in the years that are to come.
The home owner will also need to be somewhat careful about how they use the property if they are to most effectively avoid things like flooding damage to the basement or even flooding damage to various other aspects of the home. For instance, if a soaker is left to run too near to the foundation, flooding damage and the need for residential foundation repair is likely to become necessary. Fortunately, if the home owners take the necessary steps needed in order to control moisture levels, flooding damage is not likely to become all that much of a problem. For instance, all soakers should be kept at least a full foot from the foundation, if not as many as 18 inches away – even taking such a small step can help to avoid any type of flooding damage at the end of the day.
If foundation repair does become necessary, such as in the unfortunate case of flooding damage, hiring flooding repair professionals will be your best course of action to take. After all, these professionals will be able to conduct the most efficient and effective foundation repair possible, something likely to be much better than any kind of do it yourself attempt, to say the least. For most people, the cost will be more than worth it.