When it comes to your home, everything rests on the foundation. It doesn’t matter how well you maintain the interior or exterior of your home if the base beneath crumbles away. Taking care of domestic foundations is an essential task in home upkeep and it’s one that shouldn’t be procrastinated. There are several common factors that impact homes all across the country, but most can be avoided or mitigated with a few basic precautions.

Poor Soil Composition

Dirt isn’t just dirt; it’s a complex mixture of different substances that exhibit properties based on the combination of material. Many regions have standard soil composition types, but there can be significant variance among local properties as well. Knowing the specific properties of the soil around the house allows homeowners to take appropriate preventative measures, like reinforcing the foundation or replacing soil with a more stable mixture.

Unaddressed Cracks and Leaks

A tiny crack can become a chasm if left alone for long enough. Any crack in the foundation, crawl spaces or connected structure can put the entire foundation at risk. Homeowners should inspect as much of the exterior and interior of their foundation as possible several times a year to look for cracks or signs of water damage. It’s also a good idea to get basement and crawl space waterproofing to stop erosion due to moisture. These treatments also stabilize the climate in storage areas, which preserves the items kept there.

Encroaching Tree Roots

The gigantic oak tree in the yard may be a familiar fixture, but it can also be a real threat to the foundation. While many trees are relatively contained, some can spread their roots well beyond the width of their canopy as they age. Encroaching roots can break through solid rock foundations over time as well as damage buried pipes and electrical lines. Removing the offending tree is usually the solution to root problems, although cutting out specific root tendrils is also viable in some cases.

Poor Drainage or Irrigation

Even soil with strong drainage potential can become overly-saturated, which exposes the home foundation to moisture damage. Homeowners with an outdoor sprinkler or irrigation system should take care to keep water spray and flow away from the foundation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Rainfall can also cause excessive saturation unless the runoff from the roof and gutters are channeled away from the home.

Foundations can be repaired, but it’s practically impossible to replace them for an affordable cost once they’ve taken serious damage. Homeowners should always keep an eye on this part of their home and schedule professional inspections on a regular basis to identify potential problems.