Raising the Standard
in Home Inspections
in Home Inspections
"How much do I water my foundation...?"
As an Austin, Central Texas home inspector one of the most common questions I’m asked by clients and home owners is “how much do I need to water my foundation?” If you are relocating here from outside Texas, especially the central Texas area, foundation watering may be a foreign concept, but much of the soil in the Austin area is what we call expansive clay soil which expands when it gets wet and contracts as it dries. In times of excessive rain and dry periods (such as the record breaking droughts we’ve had), the clay soil can move to such a great extent that the foundations resting above move also – in some cases beyond a tolerable amount. While repair isn’t always required the movement can cause cosmetic and functional issues such as sticking windows and doors, sloping floors, cracks in sheet rock, etc., so it’s important to limit this movement as much as possible. One of the best ways to limit soil and the resulting foundation movement is to keep the moisture content of the soil around the house consistent year round.
How much to water? There really isn’t any hard fast rule and the amount will depend somewhat on your particular situation and in some cases may require further expert consultation but here are some tips:
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Consistency is the key when it comes to moisture control. Don’t water just the front yard and ignore the back for example. You also don’t want one area (actually any area) to be soggy/excessively wet. A general rule of thumb is 1 to 1.25” of watering.
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Your watering should result in the soil being pulled up tight against the foundation i.e. there shouldn’t be large gaps between the soil and foundation wall. Note: Never put water directly at the soil/foundation or in the gaps if present. This could cause additional issues.
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Automatic sprinklers work well if designed with good coverage and proper adjustment. An automatic sprinkler will water the foundation and the other thirsty vegetation nearby and will do so automatically.
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Manual watering/sprinkling. If you are moving a manual type sprinkler or you are watering by hand you’ll want to water as large an area as possible but at minimum a strip 3 to 4 feet wide around the foundation should be maintained.
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Soaker hoses. It is important not to place a soaker hose closer than 12 – 18” from the foundation wall – again, so that you are not watering the foundation or into any gaps directly. With a soaker hose watering each day for about 30 minutes is a good target.
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